MCTS Windows Vista™ Client Configuration Study Guide (Exam 70-620)
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MCTS Windows Vista™ Client Configuration Study Guide (Exam 70-620) Curt Simmons McGraw-Hill is an independent entity from Microsoft Corporation and is not affiliated with Microsoft Corporation in any manner. This publication and CD may be used in assisting students to prepare for the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist exam 70-620. Neither Microsoft Corporation nor McGraw-Hill warrants that use of this publication and CD will ensure passing the relevant exam. Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.
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ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS
About the Author Curt Simmons (B.A., M.Ed, MCSE, CTT) is a technology author, trainer, and courseware developer based in Dallas, Texas. Curt specializes in Windows operating systems and networking technologies, and he is the author of more than fifty books focusing on Windows and related networking technologies. He is also the author of the MCSE Windows XP Professional Study Guide. When he is not writing or teaching, Curt spends his time with his wife and daughters. You can reach Curt at
[email protected].
About the Technical Editor David R. Miller (MCT, MCSE, CISSP, ECSA, CEH, CWNA, CCNA, CNE, Security+, A+, N+, etc.) is an instructor and author of numerous books, curricula, certification exams, and computer-based training videos. He regularly performs as a Microsoft Subject Matter Expert (SME) on several Microsoft product lines, including Windows Vista, Windows Longhorn Server, and Exchange Server 2007. He is the principal author of the information systems security book entitled Security Administrator Street Smarts (Sybex, 2007). David can be reached at
[email protected].
About LearnKey LearnKey provides self-paced learning content and multimedia delivery solutions to enhance personal skills and business productivity. LearnKey claims the largest library of rich streaming-media training content that engages learners in dynamic media-rich instruction complete with video clips, audio, full-motion graphics, and animated illustrations. LearnKey can be found on the Web at www.LearnKey.com.
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CONTENTS AT A GLANCE
1
Introduction to the Windows Vista Client Exam
2
Install Windows Vista
3
Manage Post-Installation Issues
4
Configure Windows Aero and Internet Explorer
5
Configure Windows Defender and Windows Firewall
6
Network with Windows Vista
7
Configure and Troubleshoot Media Applications
8
Configure Windows Mail and Windows Meeting Space
.................
301
9
Configure Windows Sidebar, Windows Calendar, and Windows Fax and Scan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
347
10
Troubleshoot Reliability and Performance Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
383
11
Configure Windows Update, Data Protection, and Power Options
......
431
12
Configure and Troubleshoot Mobile Computing
.........................
473
A
About the CD
................................................................
513
.......................................................................
517
..........................................................................
535
Glossary Index
.........................
1
.......................................................
33
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63 107
....................
157
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199
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251
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CONTENTS
About the Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1
Introduction to the Windows Vista Client Exam
v xix xxiii xxv
....
1
What Is Configuring the Microsoft Windows Vista Client? . . . . . . . . What Is Windows Vista? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Management Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overview of Exam 70-620 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Audience Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Getting Ready . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exploring the Exam Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . What Is Covered in This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 2: Install Windows Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 3: Manage Post Installation Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 4: Configure Windows Aero and Internet Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 5: Configure Windows Defender and Windows Firewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 6: Network with Windows Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 7: Configure and Troubleshoot Media Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 8: Configure Windows Mail and Windows Meeting Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 9: Configure Windows Sidebar, Windows Calendar, and Windows Fax and Scan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 10: Troubleshoot Reliability and Performance Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2 2 5 8 8 9 10 14 14 14 14 15 15 15 15 16 16
ix
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2
3
Chapter 11: Configure Windows Update, Data Protection, and Power Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 12: Configure and Troubleshoot Mobile Computing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . What You Should Already Know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Windows 200x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TCP/IP Networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Global Computing Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ✓ Two-Minute Drill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Q&A Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Self Test Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17 17 17 23 24 25 27 30
Install Windows Vista
..........................
33
Identify Hardware Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Minimum Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Perform a Clean Installation of Windows Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Running a Clean Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 2-1: Performing a Clean Installation of Windows Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Windows PE ................................... Exercise 2-2: Creating an Image with Windows PE . . . . . Upgrade a Previous Version of Windows to Windows Vista . . . . . . . . Getting Ready for an Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Running the Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Up a Dual-Boot Configuration ................ User State Migration Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 2-3: Using USMT Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Upgrade from One Version of Windows Vista to Another . . . . . . . . . Windows Anytime Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ✓ Two-Minute Drill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Q&A Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Self Test Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
34 35 35 37 38 38 43 43 44 45 46 46 48 49 49 50 53 55 59 60 62
Manage Post-Installation Issues
.................
63
Configure and Troubleshoot User Account Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using UAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
64 64
16
Contents
Exercise 3-1: UAC Alerts for Admin Approval Mode . . . Exercise 3-2: UAC Alerts for Standard Users . . . . . . . . . Configure and Troubleshoot Parental Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Up Parental Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configure Web Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configure Other Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Activity Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 3-3: Configuring Parental Controls . . . . . . . . . . Install and Configure Windows Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Managing Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 3-4: Updating a Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 3-5: Uninstalling and Redetecting a Hardware Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 3-6: Using the File Signature Verification Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Troubleshoot Installation and Post-Installation Configuration Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Windows Experience Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Problems with File access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Issues with Temporary Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 3-7: Temporary Recorded Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . Issues with Standard Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Problems with Older Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ✓ Two-Minute Drill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Q&A Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Self Test Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4
Configure Windows Aero and Internet Explorer
xi 67 69 71 72 72 75 78 79 82 82 84 86 88 91 91 91 92 92 93 93 97 99 103 104 106
. . . . 107
Conf igure Internet Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Internet Explorer Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configuring Internet Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 4-1: Using Tabbed Browsing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configure Dynamic Security Settings in Internet Explorer 7 . . . . . . . Tools Menu Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Security Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Customizing Privacy Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
108 108 116 124 126 126 129 134
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MCTS Windows Vista Client Configuration Study Guide
Configure and Troubleshoot Windows Aero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Turning on Configuring Windows Aero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 4-2: Troubleshooting Windows Aero . . . . . . . . . Using Windows Flip 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Certification Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ✓ Two-Minute Drill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Q&A Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Self Test Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5
Configure Windows Defender and Windows Firewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Configure Windows Defender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Running a Scan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configuring Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Microsoft Spynet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Working with Quarantined Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Software Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Allowed Items and Windows Defender Web Site . . . . . . . . . Exercise 5-1: Configuring Windows Defender . . . . . . . . . Configure Security Settings in Windows Firewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configuring Windows Firewall Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configuring Windows Firewall Advanced Settings . . . . . . . . Exercise 5-2: Enabling the Ping Command in Windows Firewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ✓ Two-Minute Drill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Q&A Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Self Test Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6
137 138 140 142 145 146 148 152 153 155
Network with Windows Vista
158 160 162 166 167 167 168 168 170 172 176 179 183 185 191 192 195
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Conf igure Networking by Using the Network and Sharing Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exploring the Network and Sharing Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . Troubleshoot Connectivity Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vista’s Diagnostic Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
200 201 214 214
7
Contents
xiii
Using the Network Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Troubleshooting TCP/IP Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 6-1: Using APIPA or DHCP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configuring a Static IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 6-2: Manually Configuring TCP/IP . . . . . . . . . . Helpful TCP/IP Troubleshooting Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Troubleshooting Virtual Private Network Access . . . . . . . . . Exercise 6-3: Configuring VPN Connectivity . . . . . . . . . Conf igure Remote Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configuring Remote Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 6-4: Using Remote Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configuring Remote Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 6-5: Creating a Remote Desktop Connection . . . ✓ Two-Minute Drill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Q&A Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Self Test Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
215 216 217 219 219 222 225 227 229 229 231 232 233 238 240 245 246 348
Configure and Troubleshoot Media Applications
. . . . 251
Configure and Troubleshoot Media Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Windows Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 7-1: Creating a Playlist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Windows Movie Maker and Windows DVD Maker . . . . . . . Exercise 7-2: Configuring the DVD Menu . . . . . . . . . . . Windows Photo Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Windows Media Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 7-3: Configuring an MCE Device . . . . . . . . . . . ✓ Two-Minute Drill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Q&A Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Self Test Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8
252 252 257 263 272 277 282 292 294 295 298 299 300
Configure Windows Mail and Windows Meeting Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301 Configure Windows Mail ................................ Setting Up a Windows Mail Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
302 302
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MCTS Windows Vista Client Configuration Study Guide
Configuring Windows Mail Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sending and Receiving E-Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Managing Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 8-1: Creating a Message Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Customizing Windows Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Security Features in Windows Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Message Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configure Windows Meeting Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Up Windows Meeting Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Up a New Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Troubleshooting Windows Meeting Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 8-2: Verifying Firewall Settings and Services . . . ✓ Two-Minute Drill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Q&A Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Self Test Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9
306 310 312 313 318 319 321 323 323 325 330 332 335 336 341 342 344
Configure Windows Sidebar, Windows Calendar, and Windows Fax and Scan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347 Configure Windows Sidebar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configuring the Sidebar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adding, Removing, and Detaching Gadgets . . . . . . . . . . . . . Customizing Gadgets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 9-1: Adding, Configuring, and Removing a Gadget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configure Windows Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Create Appointments and Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using Multiple Calendars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configuring Calendar Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sharing a Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 9-2: Creating and Configuring a Calendar . . . . . Configure Windows Fax and Scan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fax Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fax and Scan Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 9-3: Creating a Fax Account and Sending a Fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
348 349 352 354 356 358 359 359 362 363 364 365 367 369 370
Contents
xv
✓ Two-Minute Drill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Q&A Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Self Test Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
374 376 379 380 382
10 Troubleshoot Reliability and Performance Issues
. . . 383
Troubleshoot Performance Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Troubleshoot with Performance Information and Tools . . . . . Gather Performance Information with Task Manager . . . . . . Using Performance Tools to Improve Performance . . . . . . . . Using Performance Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 10-1: Creating a New Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 10-2: Creating a Data Collector Set . . . . . . . . . . . Troubleshoot Reliability Issues with Diagnostic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . Resource Overview Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reliability Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 10-3: Enabling the RACAgent . . . . . . . . . . . . . ✓ Two-Minute Drill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Q&A Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Self Test Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11 Configure Windows Update, Data Protection, and Power Options
384 384 387 392 404 408 410 413 413 414 417 420 422 426 427 429
. . . . . . . . . . . 431
Configure Windows Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Removing an Installed Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hiding an Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Troubleshooting Common Update Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 11-1: Hiding and Resorting an Update . . . . . . . Configure Windows Data Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Backing Up and Restoring Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 11-2: Backing Up Data Using Windows Vista Backup and Restore Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 11-3: Restoring Items Using Windows Vista Backup and Restore Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
432 437 437 438 439 442 442 442 448
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MCTS Windows Vista Client Configuration Study Guide
Configuring BitLocker Drive Encryption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 11-4: Configuring a GPO for USB Flash Drive Usage with BitLocker Drive Encryption . . . . . Configure Power Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configure the Power Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 11-5: Creating a Custom Power Plan . . . . . . . . . ✓ Two-Minute Drill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Q&A Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Self Test Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
449 451 452 455 458 461 463 468 469 471
12 Configure and Troubleshoot Mobile Computing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473 Configure Mobile Display Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configuring Video Adapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using Multiple Monitors .......................... Exercise 12-1: Conf iguring Multiple Monitors . . . . . . . . Configure Mobile Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Managing USB Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Managing Wireless Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 12-2: Setting Up a Bluetooth-Enabled Device . . . Using the Sync Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise 12-3: Creating a New Sync Partnership . . . . . . . Using Windows SideShow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configure Tablet PC Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configuring Tablet PC Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Configuring Pen and Input Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ✓ Two-Minute Drill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Q&A Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Self Test Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lab Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A
About the CD
474 474 477 478 482 482 484 484 486 487 491 495 495 497 503 504 508 509 510
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 513
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LearnKey Online Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
514 514
Contents
Installing and Running MasterExam and MasterSim . . . . . . . MasterExam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MasterSim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Electronic Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CertCam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Removing Installation(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LearnKey Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Glossary Index
xvii 514 515 515 515 515 516 516 516 516
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 535
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PREFACE
W
indows Vista is the latest iteration of the Windows product, bringing a number of new features to the Windows operating system and to the Windows networking. This book is designed to help you learn all about Windows Vista in preparation for Exam 70-620, Configuring Microsoft Windows Vista Client. The Windows Vista MCTS exam tests your ability to support Microsoft Windows Vista by configuring various components of the operating system, including the new built-in applications and networking features. This book, along with your real-world experience and hands-on practice, can help you prepare for and pass the exam. The Windows Vista client exam can provide you with the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist certification. In keeping with Microsoft’s certification tradition, the Windows Vista exam is challenging. You will need knowledge of Windows Vista both conceptually and in actual configurations. As such, you will need hands-on experience in order to master the exam. This book is designed to help you be successful. Using the knowledge you gain from this book, the hands-on labs you perform, and the practice questions and exam, you will be ready to tackle Exam 70-620.
In This Book This book is organized in such a way as to serve as an in-depth review for the Windows Vista client exam for both experienced Windows Vista professionals and newcomers to Microsoft technologies. Each chapter covers a major aspect of the exam, with an emphasis on the “why” as well as the “how to” of working with and supporting Windows Vista.
On the CD For more information on the CD-ROM, please see the Appendix.
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MCTS Windows Vista Client Configuration Study Guide
Exam Readiness Checklist At the end of the Introduction you will find an Exam Readiness Checklist. This table has been constructed to allow you to cross-reference the official exam objectives with the objectives as they are presented and covered in this book. The checklist also allows you to gauge your level of expertise on each objective at the outset of your studies. This should allow you to check your progress and make sure you spend the time you need on more difficult or unfamiliar sections. References have been provided for the objective exactly as the vendor presents it, the section of the study guide that covers that objective, and a chapter and page reference.
In Every Chapter We’ve created a set of chapter components that call your attention to important items, reinforce important points, and provide helpful exam-taking hints. Take a look at what you’ll find in every chapter: ■ Every chapter begins with the Certification Objectives—what you need to
know in order to pass the section on the exam dealing with the chapter topic. The Objective headings identify the objectives within the chapter, so you’ll always know an objective when you see it! ■ Exam Watch notes call attention to
If you want to connect to a computer from behind a firewall, a network administrator must allow communication over TCP port 3398.
information about, and potential pitfalls in, the exam. These helpful hints are written by authors who have taken the exams and received their certification⎯who better to tell you what to worry about? They know what you’re about to go through!
■ Practice Exercises are interspersed throughout the chapters. These are step-
by-step exercises that allow you to get the hands-on experience you need in order to pass the exams. They help you master skills that are likely to be an area of focus on the exam. Don’t just read through the exercises; they are hands-on practice that you should be comfortable completing. Learning by doing is an effective way to increase your competency with a product. The practical exercises will be very helpful for any simulation exercises you may encounter on the Windows Vista exam.
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■ Inside the Exam sidebars highlight some of the most common and confusing
problems that students encounter when taking a live exam. Designed to anticipate what the exam will emphasize, they will help ensure you know what you need to know to pass the exam. You can get a leg up on how to respond to those difficult-to-understand questions by focusing extra attention on these sidebars. ■ Scenario and Solutions sections lay out potential problems and solutions in a
quick-to-read format.
SCENARIO & SOLUTION Can Windows Vista Home basic use the Aero interface as long as the hardware requirements are met?
No. Aero is not available in Windows Vista Home edition.
I want to make sure a sound card is compatible with Windows Vista before I upgrade. How can I check this?
Run the Windows Upgrade Advisor. You can also check the Hardware Compatibility List.
■ The Certification Summary is a succinct review of the chapter and a
✓ Q&A
restatement of salient points regarding the exam. ■ The Two-Minute Drill at the end of every chapter is a checklist of the main
points of the chapter. It can be used for last-minute review. ■ The Self Test offers questions similar to those found on the certification
exams. The answers to these questions, as well as explanations of the answers, can be found at the end of each chapter. By taking the Self Test after completing each chapter, you’ll reinforce what you’ve learned from that chapter while becoming familiar with the structure of the exam questions. ■ The Lab Question at the end of the Self Test section offers a unique and
challenging question format that requires the reader to understand multiple chapter concepts to answer correctly. These questions are more complex and more comprehensive than the other questions, as they test your ability to take all the knowledge you have gained from reading the chapter and apply it to complicated, real-world situations. These questions are aimed to be more difficult than what you will find on the exam. If you can answer these questions, you have proven that you know the subject!
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Some Pointers Once you’ve finished reading this book, set aside some time to do a thorough review. You might want to return to the book several times and make use of all the methods it offers for reviewing the material: 1. Re-read all the Two-Minute Drills, or have someone quiz you. You also can use the drills as a way to do a quick cram before the exam. You might want to make some flash cards out of 3 × 5 index cards that have the Two-Minute Drill material on them. 2. Re-read all the Exam Watch notes. Remember that these notes are written by authors who have taken the exam and passed. They know what you should expect—and what you should be on the lookout for. 3. Review all the S&S sections for quick problem solving. 4. Re-take the Self Tests. Taking the tests right after you’ve read the chapter is a good idea, because the questions help reinforce what you’ve just learned. However, it’s an even better idea to go back later and do all the questions in the book in one sitting. Pretend that you’re taking the live exam. (When you go through the questions the first time, you should mark your answers on a separate piece of paper. That way, you can run through the questions as many times as you need to until you feel comfortable with the material.) 5. Complete the Exercises. Did you do the exercises when you read through each chapter? If not, do them! These exercises are designed to cover exam topics, and there’s no better way to get to know this material than by practicing. Be sure you understand why you are performing each step in each exercise. If there is something you are not clear on, re-read that section in the chapter.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
W
e would like to thank the following people: ■ All the incredibly hard-working folks at McGraw-Hill, including Tim Green
and Jennifer Housh for their help in launching a great series and being solid team players. ■ Thanks to Agatha Kim for keeping everything moving in the right direction.
Also, a big thanks to David Miller for the fine technical review of this book.
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INTRODUCTION
W
elcome to the Windows Vista Study Guide. This book is all you need to master the concepts that you are likely to see on Exam 70-620. This book is written so that you can study each individual exam objective and then use the knowledge you gain in order to tackle those difficult and often tricky Microsoft exam questions. The Windows Vista exam tests your knowledge of configuring and supporting Windows Vista as well as networking with Windows Vista. This book’s exploration of the functionality and use of Windows Vista will help you meet the exam’s objectives and provide you with the knowledge that the exam expects you to have. The Windows Vista exam counts as a certification as a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist. Some of you are probably new to the certification game— in fact, this may be your first exam, or you may be updating your certification or gaining new certifications. Regardless of your status, this book is your best source of information, along with real-world experience and hands-on practice, for passing Exam 70-620.
How to Take a Microsoft Certification Exam Microsoft certification exams are complex and difficult, in a number of ways. The exams expect you to have solid conceptual knowledge of the exam objectives, yet you must also have hands-on experience in order to master the exam questions. Put these two elements with a time limit and a lot of reading, and there is no doubt that even the most seasoned test takers—myself included!—find the Microsoft exams nerve-racking. Yet, despite the difficultly, thousands of people have mastered these exams—and you can as well. This book will help you prepare for Exam 70-620, but I’m expecting that you bring some experience and prior knowledge to the table. If you are just getting started in the IT business, you should consider studying some general Windows Vista configuration and networking books before tackling certification— this will make your likelihood of success much higher.
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The Windows Vista exam expects you to be a Microsoft product expert. This means that you have to know the ins and outs of Windows Vista, but you must also know how to use and configure Windows Vista’s networking and application features. In order to test your knowledge, you are likely to see the following kinds of questions: ■ Conceptual questions
Conceptual questions are designed to test your knowledge. You’ll be asked a question and you must provide the technically correct answer.
■ Interface/diagram questions
In order to test your real-world knowledge of Windows Vista, you may see questions that give you portions of the Vista interface or questions that give you a network diagram. You must then examine the interface and correctly answer the question.
■ Scenarios
Almost all questions on the exam are scenario based. This means you will be put into a situation where a problem is at hand, and then you will be asked to solve the problem. Even when the question is a basic conceptual question, you’ll find that the exam often gives a long (and often unnecessarily detailed) scenario concerning that question.
Test Structure Like all good test takers, you want to know what the test will be like, especially if you have never taken a Microsoft exam before. If you have taken a Microsoft exam, you can expect the same kinds of questions and formats as you have seen in the past.
Question Types Let’s first consider the question types that you are likely to see on the exam. The concepts in the following sections apply to the Windows Vista exam, but you will also see these same formats on other exams as well.
Multiple Choice Almost all questions on the exam are structured in a multiple choice format. This means that you will see a question and several possible answers. You must click the
Introduction
xxvii
correct answer in order to get the question right. Some questions require two or more answers, while others say “Choose all that apply.” However, the great majority of the exam questions give you a question for which there is one correct answer. For example: Susan is a user on your network. Susan’s laptop computer was recently upgraded to Windows Vista. Susan travels frequently with her laptop, giving sales presentations at various client sites. Susan needs to make certain that she is able to use Windows Vista’s hibernation feature. However, Susan reports that hibernation is unavailable. You check Susan’s computer and discover that the Advanced Power Configuration Interface (ACPI) is not supported in the current computer’s BIOS. You install a new BIOS on the computer. What must you do now? A. Enable Hibernation. B. Reinstall Windows Vista. C. Run the File and Settings Transfer Wizard. D. Enable the L2TP protocol. As you can see, you are presented with a scenario problem and asked to choose the correct answer. By the way, the correct answer here is A. Since the BIOS is updated, she can enable hibernation.
Graphical Questions Some questions will contain a screen capture of the interface or a network diagram. When you read the question on the screen, you will need to click the Exhibit button to see the picture. You must then inspect the picture and make a decision about the correct answer. The question is still a multiple choice question, but the exhibit simply helps you answer the question correctly. For example: A user in your company travels frequently with his laptop computer. When the user is away from the office, he primarily uses battery power. During meetings, the user often accesses the laptop, and then the laptop may be idle for an hour or more. You need to configure the laptop to conserve as much power as possible
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while still being readily available to the user. Consider the current Power Options configuration:
What do you need to change in order to conserve power while keeping the laptop readily available? A. Turn the monitor off after 10 minutes of inactivity. B. Turn on Sleep after 10 minutes of inactivity. C. Configure hibernation to become active after 10 minutes of inactivity. D. Turn off the hard disk after 10 minutes of inactivity. As you can see, you simply review the current setting and determine what needs to be changed in order to meet the needs. In this case, the best answer is B. Sleep conserves the most power without shutting down the system (which hibernation does), so that the system saves power and is readily available. The trick with graphical questions is to keep in mind that the picture is provided to help you answer the question. Do not get so bogged down in the graphic that you lose sight of the question and what the question really wants you to do.
Free Response Questions More than likely, your entire Windows Vista exam will be made up of multiple choice questions. However, you may encounter free response questions, which are
Introduction
xxix
usually configured in drag-and-drop fashion. For example, a question may ask you to provide a series of steps in order to complete some action. You’ll see the steps listed, and you have to drag and drop those steps so that they appear in the correct order. Again, you may not see even a single question of this type on this exam, but don’t be surprised if you do.
Knowledge-Based and Performance-Based Questions As I have mentioned, the exam consists of knowledge-based and performance-based questions. Often, questions contain a mix of the two question types. Keep in mind that knowledge-based questions require a technical answer from memory, while performance-based questions put you in situations where you must choose the best action. The idea is that the exam tests your real-world experience along with your technical knowledge. Let’s consider a few examples. First, here is a basic knowledge-based question: You need to configure a VPN connection with a Windows Vista computer and a Windows NT 4.0 RRAS Server. In order to configure the connection, which protocol should be used? A. PPTP B. L2TP C. FTP D. HTTP This is a simple knowledge-based question. In order to answer the question correctly, you have to know that VPN connections use either the PPTP or L2TP protocols. However, Windows NT Server 4.0 supports only PPTP, so A is the correct answer. This is a simple knowledge question. Most questions that you will see on the exam will try to combine both knowledge-based concepts and real-world experience. For example: Your company uses a firewall in order to protect network users and sensitive information. You need to configure a Windows Vista computer for Remote Desktop with another Windows Vista computer. One computer is located at a remote office, while the second computer is located on the network. You configure the computers for Remote Desktop, but you are unable to connect to the computer on the network. What needs to be done? A. Configure the firewall to allow Remote Desktop traffic. B. Make the network computer a member server.
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C. Configure the external computer to allow TCP port 4483. D. Configure the internal computer’s Windows Firewall. This question combines both knowledge-based information and real-world experience. You have to know the acronyms and connection issues that come into play in order to answer the question. The correct answer is A. By default, firewalls do not automatically allow remote desktop traffic, so the firewall will have to be configured to allow the traffic to pass. The Windows Vista exam will not ask you specific questions about how to configure the firewall, but you have to know enough to be aware of what is causing the problem.
Study and Testing Strategies In order to successfully pass Exam 70-620, you’ll need to study hard, but you’ll also need to study smartly. This means that you’ll need to use this book and your time wisely. I’ve taken many Microsoft exams and taught many classes to students taking the exams, and the following format works best for most people: 1. Study each chapter. I recommend that you take notes when you study the chapter. Most people remember technical information more accurately if they write the information down. Highlighting huge sections of the chapter will normally not help you, although some highlighting may be beneficial. Review the Certification Summaries and Key Point Summaries at the end of the chapters. 2. Once you have studied the chapter, take the quiz and perform the lab exercise at the end of the chapter. The quiz and the lab exercise are designed to test your knowledge of the chapter’s content. If you miss some questions, make sure you review the missed material before moving on. 3. Make sure you perform the hands-on lab exercises. There is no replacement for hands-on practice, so make sure you have a Windows Vista (preferably Ultimate) computer that you can practice on. Explore! Try different settings and configurations! Get your hands dirty! 4. Continue this same process until you have studied the entire book. Then, go back and review all key point summaries and all quizzes. 5. Take the practice exam on the CD-ROM. The practice exam contains questions similar in style and content to that you may see on the exam. The practice exam is a good measuring tool for determining how ready you are for the exam.
Introduction
xxxi
Once you have studied carefully and smartly, you are ready to take the exam. When you are taking the exam, I recommend the following strategies: ■ Relax. Sure, the exam is important, but it does not define you as a person.
If you fail the exam, you can always take it over again, and if you are very nervous about the exam, you probably will not do well. ■ Remember that the exam is timed. This doesn’t mean that you have to be in
a ridiculous hurry, but you can’t spend twenty minutes on a single question either. ■ Rule out answers that are incorrect. If you are unsure of an answer, try ruling
out answer options that you know are incorrect. This will help narrow your decision and increase the odds that you will answer the question correctly. ■ Answer every question. Unanswered questions are counted as incorrect, so if
you simply do not know the answer to a question, make your best guess. ■ The exam contains a “mark” feature. This allows you to mark a question for
review at the end of the exam so you can change your answer (if you have time). The mark feature can be helpful, but only mark questions that you may have a reasonable chance of answering correctly. If you simply do not know the answer to the question, take a guess and move on. Spend your time on questions that you at least have a chance of answering correctly. ■ Do not skip questions. If you do not know or are unsure of the answer, take
a guess and move on. You may not have time to return to the question, and unanswered questions are counted as incorrect. ■ Make sure you know what the question is asking. Some questions will be
confusing and give you a lot of information that you really don’t need. Always ask yourself “What does the question really want to know?” ■ Use scratch paper. The testing center will provide you with as much scratch
paper as you want. Use the scratch paper to help untangle complicated questions or sketch diagrams when necessary.
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Signing Up Microsoft exams are administered by Sylvan Prometric and Pearson Virtual University Enterprises (VUE). A testing center is near you, and you can find it and register for an exam by visiting one of these: ■ www.prometric.com ■ www.vue.com
Regardless of the testing company you choose to go with, the exam and the fee will be the same. When you sign up for a test, you’ll need to provide your contact information and social security number, the exam number you are signing up for, the testing center at which you want to test, and a payment method (credit card or voucher). See Prometric’s and Vue’s Web sites for more details.
When You Take the Test And finally, here’s a few tips to remember on test day: ■ You need two forms of ID in order to take the exam—and one of them has to
be a picture ID. A driver’s license and social security card work well. ■ You cannot take anything into the testing center except a pen or pencil.
Sorry, you can’t take this book along for the ride. ■ Schedule the exam during a time of the day when you are most alert. If you
are a morning person, take the exam during the morning—if you are an afternoon/evening person, take the exam then. Do yourself a favor and give yourself the best edge possible. ■ Don’t take the exam on an empty stomach. Food fuels the brain, so eat a
modest, balanced meal before the exam. Avoid excessive caffeine or alcohol before the exam—both of these drugs impair your ability to think clearly and to take the exam in a calm manner. ■ If you feel yourself getting overwhelmed during the exam, pause for moment,
close your eyes, and count backward from 20 to 1. This will help calm you down. You can take a break if you like, but the exam clock keeps ticking. ■ Finally, keep a good perspective. You probably will not answer every question
correctly, and that is okay. Just remember to work carefully and pace yourself. Apply what you know and take the exam questions for what they really are—questions to test your knowledge and skills.
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Exam 70-620 Official Objective
Study Guide Coverage
Chapter Number
Page Number
Installing and Upgrading Windows Vista Identify Hardware Requirements
Identify Hardware Requirements
2
34
Perform a Clean Installation
Perform a Clean Installation
2
37
Upgrade a Previous Version of Windows to Windows Vista
Upgrade a Previous Version of Windows to Windows Vista
2
44
Upgrade from One Edition of Windows Vista to Another
Upgrade from One Edition of Windows Vista to Another
2
49
Install and Configure Windows Drivers
Install and Configure Windows Drivers
3
82
Troubleshoot installation Post-installation Configuration Issues
Troubleshoot PostInstallation Configuration Issues
3
91
Configure and Troubleshoot Windows Aero
Configure and Troubleshoot Windows Aero
4
137
Configure and Troubleshoot Parental Controls
Configure and Troubleshoot Parental Controls
3
71
Configure Windows Internet Explorer
Configure Windows Internet Explorer
4
108
Configure and Troubleshoot User Account Control
Configure and Troubleshoot User Account Control
3
64
Configure Windows Defender
Configure Windows Defender
5
158
Configuring and Troubleshooting Post-Installation System Settings
Configuring Windows Security Features
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MCTS Windows Vista Client Configuration Study Guide
Official Objective
Study Guide Coverage
Chapter Number
Page Number
Configuring Windows Security Features (Cont.) Configure Dynamic Security for Internet Explorer 7
Configure Dynamic Security for Internet Explorer 7
4
126
Configure Security Settings in Windows Firewall
Configure Security Settings in Windows Firewall
5
170
Configure Networking by Using the Network and Sharing Center
Configure Networking by Using the Network and Sharing Center
6
200
Troubleshoot Connectivity Issues
Troubleshoot Connectivity Issues
6
214
Configure Remote Access
Configure Remote Access
6
229
Configure and Troubleshoot Media Applications
Configure and Troubleshoot Media Applications
7
252
Configure Windows Mail
Configure Windows Mail
8
302
Configure Windows Meeting Space
Configure Windows Meeting Space
8
323
Configure Windows Calendar
Configure Windows Calendar
9
358
Configure Windows Fax and Scan
Configure Windows Fax and Scan
9
365
Configure Windows Sidebar
Configure Windows Sidebar
9
348
Troubleshoot Performance Issues
Troubleshoot Performance Issues
10
384
Troubleshoot Reliability Issues by Using Built-in Diagnostic Tools
Troubleshoot Reliability Issues by Using Built-in Diagnostic Tools
10
413
Configure Windows Update
Configure Windows Update
11
432
Configure Data Protection
Configure Data Protection
11
442
Configuring Network Connectivity
Configuring Applications Included with Windows Vista
Maintaining and Optimizing Systems That Run Windows Vista
Introduction
Official Objective
Study Guide Coverage
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Configuring and Troubleshooting Mobile Computing Configure Mobile Display Settings
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1 Introduction to the Windows Vista Client Exam CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVES 1.01
What Is Configuring the Microsoft Windows Vista Client?
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Overview of Exam 70-620
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What Is Covered in This Book
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✓ Q&A
What You Should Already Know Two-Minute Drill Self Test
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W
elcome to Microsoft’s Windows Vista and Exam 70-620. Exam 70-620 is a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) exam. Simply passing this exam earns you MCTS status. As Microsoft’s newest operating system at the time of this writing, Windows Vista brings rich functionality, as well as fun, to the latest iteration of Windows. You can think of Windows Vista as a functional and fun leap from Windows XP. While Windows XP brought enhanced security and functionality to the desktop, Windows Vista provides much, much more, making it Microsoft’s most complex, but helpful operating system to date. Designed for both the home and business markets, Windows Vista comes in Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate versions, each supporting different features that we’ll explore in later chapters. As an IT professional, you are expected by Microsoft to be able to install, configure, and administer Windows Vista, primarily in a networking environment. This exam helps to prove to employers that you are ready to tackle the issues and challenges that await you in supporting Windows Vista.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 1.01
What Is Configuring the Microsoft Windows Vista Client? I’ve taken many Microsoft exams, and whenever I look at an exam title and see the word “configuring,” I always think to myself, “So the exam can ask virtually anything!”—and that sentiment is right. Exam 70-620 expects you to know almost everything about Windows Vista—from planning a deployment to solving implementation and administration problems. However, don’t feel overwhelmed, because this book is designed to give you knowledge and technical skills you’ll need to master Exam 70-620. In order to understand all that the exam covers, it is important to spend a few moments considering a broad overview of Windows Vista. The following sections explore the primary features of Windows Vista so that you can fully understand the type of content on which the exam is likely to focus.
What Is Windows Vista? Windows Vista is Microsoft’s contribution to desktop and networking power and friendliness. It is designed to be all things to all people, and that’s a tall order to fill.
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Also, with the new Aero interface design that is less cluttered and highly configurable, Windows Vista is easy for the new user to master and complex enough to interest the advanced user. In the following sections, I’ll give you a brief overview of some of Windows Vista’s features (from the perspective of the exam). This is meant to be an overview, not a comprehensive review. Of course, the best introduction to the operating system is to simply get your hands on the keyboard and explore!
New Look and Feel Windows Vista provides a new interface for users called Aero, which is available in the Home Premium version and up, assuming the hardware can support it. With this interface, you’ll see a simplification of Windows menus and the desktop, which is now typically clean except for the Recycle Bin, as you can see in Figure 1-1. FIGURE 1-1
Windows Vista desktop
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Chapter 1: Introduction to the Windows Vista Client Exam
By accessing the Start menu and Taskbar properties, you can completely configure the way the system looks, and you completely customize the items you see on the Start menu. The idea is to provide a complex operating system that does not overwhelm the user. Users can configure the items they need to see, while allowing other items to remain hidden. By accessing Personalization, shown in Figure 1-2, you can configure the way the desktop looks, along with screen savers, sounds, mouse pointers, and general theme settings. Personalization gives you a streamlined way to configure Windows Vista. You’ll also see a more graphical, streamlined view through the system. Folders are very easy to use and even suggest tasks to users. The Windows Vista Control Panel, shown in Figure 1-3, also hides its typical icon list and tries to help users in a task-based FIGURE 1-2
Personalization options
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FIGURE 1-3
Control Panel
manner through a category view. Again, here you can also switch to classic view and use Windows Vista in a way that works for you. Overall, the new Vista look is easier, provides more options, and makes the operating system more interesting for end users.
Management Tools If you have spent any time working with Windows XP, you’ll quickly recognize many of the features of Windows Vista. Here are some examples of the features: ■ Windows Vista is designed for the NTFS file system, which provides the
greatest security and most management features of any file system. ■ Interfaces now have a more graphical look rather than simple dialog boxes
and menus. Although you can still access these classic options, you often see a more graphical approach to configuration. For example, System in Control Panel has long been a typical dialog box with numerous tabs, but now you first see a graphical interface, shown in Figure 1-4.
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FIGURE 1-4
System
■ Common management tools also appear in Windows Vista. Performance
and the Computer Management console, Event Viewer, Device Manager, Disk Management, and a number of other tools are readily available. The Administrative Tools applet in Control Panel shown in Figure 1-5 gives you access to several features quickly and easily.
Networking Windows Vista is a true network operating system. It provides the features and functionality as well as the security technology to make it the operating system of choice for large Microsoft networks as well as the operating system of choice for the home or small office user. Although the exam focuses on Windows Vista as the operating system for medium to large networks, it is an operating system that can
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FIGURE 1-5
Administrative Tools
essentially function anywhere. Regardless of your networking needs, Windows Vista can meet the goal. Following are some examples you can use for networking: ■ For the home or small office user, Windows Vista can automatically assign
itself an IP address and auto-configure TCP/IP settings. In the domain environment, Windows Vista is fully compatible with Windows 200x networking and can function with DHCP and DNS network servers. You can make changes to Windows Vista’s IP configuration “on the fly” without the need to reboot. ■ Universal Plug and Play makes Windows Vista an excellent choice for a
network operating system because Windows Vista can more easily detect network media and automatically install the necessary drivers to function with those media. ■ Aside from local area networking, Windows Vista can easily function in a
variety of roles. For example, Windows Vista can be used as a file server or as a Web server, and it can be used to establish virtual private networks.
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■ Internet connectivity is provided via modem or broadband connectivity (or
LAN connectivity), and Internet Explorer 7 is the most secure version of IE ever produced. Additionally, home and small office users can take advantage of Internet Connection Sharing, in which one computer is connected to the Internet and other network computers use the Internet via that connection. A simple wizard helps home and small office users configure these connections.
New Applications Windows Vista brings along standard Windows applications, such as Windows Media Player, but it also provides an integrated Windows Media Center. There are several new features, such as Windows SideShow and Windows CardSpace, along with several new applications, including Windows Mail, Windows DVD Maker, Windows Photo Gallery, the Sync Center, Windows Meeting Space, and many others.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 1.02
Overview of Exam 70-620 Exam 70-620 is designed to test your configuration knowledge of Windows Vista. Specifically, the exam expects that you understand enough about the installation, configuration, and administration of Windows Vista to work with it in a Microsoft network environment. In other words, you can expect the exam to focus on Windows Vista in terms of network connectivity and functionality. You’ll primarily face questions that ask you how to configure and use Windows Vista in a variety of network settings. Exam 70-620 builds on basic Windows knowledge and assumes that you have hands-on experience working with Windows Vista in a Microsoft network environment. Because of the real-world experience factor, the exam does not narrowly focus on single objectives. Instead, you are likely to see questions that combine a number of objectives into a scenario. In other words, Microsoft sees your education and technical knowledge as global.
Audience Profile As you are beginning your Exam 70-620 studies, it is important to consider the audience for which this exam was developed and to make sure you fit into that
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audience profile. This exam is designed for IT professionals who work in medium to very large networking environments that use Windows Vista as the desktop operating system. You should have real-world experience in supporting Windows Vista and resolving configuration issues and problems for users. The reality, of course, is that not all of us work in environments with those kinds of specifications. So, does that mean you cannot pass the exam? No, not at all. What it does mean is that the exam was written with this audience in mind, so you’ll need to take a close look at the audience profile and your own skills and then determine how you can study and practice using Windows Vista, but this book will help guide you through that study process.
Getting Ready Before taking Exam 70-620, I recommend a three-part preparation process that will help you to be successful on exam day: ■ Study this book and get hands-on practice
This book is designed to be all you need to master Exam 70-620, but you need to make use of all of the book’s components in order to be successful. Be sure to practice and study all of the chapter content and chapter questions carefully. Then, use the book’s CD-ROM to further practice and test your skills. You also need hands-on practice with Windows Vista (preferably the Ultimate version).
■ Check for updates
Although they rarely do, exam certification objectives can change from time to time. So you should get in the habit of periodically checking www.microsoft.com/learning for updates to Exam 70-620 or the MCTS program in general. Also, as you are studying Windows Vista, keep a check on www.microsoft.com/windowsvista for late-breaking news and product updates.
■ Explore the exam format
If you are somewhat unfamiliar with Microsoft exams, you can download some sample versions at www.microsoft.com/learning so that you can see the exam format you might have. Be advised that the exams may give you scenario-based questions or interface questions where you are required to configure portions of Windows Vista. Perfect practice makes perfect performance, so know what to expect before arriving at the testing center.
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Exploring the Exam Objectives You can access the Windows Vista client exam objectives by visiting www.microsoft. com/learning. The exam objectives are the primary skills being measured on the exam. It is important that you understand the major focus of those exam objectives, and the following sections review them so that you’ll know what to expect.
Installing and Upgrading Windows Vista The exam expects you to know how to prepare for a Windows Vista installation, install the OS, and resolve installation problems. Specifically, you can expect the exam to focus on the following topics: ■ Identify hardware requirements
You’ll need to know what hardware requirements are necessary for different versions of Windows Vista.
■ Perform a clean installation
You’ll need to know how to perform a clean installation of Windows Vista on a PC that has no operating system or on a PC that had a previous version of Windows.
■ Upgrade to Windows Vista from a previous version of Windows
The exam will test your ability to upgrade Windows from a previous version to Windows Vista, including memorized knowledge of upgrade paths and scenarios.
■ Upgrade from one edition of Windows Vista to another edition
Since there are several editions of Windows Vista, how you can upgrade between versions and what versions can be upgraded? You need to know this information for the exam.
■ Troubleshoot Windows Vista installation issues
For the most part, Windows Vista installation is very easy, but you’ll need to know how to resolve problems when they occur.
■ Install and configure Windows Vista drivers
install and configure new hardware drivers.
You’ll need to know how to
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Configuring and Troubleshooting Post-Installation System Settings Exam 70-620 expects you to be able to configure initial settings after an installation and resolve post-installation problems. Specifically, you will need to know how to do the following: ■ Troubleshoot post-installation configuration issues
This objective covers a wide variety of potential problems and issues regarding general configuration once Windows Vista is installed.
■ Configure and troubleshoot Windows Aero
The new Aero interface has specific hardware and configuration requirements you’ll need to know.
■ Configure and troubleshoot parental controls
Windows Vista gives you the ability to manage what users can and cannot do via parental controls. You’ll need to know how to configure these controls to meet a variety of needs.
■ Configure Windows Internet Explorer
You’ll be expected to know how to configure IE, especially the new features and security options.
Configuring Windows Security Features Security is a major focus and concern in the computing world today, and you’ll need to know how to configure and use the security features that are built into Windows Vista. You’ll need to know how to do the following: ■ Configure and troubleshoot User Account Control
User Account Control is a new feature in Windows Vista designed to stop malware or spyware (along with other software) from getting installed without your permission. You’ll need to know how to configure UAC and administer it.
■ Configure Windows Defender
The exam expects you to know how to configure and use the features found in the Windows Defender software.
■ Configure Dynamic Security for Internet Explorer 7
For the exam, you’ll need to know to configure the new dynamic security features found in IE 7.
■ Configure security settings in Windows Firewall
Windows Firewall provides protection against hacker attacks as well as any unauthorized access from the Internet or local network. You’ll need to know how to configure it for the exam.
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Configuring Network Connectivity Windows Vista provides support and ease of configuration for all kinds of network scenarios. You are expected to know how to do the following: ■ Configuring networking by using the Network and Sharing Center
The Network and Sharing Center is the primary interface in Windows Vista to configure networking and sharing options. You’ll need to know how to use it for the exam.
■ Troubleshoot connectivity issues
You’ll be expected to resolve a number of different connectivity issues and problems using Windows Vista.
■ Configure Remote Access
You’ll need to know how to configure Windows Vista to access remote services, such as Virtual Private Networking.
Configuring Applications Included with Windows Vista Windows Vista provides a number of new applications. For the exam, you need to know how to do the following: ■ Configure and troubleshoot media applications
Windows Vista includes several applications that help you create and manage multimedia. You’ll need to have some hands-on experience with these applications for the exam.
■ Configure Windows Mail
Replacing Outlook Express, the new default mail client is Windows Mail. The exam will expect you to be able to configure this mail application.
■ Configure Windows Meeting Space
Create virtual meetings on your PC with people on your network or the Internet.
■ Configure Windows Calendar
A new calendar application enables you to manage a busy schedule, including the creation of multiple calendars, all from the same interface.
■ Configure Windows Fax and Scan
You can now fax and scan documents via new interface that makes management easy. You’ll face some configuration questions on the exam.
■ Configure Windows Sidebar
Windows Sidebar features mini-applications called gadgets that deliver information or entertainment on your desktop. You’ll need to know how to configure it for the exam.
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Maintaining and Optimizing Systems That Run Windows Vista Windows Vista includes new features that enable you to optimize and manage system performance more easily. You’ll need to know how to do the following: ■ Troubleshoot performance issues
Using the available tools in Windows Vista, you’ll need to know how to troubleshoot and resolve performance problems.
■ Troubleshoot reliability issues by using built-in diagnostic tools
Windows Vista includes new tools that enable you to track performance and reliability. You’ll need to know how to use and interpret the data from these tools for the exam.
■ Configure Windows Update
Windows Update continues to be the preferred method of getting updates for Windows Vista. You’ll need to know the configuration options for the exam.
■ Configure Data Protection
Windows Vista provides built-in data protection tools and options. You’ll need to know all about these for the exam.
Configuring and Troubleshooting Mobile Computing Laptop computers have created an entire mobile workforce. As a Windows Vista expert, you’ll need to know how to configure mobile computing for a variety of situations. For the exam, you’ll need to know how to do the following: ■ Configure mobile display settings
Since display settings can be different for mobile PCs, you’ll need to know the issues concerning general settings and multiple monitor configurations.
■ Configure mobile devices
You’ll need to know how to connect, manage, and sync mobile devices with Windows Vista.
■ Configure Tablet PC software
You’ll need to know how to configure tablet PC settings on Windows Vista, including pen and input devices.
■ Configure Power Options
and how to manage them.
You’ll need to know the different power options
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CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 1.03
What Is Covered in This Book This book is designed to cover every exam objective and give you the technical information and practice you need to master Exam 70-620. Although I cover every exam objective, it is important to note that Microsoft exam objectives are often not listed in a logical order. However, in this book, I have reorganized these exam objectives so that you can learn all about Windows Vista logically and completely. The following sections give you a global overview of the chapters to come.
Chapter 2: Install Windows Vista In this chapter, you’ll learn about installing Windows Vista. You’ll find out how to plan a Windows Vista installation according to hardware requirements and how to identify those hardware requirements. You’ll also learn how to perform a clean installation of Windows Vista, upgrade from a previous version of Windows (and what versions can be upgraded), and how to upgrade from one version of Windows Vista to another.
Chapter 3: Manage Post Installation Issues Once an installation is complete, you can begin to configure and manage software and possible problems that occur after an installation. In this chapter, you’ll explore how to troubleshoot installation problems, how to troubleshoot post-installation problems, and how to install and configure drivers for Windows Vista so that your hardware will work with the operating system. You’ll also see how to configure and use parental controls and how to configure and manage the new User Account Control (UAC) in Windows Vista.
Chapter 4: Configure Windows Aero and Internet Explorer Windows Aero is the name for the new glass-like interface in Windows Vista. Aero has certain hardware requirements and configuration requirements, and since it is a new feature, you can expect to face some exam scenarios where you have to configure and troubleshoot Windows Aero. This chapter will walk you through that process.
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Internet Explorer 7 also includes several new features, including tabbed browsing and certain security features. You’ll need to know to use these features and how to configure and troubleshoot problems with IE 7. You’ll find out how in this chapter.
Chapter 5: Configure Windows Defender and Windows Firewall Security is a constant issue and concern in the IT world, and Windows Vista provides two software packages that can help prevent spyware, adware, and malware as well as unauthorized access to the computer. Windows Defender protects against common spyware threats, while Windows Firewall blocks unauthorized access to the computer. You’ll face exam situations and configuration issues for both of these security products, and this chapter will show you what you need to know.
Chapter 6: Network with Windows Vista Windows Vista is easier to configure in terms of networking than previous operating system. Using a new Network and Security Center, you can configure both public and private networking settings with only the click of a button. Vista also provides easy access to network connections and provides a wizard that can help set up a variety of connections, including connections to a wireless network. You’ll need to know how to configure all of these options for the exam.
Chapter 7: Configure and Troubleshoot Media Applications Windows Vista provides several applications to create and manage media. You can create movies and burn DVDs using Windows Movie Maker and Windows DVD Maker. You can also manage photos using the new Windows Photo Gallery. You can manage music and other media using the revamped Windows Media Player and the integrated Windows Media Center. You’ll need to get some hands-on practice with these applications, and you can use this chapter to help you prepare for the exam.
Chapter 8: Configure Windows Mail and Windows Meeting Space Windows Mail is a new application in Windows Vista, designed to work as a standalone default mail client but also to be used in a networking environment. There are many configuration and management options in Windows Mail, and the exam will expect you to have a good command of these features.
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Windows Meeting Space is also a new application that enables you to hold virtual meetings on your PC with people on your network or via the Internet. You can communicate with the meeting attendees and even distribute electronic handouts. This chapter will show you how to use this new software.
Chapter 9: Configure Windows Sidebar, Windows Calendar, and Windows Fax and Scan Windows Vista provides a new calendar, which enables you to create multiple calendars on the same interface. You can manage your work and personal life, and even the calendar of a coworker, via Windows Calendar. You’ll need to know how to configure it for the exam. Also, Windows Vista provides a new fax and scan console that looks similar to an e-mail client. You can fax and scan documents, receive faxes, and store sent and received documents in individual folders. Finally, Windows Sidebar is a new feature of Windows Vista that provides miniapplications called gadgets. You can access available gadgets in Windows Vista and download new ones from the Internet. You’ll find out how to configure and use the Sidebar in this chapter.
Chapter 10: Troubleshoot Reliability and Performance Issues Windows Vista includes several tools to enable you to troubleshoot performancerelated problems and examine system reliability. You’ll need to know how to use these tools, including both how to configure the tools and how to analyze data that you receive from them. This chapter explores these tools and shows you how to use them and troubleshoot performance problems.
Chapter 11: Configure Windows Update, Data Protection, and Power Options Windows Update continues to be an important part of Windows Vista as a means to download updates for your PC. You can configure a few important Windows Update options for the exam, and this chapter will show you how. You’ll also explore data protection, including data backup and recovery, as well as some new data protection features available in Windows Vista. Finally, this chapter explores the Power Options in Windows Vista, how to configure them, and how to create custom power management solutions.
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Chapter 12: Configure and Troubleshoot Mobile Computing Mobile computing is an important part of any business environment in this day and age, and the exam reflects that fact by including objectives related to configuring and troubleshooting mobile computing. This chapter explores mobile display settings, mobile devices, and the configuration of tablet PC software. You’ll need to know about the new interfaces and configuration features for mobile computing, and this chapter explores those issues.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 1.04
What You Should Already Know Exam 70-620 is a demanding exam that expects prior knowledge and skills. As such, this is not a beginner’s exam. Before beginning your study of Windows Vista in preparation for Exam 70-620, you should consider the following sections carefully to make sure you have the required prerequisite knowledge.
Windows 200x Windows Vista is designed to work on a Windows 200x network. Because of this functionality, you are very likely to see some overlap of Windows 200x networking technologies that are not explicitly stated as objectives for Exam 70-620. It is important to keep in mind that the Windows Vista exam does not test your knowledge of Windows 200x networking—at least, not directly. However, the exam expects you to understand how Windows Vista can be used in a domain environment and how you can configure Windows Vista for such an environment. In order to understand those features, you must have a firm understanding of Windows 200x networking functions and features. In light of this fact, you need a firm command of a few concepts, namely ■ Windows Networking ■ Windows Domain Controller and Member Server Roles ■ Active Directory Management ■ Group Policy ■ Remote Access Service ■ Virtual Private Networking
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Although not designed to be a comprehensive overview, the following sections review each of these issues. You need to understand how Windows Vista fits into Microsoft’s networking technologies. You won’t face explicit exam questions concerning this material, but don’t be surprised if you find a question that puts you in a networking situation. As you are reading, consider your own skills. If you believe you may be deficient in a particular area, you may need further study before tackling Exam 70-620.
Windows Networking Windows 200x provides premier networking servers, functions, and features that can meet the needs of a small workgroup or a global network. In the days of Windows NT, Microsoft entered the networking arena, previously dominated by Novell and UNIX systems. However, Windows NT left a lot to be desired, was difficult to manage, and did not scale well as networks grew and changed. The entire construct of Microsoft networking changed with the release of Windows 2000. Windows 2000/.NET networks are easier to manage, provide more services, and have essentially no practical limit in terms of scalability. There are a number of reasons for these changes and a number of technologies behind the change.
Network Configuration In order to understand Windows 200x/.NET networking, we must first take a look at the structure of a Windows 200x network. Windows 200x networks are built on sites, domains, and organizational units (OUs). An understanding of these components is critical to understanding Windows networking and how Windows Vista functions within that network. Networks are physically divided into sites. A site is simply a physical collection of networked computers. Typically, a site denotes that the computers are located in one geographic location. For example, let’s say that a company has an office in New York and an office in Houston. A network exists in each location. In terms of Windows 200x networking, each location can function as a site. Then, using the site configuration, network administrators can determine how those two physical locations can connect to the wide area network (WAN). This connection may be a WAN link, such as a T3 connection, or in the case of small network sites, it might be a modem connection or a VPN connection over the Internet. There are a number of connection possibilities, all depending on the needs of the network and the cost.
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So why does Windows 200x use site configuration to group computers? There are a few different reasons that this physical configuration is important: ■ Sites help Windows 200x networking components determine what network
traffic is considered “inexpensive” and local. In other words, the definition of sites helps the Windows 200x Server know if certain computers are considered local or on a remote subnet that requires a more expensive and less reliable WAN link in order to communicate. ■ Sites help Windows 200x control replication. Replication is the process
of updating the Active Directory data that resides on each Windows 200x domain controller. Updates flow easily between domain controllers within a site, but Windows 2000 knows that replication to domain controllers out of the site can be costly and troublesome. When you define those sites, you can further define how Windows 200x Servers can communicate with each other in remote sites. You can see that sites enable an administrator to define locations and the WAN links connecting them. Windows 200x can then use this information to help you control replication and traffic. While site configuration is a physical look at the geographical locations that make up local and remote network segments, Windows 200x domains and organization units (OUs) are logical divisions of that network. A domain is a Windows 200x grouping of users and computers for management and security purposes. The domain is not connected to the site—a domain can contain several different sites, or a site can contain several different domains. The site physically segments the network, while the domain is a logical division. Why are domains used? Consider this example: Let’s say you have a network with two sites: New York and Houston. The New York site contains 2000 users, while the Houston site contains 4000 users. Each site is managed by its own administrative team and has different security standards. In this case, two domains can be used, one at each site, so that different administrative teams can manage the sites and implement different security standards. Now let’s consider this same example in a different way. What if New York and Houston were managed by the same administrative team with the same security standards? In this case, only one domain is needed. The single domain encompasses both sites, and the administrative team manages the single, logical domain. In Windows NT, domains caused a lot of problems because Windows NT could only handle so many users and computers per domain. For large networks, the domain
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structure often grew ridiculously complex and earned Windows NT the reputation of not scaling well. Not so in Windows 200x networks—Windows 200x domains can scale to millions of objects with no complications. In many cases, a large network now needs only a single domain. Only when different administrative structures or security needs are necessary do networks need to use a multiple domain model. However, what happens if you want to use a single domain but enable different administrators to manage different portions of it? This is where OUs come into play. Using an OU is a way to segment a large domain into manageable chunks. Different administrators can be delegated to have control over different OUs, and you can apply different Group Policy objects to different OUs. OUs can be used in a number of helpful administrative ways, for example: ■ Different departments can be configured as OUs so that an administrator can
handle the department’s specific needs. ■ Different divisions, such as Users, Management, and Production, can be
created to manage users more easily. ■ Different resources, such as Printers and Shared Folders, can even be
configured into an OU structure so that different administrators can manage those resources. As you can see, there are a number of different approaches that can be taken with OUs. The point is that a large domain can be easily segmented and controlled by different administrators without the headache and expense of creating multiple domains.
Domain Name System In order for a network to scale well, it must be able to accommodate users, computers, and resources as they are acquired. In other words, the structure of the network must easily allow growth. The Windows 200x domain structure allows growth, but its naming structure also easily allows growth as well. Domain Name System (DNS) is the name of the IP address mapping system used in Windows 200x networks. Windows Vista is fully compatible with the DNS standard and is capable of functioning and communicating on a Windows 200x network. DNS is a naming standard that uses a series of discrete domain names in order to identify network hosts. DNS is highly scalable; in fact, every computer on the Internet is identified by a DNS name. DNS uses domain names to identify host computers. For example, server1.osborn.com uniquely recognizes server1, which resides in the Osborne domain, which is located in the com domain. By resolving com, Osborne, and server1, the server’s IP address, can be located so that communication can occur on the Internet.
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Windows 2000 networks function using this same standard, which provides unlimited scalability and a cohesive naming strategy with the Internet. Mycompany.com is a Windows domain as well as an Internet site;
[email protected] is both a username and an e-mail address. The use of DNS also enables child and grandchild domains. For example, let’s say you have a domain named mycompany.com. You want to create an additional domain that will function as a child called Production. When you create the new domain using Windows 2000 Server, the new domain will be named Production.mycompany.com. What if you want to further subdivide the Production domain in to North and South? Then you would have North.production .mycompany.com and South.production.mycompany.com. If you have spent any time working with Windows NT, you may be wondering what happened to Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS). WINS mapped NetBIOS names to IP addresses in pre–Windows 200x networks. WINS is still supported in Windows 200x networks for backward compatibility with older Windows systems, such as NT and 9x. A pure Windows 200x/XP/Vista network does not need WINS because DNS is used.
Windows Domain Controller and Member Server Roles One of the reasons that Windows 200x can support large domains and a flexible domain/OU structure concerns the use of domain controllers. A domain controller is a Windows 200x Server computer that holds and manages the Active Directory database. Using the Active Directory, you can add users, manage groups and security, manage resources, and perform other domain-specific tasks. In other words, a domain controller manages the domain, and you manage the domain through the functions that you perform on a domain controller. Windows NT used domain controllers, but it used a single-master model in which there was one Primary Domain Controller (PDC) per domain and multiple Backup Domain Controllers (BDCs). The PDC contained a writable copy, the domain database, while the BDCs contained read-only copies. BDCs helped in load management and could be used in the event of a PDC failure. The problem is that a single PDC per domain could not scale well and was not flexible in terms of management. In Windows 200x, a multimaster domain controller model is used. This means that there are no PDCs or BDCs. Every domain controller maintains a writable copy of the Active Directory database. You can make changes to that database on any domain controller, and those changes are replicated to other domain controllers throughout the environment. Because of the multimaster model, Windows 200x domains can scale to the millions of objects with as many domain controllers as needed. Administrators
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Chapter 1: Introduction to the Windows Vista Client Exam
have the management flexibility they need without the configuration confusion that often came with PDCs and BDCs. Other Windows 200x Servers can be used in the domain without functioning as domain controllers. These domain member servers can function as DNS servers, DHCP servers, intranet servers, print servers, and file servers. This feature enables many different servers to be used for different purposes without taxing the use of domain controllers. The end result is a network that is much easier to manage and much more flexible.
Active Directory Management The Active Directory, which was first introduced in Windows 2000, is a directory service for the network. It is a way for administrators to store user and computer accounts, keep track of network resources, and manage the network. For users, the Active Directory provides a highly searchable way to find network resources. The Active Directory stores information about resources categorized by attributes. For example, a shared printer might have attributes for “laser, staple, color,” and other characteristics. Users can then search on those attributes, such as “laser printer,” and locate a shared laser printer on the network. A common question new Windows 200x network enthusiasts often ask is “Where, exactly, is the Active Directory?” The Active Directory resides on each domain controller. When a domain controller is created, it receives a copy of the Active Directory database and is set up as a replication partner with another domain controller. For this reason, there is no single master copy of the Active Directory database. Rather, each domain controller in a domain contains a writable copy of that database that can be managed by administrators. Let’s say your environment has five domain controllers. You add a new user on one of them. Since this new user has to be added to all domain controllers, the replication process begins in order to replicate that data. Any time a change is made on one domain controller, replication makes certain that change occurs on all of the domain controllers. This feature assures that each domain controller has the same copy of the Active Directory database. The good news with this multimaster model, aside from ease of administration, is fault tolerance. If a domain controller goes down, the network is not affected, since other domain controllers are available and performing the same functions. In fact, every domain controller in the domain would have to fail at the same time in order for there to be domain functionality failure.
Group Policy Group Policy is a powerful feature of Windows 200x networks that enables administrators to finely control desktop settings, computer configurations,
What You Should Already Know
23
account policies, and even software. Implemented at the site, domain, or OU level, network use of Group Policy enables an environment to streamline user and computer configuration and enables different administrators to impose different policies. For example, let’s say that you have a basic site policy. That site policy is inherited by all domains and OUs in that location. However, a certain domain in that environment has additional policies that it needs to invoke. By default, the Domain policy overrules the site policies and can be used to reverse or loosen Site-level GPO settings. It is only when the setting called “enforce” in the Group Policy Management Console is enabled on Site-level GPOs that the Site-level GPO dominates the Domain GPO.
Remote Access Service Windows 200x networks continue to provide support for RAS, or the Remote Access Service. RAS enables Windows 200x to accept logins from remote clients. For example, let’s say you are traveling with your laptop computer. Using RAS, you can use a modem to dial an RAS server and gain access to the local network remotely. This feature enables users to access network resources even when they are not physically connected to the network. RAS is also used as the VPN server and as a controlling component in 802.11i authentication as well.
Virtual Private Networking Virtual private networks (VPNs) enable a remote computer to connect securely to a Windows 2000/XP/Vista computer using the Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) or the Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) with IPsec. A VPN enables a secure tunnel over a public network, such as the Internet or intranet, so that private data can be securely passed using the public network as a WAN link.
TCP/IP Networking Windows 200x is built on TCP/IP networking, and Windows Vista is designed for TCP/IP. You don’t need to be a master IP planner, but you do need to have a good handle on TCP/IP networking concepts, such as the following: ■ IP addressing ■ Subnet masks ■ Default gateways ■ Common transmission control protocols
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Chapter 1: Introduction to the Windows Vista Client Exam
■ Common Internet protocols ■ DHCP ■ DNS
Global Computing Knowledge Finally, as with any Microsoft certification exam, the more you know, the more likely you are to succeed. It’s important that you have a strong background in all kinds of operating systems and networking issues. You should know a thing or two about a wide range of client computers, such as Windows, Macintosh, and perhaps Linux. Armed with these tools, you are ready to tackle Windows Vista.
CERTIFICATION SUMMARY This chapter gave you an overview of Windows Vista and explored the exam objectives. In order to be successful in this exam, you’ll need to spend time studying the chapters to come and working with Windows Vista. As you study, keep in mind the target audience and remember that the exam will approach Windows Vista in terms of a LAN or WAN network desktop system. As you study for the exam, also keep in mind that exam objectives may overlap with content from other exams. You should have a general understanding of Windows 200x networking and Active Directory concepts. In short, study this book carefully, but study smartly as you prepare for Exam 70-620, and make sure you get some hands-on practice.
Two-Minute Drill
✓
25
TWO-MINUTE DRILL What Is Configuring the Microsoft Windows Vista Client? ❑ Windows Vista is the latest, robust operating system from Microsoft. Available
in Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate versions, Windows Vista contains the networking and management functions necessary for small networks and large networks. Exam 70-620 will test your knowledge of Windows Vista in a medium-sized to large-Windows 200x network. ❑ There are many new features, including management, applications, and even
the new Aero interface. Because there have been so many new additions and changes to older interfaces, hands-on practice is a must.
Overview of Exam 70-620 ❑ You must be able to install, upgrade, and troubleshoot Windows Vista
installations. ❑ You must be able to configure and troubleshoot post-installation system
settings. ❑ You must be able to configure Windows security features. ❑ You must be able to configure Network Connectivity. ❑ You must be able to configure applications included with Windows Vista. ❑ You must be able to configure and troubleshoot mobile computing.
What Is Covered in This Book ❑ In Chapter 2, you will install, upgrade, and troubleshoot a Windows Vista
installation. ❑ In Chapter 3, you will manage post-installation issues. ❑ In Chapter 4, you will configure Windows Aero and Internet Explorer. ❑ In Chapter 5, you will configure Windows Defender and Windows Firewall. ❑ In Chapter 6, you will configure networking with Windows Vista. ❑ In Chapter 7, you will configure and troubleshoot media applications. ❑ In Chapter 8, you will configure Windows Mail and Windows Meeting Space.
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Chapter 1: Introduction to the Windows Vista Client Exam
❑ In Chapter 9, you will configure Windows Calendar, Fax and Scan, and
Windows Sidebar. ❑ In Chapter 10, you will troubleshoot performance and reliability issues. ❑ In Chapter 11, you will configure Windows Update, Data Protection, and
Power Options. ❑ In Chapter 12, you will configure and troubleshoot mobile computing.
What You Should Already Know ❑ You should be familiar with Windows 200x networking and Windows
200x Server. ❑ You should have a global knowledge of TCP/IP networking and IP
networking protocols and services.
Self Test
27
SELF TEST The following questions will help you measure your understanding of the material presented in this chapter. Read all of the choices carefully, as there may be more than one correct answer. Choose all correct answers for each question. 1. The Windows Vista exam is likely to view your role with Windows Vista in what type of environment? A. Home use B. Small office C. Windows 2000 LAN or WAN D. All of the above 2. Windows Firewall was designed for what environment? (Choose all that apply.) A. Home use B. Small office C. Linux networks D. None of the above 3. What two applications will play multiple kinds of media? (Choose two.) A. Windows Photo Gallery B. Windows Media Player C. Windows Media Center D. Windows Sync Center 4. What new interface makes various networking configurations easier and more streamlined in one centralized interface? A. Network Connections B. Connect To C. Network and Sharing Center D. Sync Center 5. Which statement is not true regarding Windows Aero? A. Aero was supported in Windows XP Professional. B. Aero is a glass-like interface. C. Aero has specific hardware requirements. D. Aero requires some configuration.
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Chapter 1: Introduction to the Windows Vista Client Exam
6. What file system is the preferred file system for Windows Vista? A. FAT B. FAT32 C. DVNS D. NTFS 7. When is Windows Vista’s automatic IP address feature typically used? A. Home/Small office network B. Windows 200x domain C. In conjunction with a DHCP server D. When a DNS server is not available 8. Which of the following features are supported by Windows Vista? A. EFS B. VPN C. PPTP D. TCP/IP 9. The new Aero interface can be considered as which of the following? A. HTML object B. Theme C. Skin D. API 10. Which one statement best describes Exam 70-620? A. The exam is very objective specific. B. The exam may include items from other exams. C. The exam requires subnet masking skills. D. None of these statements are correct. 11. Which Windows 200x network feature provides physical information about network locations? A. Sites B. Domains C. OUs D. Group Policy
Self Test
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12. You work in a Windows 200x network that contains a single domain. Management wants to segment the network so that certain administrators can more effectively manage the networking needs and group policy of several departments. What needs to be created? A. Sites B. Domains C. OUs D. Group Policy 13. Which statement best describes how Windows 200x uses domain controllers? A. A single-master model is used. B. A multimaster model is used. C. PDCs are used. D. BDCs are used. 14. How is WINS used in a Windows 200x network? A. WINS is supported for backward compatibility. B. WINS is used for name resolution by all Windows 2000/XP clients. C. WINS is used by Windows 2000 BDCs. D. WINS is used to support IPsec. 15. What two protocols can be used by VPNs in Windows Vista? A. NetBIOS B. IPsec C. DLC D. L2TP
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Chapter 1: Introduction to the Windows Vista Client Exam
SELF TEST ANSWERS ✓ D. Exam 70-620 may test your knowledge of using Windows Vista in all of these situations. 1. ® ® ˚ A, B, and C are all incorrect. You may face questions from any of these environments. ✓ A and B. Windows Firewall is designed for home users or small office users. 2. ® ® ˚ C and D are incorrect. Windows Firewall is not designed for the environments other than Windows. ✓ B and C. Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center can play different kinds of 3. ® media files. ® ˚ A and D are all incorrect because these applications do not play different media. ✓ C. The new Network and Sharing Center makes networking configuration options easier 4. ® and more streamlined. ® ˚ A, B, and D are incorrect because these options do not provide the primary network configuration interface. ✓ A. Aero was not available in Windows XP. 5. ® ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect. All of these statements are true. ✓ D. NTFS is the file system of choice. 6. ® ® ˚ A, B, and C are incorrect. FAT and FAT32 are supported, but NTFS is the preferred file system. DVNS is a not a file system. ✓ A. Automatic IP addressing is typically used in a home or in small office networks so that 7. ® users can avoid the trouble of configuring TCP/IP. ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect. Automatic IP address assignment is designed for the home or small office and not a Windows 200x domain. Although Windows Vista can assign itself an IP address in the event that a DHCP server is not available, this is not its typical use. DNS does not affect IP addressing. ✓ A, B, C, and D. Windows Vista supports all of these features, and this question also serves 8. ® as a good warning that you will need to know your acronyms! ✓ B. The Aero interface is a theme. You can change the default theme using Personalization. 9. ® ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because Aero is a theme. ✓ B. Although the exam objectives are your primary guide, the exam may include items from 10. ® other exams, since Microsoft expects your knowledge to be global. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect. These statements do not accurately describe the exam. ✓ A. Windows 200x sites determine how computers are physically located in different 11. ® geographic locations and how traffic between sites should be handled.
Self Test Answers
31
® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect. Domains and OUs are used to logically manage the network, so B and C are incorrect. D is incorrect because Group Policy does not affect network location structure. ✓ C. When you need to segment a domain for management purposes, Organizational Units 12. ® can be used. ® ˚ A, B, and D are incorrect. Sites are not used to segment domains, so A is incorrect. Although additional domains could be used, there is no need for them in this case, since a different administrative or security structure is not needed. Therefore, B is also incorrect. Group Policy cannot be used to segment a domain, so D is also incorrect. ✓ B. A multimaster model is used. All domain controllers function as peers, and all contain a 13. ® copy of the Active Directory database. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect. Since a multimaster model is used, there is no need for PDCs or BDCs, except for backward compatibility. ✓ A. In a true Windows 2000/XP/Vista network, only DNS is needed for name resolution. 14. ® WINS is maintained for backward compatibility with down-level clients, such as NT and 9x. ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect. Since WINS is provided for backward compatibility only, all of these answer options are incorrect. ✓ B and D. VPN networking in Windows Vista can use the IPsec or L2TP protocol (along 15. ® with PPTP as well). ® ˚ A and C are incorrect. NetBIOS and DLC are not used by Windows Vista virtual private networks.
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2 Install Windows Vista
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVES 2.01
Identify Hardware Requirements
2.02
Perform a Clean Installation of Windows Vista
2.03
Upgrade a Previous Version of Windows to Windows Vista
2.04
✓ Q&A
Upgrade from One Version of Windows Vista to Another Two-Minute Drill Self Test
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Chapter 2: Install Windows Vista
T
he installation of a new operating system is always one of those tasks that leave people holding their breath. After all, the installation of a new operating system can introduce a number of problems, and in an upgrade scenario the possibility of data loss is always present. The good news is that Windows Vista is very easy to install, and under most circumstances, if the minimum hardware requirements are met, installation is typically problem free. As a support professional, you’ll need to know the ins and outs of Windows Vista installation, and you can expect the exam to question you on a number of features and issues as well. In this chapter, we’ll explore Windows Vista installation procedures, upgrade issues, and how to upgrade from one version of Windows Vista to another. The good news is that installation from a support personnel’s point of view is typically straightforward. The exam does not expect you to know how to roll out hundreds of unattended installations in a network environment; rather, the exam expects you to be able to support individuals who are trying to install Windows Vista.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 2.01
Identify Hardware Requirements As with previous versions of Windows, the key to a successful Windows Vista installation is careful planning before the installation takes place. All too often, IT professionals as well as end users are a little too eager to install a new operating system and do not take the time to plan the installation first. Through proper planning, you can avoid problems before they occur and you can make sure your computer and applications are ready to meet the demands of Windows Vista. Once you are armed with the correct information, installation is typically anticlimactic because you solve potential problems before they occur. Naturally, the first place to start is hardware requirements. Sure, you’ve heard this before, but the simple fact remains: your computer must be able to handle the hardware demands of Windows Vista, or your installation will either fail or give you a system that is so pitifully slow that it is of no practical value. Before installing Windows Vista, you need to check out the computer’s hardware and make sure it’s powerful enough to handle the demands of Windows Vista. Tables 2-1 and 2-2 give you the minimum, as well as the recommended, hardware requirements for Windows Vista. As you might expect, the base, or minimum, hardware requirements are just that—what you need to install Windows Vista and for it to actually run. However, if you want good performance from the machine, you should meet the recommended hardware requirements and, preferably, exceed them.
Identify Hardware Requirements
35
Minimum Requirements As you might imagine, the hardware requirements for Windows Vista Home Basic are different than those for Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate. For this reason, you’ll need to memorize two sets of hardware requirements so that you’ll be ready for any hardware requirement question the exam may throw at you. Table 2-1 outlines the minimum hardware requirements for Windows Vista Home Basic. Table 2-2 outlines the minimum requirements for Windows Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate. Keep in mind that the hardware requirements for Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate assume that the user will want to use the Windows Aero interface (which you can learn more about in Chapter 4). However, keep in mind that you can still install and use Vista Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate without all of the graphics requirements, but you simply will not be able to use Windows Aero.
Naturally, the idea of having a dual-processor computer just sings of power, and rightfully so. Dual processors can give you the power you need for today’s graphics-intensive programs and games. For the exam, however, you need to understand that while all editions of Windows Vista can
support multiple-core CPUs, only Windows Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise can actually support dual processors. Just remember that neither home version of Windows Vista supports this feature, and you’ll stay on track with the exam.
Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor During setup, Windows Vista will use the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor to check the computer’s hardware, as well as software applications, to determine whether there are incompatibilities. If you are considering an upgrade from TABLE 2-1
Windows Home Basic Minimum Requirements
Component
Minimum Requirement
Processor
1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor
RAM
512MB
Hard disk space
20GB hard drive with at least 15GB available space
Graphics
Support for DirectX 9 and 32MB of graphics memory
DVD-ROM
Windows-compatible DVD-ROM drive
Internet access
Any kind of Internet access
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Chapter 2: Install Windows Vista
TABLE 2-2
Windows Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate Minimum Requirements
Component
Minimum Requirement
Processor
1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor
RAM
1GB
Hard disk space
40GB hard drive with at least 15GB available space
Graphics
Support for DirectX 9 graphics with
■
WDDM driver
■
128MB of graphics memory (minimum)
■
Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware
■
32 bits per pixel
DVD-ROM
Windows-compatible DVD-ROM drive
Internet access
Any kind of Internet access
Windows XP, you can even download the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor first and check the system (visit microsoft.com/windowsvista), which is always a good idea. The upgrade advisor will scan your system and give you a report, as shown in Figure 2-1. You should also take inventory of the computer’s hardware, such as the sound card, video card, modem, and related components, and check the Windows XP Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) found at www.microsoft.com/whdc/hcl/default.mspx. Hardware that is not explicitly listed on the HCL is not recognized as compatible; however, this does not mean that the hardware will not work—it just has not been tested by Microsoft. If you have some questionable hardware, you should check the hardware manufacturer’s Web site for more information and possible driver updates or upgrade packs. You should acquire the new drivers, if possible, or updates before starting the installation of Windows Vista.
SCENARIO & SOLUTION Can Windows Vista Home basic use the Aero interface as long as the hardware requirements are met?
No. Aero is not available in Windows Vista Home edition.
I want to make sure a sound card is compatible with Windows Vista before I upgrade. How can I check this?
Run the Windows Upgrade Advisor. You can also check the Hardware Compatibility List.
Perform a Clean Installation of Windows Vista
37
FIGURE 2-1
Windows Upgrade Advisor
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 2.02
Perform a Clean Installation of Windows Vista A clean installation of Windows Vista is probably the easiest type of installation. With a clean installation, Windows Vista is installed in a newly formatted partition. The upside is that you do not have to deal with upgrade issues and potential upgrade problems. The downside is that a clean installation doesn’t keep any files, settings, or applications from whatever was previously installed on the PC. If you perform a clean install on a PC that has a previous version of Windows, that copy of Windows is erased when the partition is formatted. Naturally, you may need to perform an upgrade in order to keep your files and applications, but a clean install is typically the easiest installation scenario.
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Chapter 2: Install Windows Vista
Running a Clean Installation For the exam, you simply need to know the steps and general setup routine you’ll see when performing a clean installation. As with any installation, you’ll need to ensure that the computer meets the hardware requirements in order to save yourself some time and frustration during actual setup. Otherwise, when you’re ready to begin a clean installation, the easiest way to begin is with the Windows Vista installation DVD. You can launch the setup program from the DVD from the existing operating system, or you can simply boot the computer from the DVD. Insert the DVD, restart the computer, and watch for a boot prompt allowing you to boot from the DVD. Once you start the setup routine, you basically follow the prompts at that point. Exercise 2-1 walks you through a typical clean installation.
EXERCISE 2-1 Performing a Clean Installation of Windows Vista Once you start the DVD installation routine, the following steps walk you through the installation of Windows Vista: 1. If you start the installation from the DVD on the old operating system, you’ll see a simple Installation window where you can check compatibility or start the installation. It is always a good idea to check compatibility first so that you’ll know about any potential issues or conflicts. Otherwise, click the Install Now option.
Perform a Clean Installation of Windows Vista
39
2. The wizard prompts you to go online and get the latest updates for installation, which you should do to ensure that everything you may need for the installation is downloaded.
3. Enter the product key for activation. The product key is 25 characters and is not case sensitive. The wizard also adds the hyphens between groups of key values. If you booted from the DVD, the installation routine will not prompt you for this key until later in the installation. Instead, the routine will ask if you want to upgrade or run a clean installation.
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Chapter 2: Install Windows Vista
4. The license agreement appears. Read the agreement, click the check box to accept the terms, and click Next. 5. The next screen asks if you want to upgrade or perform a Custom (advanced) installation. This is the clean installation option, so select it to continue.
6. Next, choose where on your computer you want to install Windows Vista. Select the desired partition and click Next. Windows Vista must be installed on a partition formatted with NTFS.
Perform a Clean Installation of Windows Vista
41
7. The file copy process where files are copied from the DVD begins at this point. If you booted from the DVD and choose to format a partition, the formatting process is also performed. These actions may take quite a bit of time to complete. If you choose to create or adjust a partition, the setup routine will provide you with the following options: ■ Select An Existing Partition Or Unallocated Space
You can simply select an existing partition, or you can create a partition using unallocated space. Simply choose the option and click Next. Windows will create a partition from unallocated space as selected and format it with NTFS.
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Chapter 2: Install Windows Vista
■ Delete An Existing Partition
If you have a partition scheme from an older Windows version, you may want to take this opportunity to simply delete old partitions, which then creates unallocated space you can use to create a new partition. A strong warning, though: this action will destroy all data on the partition, and the data will not be recoverable.
■ Expand Existing Partitions
If you have an existing partition and you want to expand it so that it takes advantage of unallocated space, you can do so here. Just select the partition you want to extend, click Extend, and follow the instructions.
8. Once setup completes the installation, you’ll need to follow a few rudimentary screens asking for a user account, a computer name, Automatic Update settings, Date and Time settings, a network location, and any other necessary data. Windows Vista then configures the new operating system with these settings, and you are able to log on for the first time.
INSIDE THE EXAM Windows.old If you select a partition that has a previous version of Windows already installed, the setup routine will disable the Windows folder and store it in a folder named Windows.old. You will be able to access the information from the folder, but you will not be able to use the previous version of Windows. This is a radically different approach to setup than we saw in previous versions of Windows, where your only option was to upgrade the existing operating system or trash it with a clean install. The good news is the clean install will still keep the old system, and you can access it via the Windows.old folder. Looking for some
old forgotten files that were on the previous system? No problem, you can still find them in the Windows.old folder. You can access old system and driver files from within Vista by looking in the Windows.old folder. These files usually are not users’ data files (such as Word or Excel documents) but are system and driver files. The good news is you can breathe a little easier knowing that you still have access to old data while still performing a clean installation. So, if you encounter exam scenarios that ask how to retrieve old files after a clean installation of Windows Vista, the Windows .old folder is your answer.
Perform a Clean Installation of Windows Vista
43
Windows PE The Windows Vista client exam tests your ability to support Windows Vista in medium to small environments. For this reason, the questions you are likely to encounter concerning installation do not involve massive deployments in an enterprise environment. Nonetheless, you may run across a question where you need to use Windows Preinstallation Environment (PE) to create an image of another Windows Vista installation so that you can use the image to install Vista on several other identical computers. Windows PE was originally designed for Windows XP deployments, but it can also be used to deploy Windows Vista as well. With Windows PE, the IT staff can build custom solutions that speed deployment through automation, enabling them to spend less time and effort keeping desktops updated. Windows PE contains tools that enable you to prepare images and deploy them, as well as other tools used in testing. You don’t need to know more about Windows PE for this exam than what I’ve mentioned here, but if you’re interested, you can read more at www.microsoft .com/whdc/system/winpreinst/WindowsPE_over.mspx.
Rolling Out an Image with Windows PE For the exam, you need to know how to use Windows PE to create an image from a certain computer, and then deploy that image to other identical computers. As such, you simply need to memorize these steps in Exercise 2-2 for the exam:
EXERCISE 2-2 Creating an Image with Windows PE Follow these steps to create an image with Windows PE: 1. Use Sysprep to seal the master. Sysprep prepares a currently installed Windows Vista operating system to be created into an image you can place on other computers. Sysprep removes some computer-specific information, such as the workstation’s Security Identifier (SID). 2. Boot the master with a Windows PE CD. 3. Use ImageX within Windows PE to create the image file. ImageX is a Windows PE tool that is used to capture and apply operating system images.
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Chapter 2: Install Windows Vista
SCENARIO & SOLUTION I have an older version of Windows on a PC that I don’t particularly care to keep. Is it better to upgrade or to do a clean install?
A clean install is always the safer way to go because you don’t have older files or potential conflicts from an upgraded system. With that said, however, Windows Vista is very good at upgrading and resolving problems that you may have noticed in upgrades from the past.
After a clean installation, I want to get some old personal files back from My Documents in Windows XP, which was previously installed on the PC. Can I do that?
You can access the Windows.old folder, which still holds all of your old files and settings from the previous Windows XP installation. You can then navigate to the My Documents folder within Windows.old and locate your files. To see more recovery instructions using the Windows.old folder, access http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932912/.
4. Boot the target computer where you want to place the image using the Windows PE CD. You can then use Diskpart to format the drive if necessary. 5. Use ImageX to apply the master image to the new computer. You can repeat these steps on additional computers as needed.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 2.03
Upgrade a Previous Version of Windows to Windows Vista Upgrading to Windows Vista is easier in some ways than previous upgrades from the past, simply because you can only upgrade to Windows Vista from a 32-bit version of Windows XP running Service Pack 2. That’s the first thing you should remember for the exam. Older versions of Windows, such as Windows 2000, need not apply— you’ll need to perform a clean install in those cases. As with any installation, you can only upgrade using a partition that is formatted with NTFS, and there must be enough free disk space for the upgrade, typically 15GB. Naturally, the upgrade path you have available depends on the version of Windows XP that you are running. Table 2-3 outlines the available upgrade paths, and you should commit this table to memory for the exam.
Upgrade a Previous Version of Windows to Windows Vista
TABLE 2-3
Windows Vista Upgrade Paths
45
Current Operating System
You Can Upgrade To…
Windows XP Home
Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate
Windows XP Media Center
Windows Vista Home Premium or Ultimate
Windows XP Professional
Windows Vista Business or Ultimate
Windows XP Tablet PC
Windows Vista Business or Ultimate
If you want to install a 64-bit edition of Windows Vista, there is no upgrade path with Windows XP. You’ll need to perform a clean install. Likewise, if you want to install a version of Windows Vista over a non-upgrade path version of Windows XP or earlier operating system, you’ll need to perform a clean installation as well.
Getting Ready for an Upgrade As you think about upgrading an operating system to Windows Vista, there are a few planning and preparation steps you should take first. Proper planning is the key to reducing the likelihood that you will experience an installation failure. The following steps give you a good upgrade planning checklist that you should perform before an upgrade. Keep these items in mind for the exam as well: 1. Verify that the PC meets the hardware requirements for the Vista version you want to upgrade to. If not, consider hardware upgrades first. Remember to use Windows Upgrade Advisor and also the HCL if necessary. 2. Verify that you have the latest drivers installed. You can access the latest device drivers using Windows Update or via the device manufacturer’s Web site. 3. Make sure that your computer has the most current BIOS. An older BIOS may cause you problems with power management features or device configuration, and the upgrade itself may fail. 4. Spend a little time removing old files and applications that you no longer want. Now is the perfect time to clean out the closets of your PC. 5. Perform a complete backup including all personal files and configuration files. 6. Run ScanDisk, Disk Defragmenter, and an antivirus scan before the upgrade. This action helps to ensure that disk errors and performance problems are corrected and that there are no viruses on the PC.
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Chapter 2: Install Windows Vista
Running the Upgrade To perform the upgrade, simply insert the installation DVD while you are booted into the current operating system. You’ll then follow a similar setup wizard as with a clean installation, but you’ll see fewer steps. You essentially choose the upgrade option and enter a product key; the installation takes over automatically from that point. Setup will run a compatibility test to ensure that there is an upgrade path and the system is compatible. This is very similar to the Windows Upgrade Advisor, so follow any steps or recommendations that you see to ensure a smooth upgrade. If the installation fails for any reason, the setup routine automatically rolls the PC back to the previous version of Windows, removing any Windows Vista installation files and images. This is a great feature that ensures you are not left with a trashed PC.
Setting Up a Dual-Boot Configuration A dual-boot, or multiboot, operating system is a system that provides access to two or more different installations. Typically, you would set up a dual-boot configuration between Windows XP and Windows Vista so that you can use either one, or even Windows Vista and an older version of Windows, such as Windows 2000. Environments that have custom applications may choose this approach to use older operating systems with applications written for them. If you want to set up a dual-boot system with Windows XP and Windows Vista, you should first back up all data just to be safe. If the computer already has Windows XP installed, you need to use a third-party disk management program, such as PartitionMagic, to create a partition of at least 20GB formatted with NTFS. Then, you can simply start the Windows Vista installation and choose the new partition. Once the installation is complete, you will be able to choose between booting Windows XP or Windows Vista when you start the PC. You’ll see the boot menu for about 30 seconds by default, but you can adjust this parameter for more or less time if you like. Open System in Control Panel and click the Advanced System Settings link in the Tasks pane. On the Advanced tab that appears, click the Settings button under Startup And Recovery and adjust the value for Time To Display List Of Operating Systems. You can also change the default operating system that starts if you make no other selection from the menu, as shown in Figure 2-2. You can also make this change using the command-line tool, Bcdedit.exe.
Upgrade a Previous Version of Windows to Windows Vista
47
FIGURE 2-2
Advanced tab
What if you have a PC with no operating system and you want to install both Windows XP and Windows Vista for a dual-boot scenario, or even additional operating systems for a multiboot scenario? The same instructions apply, but here’s the rule: Always install the downlevel operating system(s) first and Windows Vista last. If you install Windows Vista first, the downlevel
installations are likely to fail, and even if they install, then you will not be able to boot into Windows Vista, because downlevel versions use Boot.ini to boot, while Vista uses the BCD database. So, you must install Windows Vista last. Windows Vista will maintain backward compatibility with the older operating system.
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User State Migration Tool Windows Vista includes two tools that enable you to migrate files and settings from another installation. The first is Windows Easy Transfer. You can use it to migrate all of your files (including e-mail) and settings to Windows Vista. I’ve personally used it to move years of files and stored e-mail from a Windows XP Professional SP2 laptop to a new Windows Vista Ultimate laptop via my home network with no problems. The process was slow, but precise. However, what if you are in an environment where you need to migrate large numbers of users in a more automated way? Windows Vista also provides the User State Migration Tool (USMT). The USMT is highly configurable through XML files— a network administrator can specify which files and settings should be transferred. The USMT is also scriptable and flexible; you can access it via command-line tools. You are likely to see an exam question concerning the USMT, and the following sections tell you what you need to know without plunging you into high-level network administrator problems.
USMT Tools The USMT contains two executable tools called ScanState.exe and LoadState.exe. USMT also includes some preconfigured XML files that are used to define basic migration rules. A Config.xml file allows administrators to specify what should be migrated and what should not. ScanState.exe is a tool that collects user data and settings information files. This data is then stored as an image named USMT3.mig. So, think of ScanState as a tool that scans the “state” of the system and creates an image of that state. The second tool, LoadState.exe, takes the USMT3.mig file and places it on a new computer running Windows Vista. Through this process, the images of the desired files and settings (as specified by Config.xml) are transferred to the new PC with little administrator overhead.
Using the USMT Tools Like Windows Easy Transfer, the basic process of USMT involves the collection of data and the movement of data to a new PC. For the exam, you need to have a basic understanding of how you would perform this process, which is rather simple. Exercise 2-3 outlines the process for you, and you should commit this process to memory for the exam.
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SCENARIO & SOLUTION I want to upgrade a PC that currently runs Windows 2000 Professional. What do I need to do?
You must clean install the system. You cannot directly upgrade from any operating system except certain versions of Windows XP.
Can I have a multiboot configuration using Windows 98, Windows XP, and Windows Vista?
Yes, assuming that the hardware and drivers you need are compatible with all the three operating systems. This shouldn’t be a problem with XP and Vista, but you may have device driver problems with Windows 98 if the hardware is a newer hardware.
EXERCISE 2-3 Using USMT Tools 1. On the source computer, run ScanState.exe. This process will copy the user state data and place it on removable media or a network share as desired, such as a CD, DVD, or flash drive. Any media used must have enough storage space to hold all of the files. In a network environment, this collection process would normally occur through an automated script or link that runs on each user’s computer. 2. Install Windows Vista on the target computer as you normally would. 3. On the target computer, run LoadState.exe. LoadState will then access the removable media or network share in order to transfer the data.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 2.04
Upgrade from One Version of Windows Vista to Another You can upgrade from one version of Windows Vista to another. You may think, “That must be complicated, since it is an exam objective.” Not true, though. This objective primarily helps you recognize and remember a new tool included in
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Windows Vista called Windows Anytime Upgrade. However, not every upgrade path is supported. You can ■ Upgrade from Windows Vista Home Basic to Windows Vista Home Premium
or Ultimate. ■ Upgrade from either Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Home
Premium to Ultimate. However, you cannot upgrade from Home Basic to Business, and you cannot upgrade from Home Premium to Business without the purchase of a new license, a clean install, and using Windows Easy Transfer to move your files and settings. Otherwise, you can upgrade from Vista to Vista using the Windows Vista DVD and a new product key. Just start the DVD from Windows Vista and choose the Upgrade option. You’ll follow installation procedures as usual.
Windows Anytime Upgrade However, if you have version of Windows Vista that can be upgraded (which is all of them except Ultimate), you have the Anytime Upgrade option already built into the system. Just open System in Control Panel and click the Upgrade Windows Vista link, or you can access the option from the Welcome Center. Either way, you end up at the Windows Anytime Upgrade page, shown in Figure 2-3. To start the upgrade process, click the Upgrade option as shown in Figure 2-3. You’ll then purchase a license from an online vendor. Then, you’ll download a product key for the new edition. Then, you’ll insert your Windows Vista DVD and begin the installation as normal from that point. The upgrade, though, is not a cheap work-around to get a higher Vista version. At the time of this writing, the upgrade from Windows Vista Home Premium to Ultimate is $179. This tool simply gives you an easy way of doing it—not an inexpensive one, unfortunately.
SCENARIO & SOLUTION Can I not use Windows Anytime Upgrade to upgrade from Home Basic to Ultimate?
No. You’ll need to make a clean install in this case and make sure the PC meets the hardware requirements of Vista Ultimate.
Are there any upgrade paths that are free?
Unfortunately, no. You’ll need a new license key for any upgrade, which must be purchased through the Anytime Upgrade.
Upgrade from One Version of Windows Vista to Another
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FIGURE 2-3
Windows Anytime Upgrade
CERTIFICATION SUMMARY In this chapter, we explored Windows Vista installation. Due to advancements in Windows, installation of Windows Vista tends to be much easier and more automated than it was in the past. Naturally, the PC must meet the Vista hardware requirements, which are different for the Home Basic edition and all other editions. In order to use the Aero interface, the graphics card and memory must also meet hardware requirements outlined in this chapter. Be sure to memorize the hardware requirements for the exam. You can install Windows Vista as a clean installation or an upgrade. If you clean install, the old operating system and all files are removed from the installation partition and placed in a Windows.old folder. You can still access the files from the
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old folder, but you can no longer use the old operating system. You can also upgrade the 32-bit version of Windows XP to various versions of Windows Vista. See the chart earlier in this chapter for the upgrade paths and make sure you memorize the upgrade options. Keep in mind that no operating system can be upgraded to the 64-bit version of Windows Vista—this requires a clean installation. You can also upgrade from one version of Windows Vista to another. You can upgrade from Home Basic to Home Premium or Ultimate. You can also upgrade from Business or Home Premium to Ultimate. Use the Windows Anytime Upgrade on the installation DVD or from System in Control Panel. You must pay for the upgrade license and install the upgrade.
Two-Minute Drill
✓
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TWO-MINUTE DRILL Identify Hardware Requirements ❑ Windows Vista Home Basic requires ❑ 1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor ❑ 512MB RAM ❑ 20GB hard drive with at least 15GB available space ❑ Support for DirectX 9 and 32MB of graphics memory ❑ Standard peripherals and Internet access ❑ All other versions of Windows Vista require ❑ 1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor ❑ 1GB RAM ❑ 40GB hard drive with at least 15GB available space ❑ Support for DirectX 9 graphics with a WDDM driver, 128MB of graphics
memory (minimum), Pixel Shader 2.0, and 32 bits per pixel ❑ Standard peripherals and Internet access ❑ If the graphics hardware for all versions other than Windows Vista Home
Basic are not met, you can still install the operating system, but you will be unable to use Windows Aero. ❑ Use Windows Upgrade Advisor to check the system for compatibility. You
can also inspect the Hardware Compatibility List for additional information about specific device compatibility.
Perform a Clean Installation of Windows Vista ❑ A clean installation of Windows Vista removes the old operating system and
any files or settings. ❑ You can start the DVD from the current operating system that is to be re-
moved, or you can boot from the DVD and follow the setup instructions to determine a partition. You can reconfigure existing partitions at this point during setup.
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❑ If there is an older operating system present, setup removes it and all files to
a folder named Windows.old. You can access the folder and files stored there, but you can no longer run the operating system.
Upgrade a Previous Version of Windows to Windows Vista ❑ You can upgrade to Windows Vista from any 32-bit Windows XP installation.
No other downlevel Windows versions are supported as upgrade paths. You must make a clean install over those earlier operating systems. ❑ You cannot upgrade to the 64-bit version of Windows Vista. A clean installa-
tion is required. ❑ You can configure dual- or multiboot scenarios using Windows Vista and
downlevel versions of Windows. Always install the downlevel versions first, installing Vista last. Each installation requires its own partition.
Upgrade from One Version of Windows Vista to Another ❑ You can upgrade from Home Basic to Home Premium or Ultimate. ❑ You can also upgrade from Business or Home Premium to Ultimate. ❑ Use the Windows Anytime Upgrade on the installation DVD or from System
in Control Panel. You can pay for the upgrade license and install the upgrade.
Self Test
55
SELF TEST The following questions will help you measure your understanding of the material presented in this chapter. Read all the choices carefully because there might be more than one correct answer. Choose all correct answers for each question.
Identify Hardware Requirements 1. You want to install Windows Vista on a particular PC. The PC has 1GB of RAM, a 1 GHz processor, a 20GB hard drive, and 32MB of graphics memory. Which operating systems can you install? (Choose all that apply.) A. Windows Vista Home Basic B. Windows Vista Home Premium C. Windows Vista Business D. Windows Vista Ultimate 2. You want to install Windows Vista Home Premium on a certain PC. You want to make sure the PC will be able to handle the demands and requirements of Aero. Which of the following does not meet the hardware requirements? A. WDDM Driver B. 32MB graphics memory C. Pixel Shader 2.0 D. 32 bits per pixel 3. You have just purchased a PC that contains dual processors. You would like to install Windows Vista on this PC. Which operating systems can you install? (Choose all that apply.) A. Windows Vista Home Basic B. Windows Vista Home Premium C. Windows Vista Business D. Windows Vista Ultimate 4. You want to install Windows Vista Ultimate on a PC that previously ran Windows XP Professional. You are unsure if all of the hardware is compatible, and you would also like to keep most of the current applications. What should you do before installing Windows Vista to answer these questions? A. Run a full Windows Defender scan. B. Turn off Windows Firewall.
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C. Download and run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor. D. Review MSINFO. 5. You want to upgrade a particular PC that runs Windows XP Home edition to Windows Vista Home Basic. The PC has an older sound card and TV tuner card, and you would like to find out if these devices are compatible with Windows Vista or not. How might you find this information? A. View MSCONFIG. B. Check the manufacturer’s Web site for updated drivers. C. View the HCL. D. Review MSINFO.
Perform a Clean Installation of Windows Vista 6. You want to perform a clean install on a PC. You have already backed up your files, and while you are installing, you want to reconfigure the existing drive so that there are two partitions. What do you need to do? A. Use Computer Management to reconfigure the drives before the clean install. B. Boot from the Windows Vista installation DVD. C. Use a third-party utility to reconfigure the drive first. D. Boot into the current operating system and start the installation DVD. Choose the upgrade option. 7. You recently performed a clean install from a PC that had Windows XP Professional, SP2. After the upgrade, you discover that some of your files from the XP operating system were not backed up. What is the best way to recover these files after the clean installation? A. Access the Windows.old folder. B. Use the Previous Versions tab of the folder’s properties pages to access the shadow copy. C. Use a third-party recovery tool. D. The data cannot be recovered. 8. You have a Windows XP Professional computer. You want to perform a clean install of this PC. As you prepare for the installation, which of the following actions should you first take? A. Run Windows Upgrade Advisor. B. Update all drivers. C. Review the HCL. D. Identify applications that may not be compatible.
Self Test
57
9. You have 50 computers on the business network you manage. The company owners have decided to purchase new PCs that are identical. Your task is to install all 50 identical computers with Windows Vista Business. Every computer should be configured in the exact same way. You would like to use Windows PE to roll out this installation in order to save time. Arrange the following actions in the proper order to complete these tasks. ❑ Boot the master with a Windows PE CD. ❑ Use ImageX to apply the image to the new computer. ❑ Use Sysprep to seal the new build. ❑ Boot the new computer with a Windows PE CD. ❑ Use ImageX on the master to create the image file.
Upgrade a Previous Version of Windows to Windows Vista 10. Which operating systems can be upgraded to Windows Vista? (Choose all that apply.) A. Windows 98 SE B. Windows 2000 Professional C. Windows XP Home edition with SP2 D. Windows XP Professional edition with SP2 11. Concerning upgrading Windows XP to Windows Vista, which of the following upgrade scenarios are not valid? A. Windows XP Home to Windows Vista Home Basic, Business, Home Premium, or Ultimate B. Windows XP Media Center to Windows Vista Home Basic or Ultimate C. Windows XP Professional to Windows Vista Business or Ultimate D. Windows XP Tablet PC to Windows Vista Business or Ultimate 12. Which of the following describes a correct method for installing a dual-boot PC running Windows XP Professional and Windows Vista Ultimate? A. Install both Windows XP Professional and Windows Vista Ultimate in the same partition. Install Windows Vista first. B. Install both Windows XP Professional and Windows Vista Ultimate in the same partition. Install Windows XP first. C. Install Windows XP Professional and Windows Vista each in its own partition. Install Windows XP first. D. Install Windows XP Professional and Windows Vista each in its own partition. Install Windows Vista first.
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13. You multiboot a PC containing Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional, and Windows Vista Ultimate. Windows Vista is the default operating system that boots unless you select a different operating system from the boot menu that appears. You need to change this so that Windows XP is the default. What two methods can you use to change the default system? (Choose two.) A. Bcdedit.exe B. Software Explorer C. System properties D. System | Advanced System Settings 14. You need to migrate 50 user settings and files from Windows XP Professional to 50 new Windows Vista Ultimate computers on your business network. What is the best way to perform this action? A. USMT B. Bcdedit.exe C. Windows Easy Transfer D. Netstat 15. You want to use USMT to migrate user files to a 100 PC rollout of Windows Vista. You only want to migrate user files and not other settings, such as Internet Explorer favorites. How can you configure USMT to only migrate the data you want? A. Edit Statedata.xml. B. Use ScanState.exe to record the data, and then edit the image. C. Run LoadState.exe with the -R switch. D. Edit Config.xml. 16. You have a PC that runs a 32-bit version of Windows XP Professional. You need to upgrade this PC to the 64-bit version of Windows Vista Ultimate. The PC meets the necessary hardware requirements. You want to ensure that you do not lose your personal data during the upgrade. What do you need to do? A. Simply upgrade the system. No other action is necessary. B. Copy the data using USMT and install the upgrade. C. Back up the data, use Windows PE to start the installation, and then restore the data. D. Back up the data, perform a clean install, and restore the data.
Lab Question
59
Upgrade from One Version of Windows Vista to Another 17. You would like to upgrade Windows Vista Business to another version of Windows Vista. What versions could you choose? (Choose all that apply.) A. Windows Vista Home Basic B. Windows Vista Home Premium C. Windows Vista Ultimate D. Windows Vista Business 18. Concerning Windows Anytime Upgrade, which statements are true? (Choose all that apply.) A. You must have the Windows Vista DVD. B. You must purchase a license for the upgrade. C. You can start the upgrade from the Administrative Tools folder in Control Panel. D. You can’t use the feature on Windows Vista Ultimate.
LAB QUESTION A manager in your company has a desktop computer that has been custom-built. The computer runs Windows 2000 Professional. The manager would like this computer upgraded to Windows Vista Ultimate, but he would like to keep as many settings as possible and keep all of his files intact. You have copies of Windows XP Professional at your disposal. Additionally, the manager has a laptop that runs Windows XP Professional. The manager has just purchased a new laptop that runs Windows Vista Ultimate. He would like all of his files and settings moved to the new laptop from the old one. How can you meet the manager’s goals with these changes to Windows Vista?
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SELF TEST ANSWERS Identify Hardware Requirements ✓ A. The only operating system you can install is Windows Vista Home Basic. All other 1. ® versions of Windows Vista require a 40GB hard drive. ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect because you cannot install these operating systems on a drive under 40GB. ✓ B. You need 128MB of graphics memory, not 32MB. 2. ® ® ˚ A, C, and D are all incorrect because these options meet the hardware requirements. ✓ C and D. Dual processors are supported on Windows Vista Business, Ultimate, and 3. ® Enterprise editions. ® ˚ A and B are incorrect because neither Home edition of Vista supports dual processors. ✓ C. Download and run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor. Since you need to know about 4. ® hardware and software compatibility, this is the only correct answer. ® ˚ A and B are incorrect because Windows Defender and Windows Firewall will not resolve the questions at hand. D is also incorrect because MSINFO will give you current configuration information, but it will not answer questions concerning compatibility. ✓ C. Begin by taking a look at the Hardware Compatibility List for known issues. You can 5. ® then investigate each device via the manufacturer’s Web site, but your first look should be the HCL. ® ˚ A, B, and D are incorrect. These actions will not give you information about compatibility.
Perform a Clean Installation of Windows Vista ✓ B. If you boot from the DVD, you’ll be given the option to reconfigure the drive partitions 6. ® as desired. Sine you have already backed up your data, you simply need to start the installation and configure the drive as desired. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because none of these actions are necessary. ✓ A. Access the Windows.old folder to recover the files. 7. ® ® ˚ B, C, and D are all incorrect because the files can be recovered from the Windows.old folder. ✓ A. You should first run the Windows Upgrade Advisor. 8. ® ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect. Although these actions may be necessary, the Windows Upgrade Advisor may answer some of these questions without the additional sleuthing work on your part. Always begin with the Windows Update Advisor.
Self Test Answers
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9. The correct order is as follows: ❑ Use Sysprep to seal the master. Sysprep prepares a currently installed Windows Vista operating system to be created into an image you can place on other computers. Sysprep removes some computer-specific information, such as the workstation’s Security Identifier (SID). ❑ Boot the master with a Windows PE CD. ❑ Use ImageX within Windows PE to create the image file. ImageX is a Windows PE tool that is used to capture and apply operating system images. ❑ Boot the computer where you want to place the image using the Windows PE CD. You can then use Diskpart to format the drive if necessary. ❑ Use ImageX to apply the master image to the new computer. You can repeat these steps on additional computers as needed.
Upgrade a Previous Version of Windows to Windows Vista ✓ C and D. Only 32-bit Windows XP versions with SP2 can be upgraded to Windows Vista 10. ® versions. ® ˚ A and B are incorrect because downlevel operating systems earlier than Windows XP cannot be upgraded to Windows Vista. ✓ B. You cannot upgrade Windows XP Media Center edition to Windows Vista Home Basic 11. ® edition. ® ˚ A, C, and D are all incorrect because these are valid upgrade paths. ✓ C. Each operating system must be installed in its own partition. You should always install 12. ® the downlevel operating system first, and then install Windows Vista last. ® ˚ A, B, and D are incorrect. A and B are incorrect because you cannot install both operating systems in the same partition. D is incorrect because you should install Windows XP first. ✓ A and D. You can change the default system that will boot by using the Bcdedit.exe 13. ® command-line tool, and through System | Advanced System Settings. ® ˚ B and C are incorrect because you cannot change the default system using either of these tools. ✓ A. The User State Migration Tool (USMT) is the best tool to use when you need to 14. ® migrate larger numbers of user settings and files. ® ˚ B is incorrect because Bcdedit.exe is used to edit boot order. C is incorrect because Windows Easy File Transfer is too slow and cumbersome for large migrations. D is incorrect because Netstat is a networking tool.
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✓ D. Config.xml is a configuration file where you can determine what data is collected by 15. ® ScanState.ext when using USMT. ® ˚ A, B, and C are incorrect. You cannot use ScanState or LoadState for this purpose. Statedata.xml is a not a real file used by USMT. ✓ D. There is no upgrade path for the 64-bit edition of Windows Vista. So, simply back up 16. ® the data, perform a clean install, and then restore the data as desired. ® ˚ A, B, and C are all incorrect because you cannot upgrade a 32-bit operating system.
Upgrade from One Version of Windows Vista to Another ✓ C. You can upgrade Windows Vista Business to Windows Vista Ultimate. 17. ® ® ˚ A, B, and D are incorrect. You cannot upgrade Windows Vista Business to Windows Home Basic, to Home Premium, or to itself. ✓ A, B, and D. All of these statements are true. 18. ® ® ˚ C is incorrect. You can start the upgrade from System in Control Panel or the Welcome screen.
LAB ANSWER There is no upgrade path from Windows 2000 to Vista. In this scenario, you can back up all of the data and upgrade the computer, but you will still lose a lot of settings. One solution would be to spend some time verifying the hardware for the upgrade, and then upgrade the custom desktop to Windows XP Professional first. Verify all of the settings again, and then upgrade to Windows Vista Ultimate. Although a bit time-consuming, this is likely the easiest solution that will keep as many files and settings intact as possible. Concerning the laptop, you simply need to use Windows Easy Transfer. The transfer will take several hours to complete, but it works well and will give you the results you’re after. You can start the file transfer process from the new Windows Vista laptop by clicking Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | Windows Easy Transfer.
3 Manage PostInstallation Issues
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVES 3.01
Configure and Troubleshoot User Account Control
3.02
Configure and Troubleshoot Parental Controls
3.03
Install and Configure Windows Drivers
3.04
✓ Q&A
Troubleshoot Installation and Post-Installation Configuration Issues Two-Minute Drill Self Test
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Chapter 3: Manage Post-Installation Issues
A
t last, you have Windows Vista installed! Now what? Once installation is complete, you have some initial post-installation issues you should pay attention to, such as solving any immediate problems you see, installing and configuring drivers for hardware devices, and according to Microsoft, making sure you configure the new User Account Control feature and set up parental controls to control user access to the Internet and programs. All of these options are considered post-installation issues. Naturally, there may be many more post-installation configuration issues you need to tackle, but since the exam is focused on these, we’ll do the same. In this chapter, we’ll consider the configuration and troubleshooting tactics for User Account Control and parental controls, and then we’ll take a look at installing and managing drivers as well as troubleshooting problems that may occur after an installation. As with all chapters in this book, make sure you follow along on Windows Vista and practice the configuration items you find in this chapter. Be sure to perform all labs as well.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 3.01
Configure and Troubleshoot User Account Control Windows Vista includes a new feature called User Account Control, or UAC, as we’ll call it from now on. UAC is a feature that is designed to help reduce the possibility of spyware or malware installing on or making configuration changes to your computer. Since UAC is a new feature in Windows Vista, you can certainly expect an exam question or two. Be sure that you know this section well before taking the test!
Using UAC UAC is a user account specific setting; by default, the UAC is turned on whenever you create a new account. If you open User Accounts in Control Panel, select an account, and then click Turn User Account Control on or off, you see a simple window where UAC is enabled along with a recommendation to leave UAC turned on, as you can see in Figure 3-1. So, there’s not much to UAC in terms of initial configuration—it is already turned on by default. But the bigger question is, what does UAC actually do? UAC is designed
Configure and Troubleshoot User Account Control
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FIGURE 3-1
UAC setting
to prevent unauthorized changes to your computer. Essentially, the entire feature is designed to help prevent malware or spyware from changing or installing anything on your computer because installation or configuration changes require a UAC prompt and an OK from the user in order to continue. The User Account Control dialog box tells you that Windows needs your permission to continue, and it tells you what action is being taken so that you can continue or cancel the operation. The idea is that if malware or spyware tries to “silently” install anything on your PC, you’ll get a notification allowing you to cancel the action before it takes place. By default, all accounts on Windows Vista, beyond the initial administrator account, are standard accounts with restrictions. Rather than getting an “access denied” message when you try to do something beyond the standard account’s privileges, you get a UAC dialog box. If you are logged on as a standard user, you must provide an administrator password. If you are logged on as an administrator, you get to simply see a “permission” dialog box where you need only click Continue. The UAC dialog box sits on top of what is called a “secure desktop,” meaning that no bogus dialog boxes from malware can get in front of it and redirect you.
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INSIDE THE EXAM part of Windows needs your permission to start. This program has a valid digital signature that verifies its name and publisher, so both you and Windows know the program is what it claims to be. Once again, this can be annoyance because you’ll need to click Continue in order for the program to run.
UAC Alerts UAC provides several different alerts, depending on what is happening with your system. Yet, you may have noticed only one or two, so for the exam, you should at least be familiar with all of the possible alerts you may receive from UAC. You may see UAC alerts used in a variety of scenario-based questions on the exam, so you should review the kinds of alerts that are possible, as explained in the following list: ■
■
Permission to continue This alert is a security alert that tells you that something is accessing a function or program that can affect other users on the computer. Typically, that something is you, so the permission to continue UAC alerts is the primary annoyance because it pops up for all kinds of things, even opening many Control Panel applets. Nevertheless, it is a good security feature. Program needs permission This alert appears when a program that is not a
■
Unidentified program needs permission This alert is where UAC really pays off because you’ll get the alert when any program without a valid digital signature tries to start. The fact that the program doesn’t have a digital signature doesn’t mean there is a problem, necessarily, but it does mean you should pause and make sure the program is one you installed and you know where it came from.
■
Blocked program This alert simply tells you that a program has been blocked. In order to run the program, you’ll need to log on with an administrator account.
The secure desktop ensures that only UAC dialog boxes can run in that space and you are seeing a real Windows prompt. That’s good, but the constant interruption by UAC is certainly a trade-off between security and annoyance. Any configuration button you see on Windows
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Vista with a shield on it (see later Figure 3-14) will trigger the UAC and require administrator privilege to access and configure.
Managing UAC Alerts I mentioned in the preceding section that UAC alerts, although good, can be a serious annoyance. The good news is that you can edit the behavior of UAC alerts, and you should expect to see an exam question concerning this issue. For example, let’s say that your environment runs applications on every Windows Vista computer that are centrally preapproved and installed centrally. You know the programs are safe, and you don’t need a UAC prompt every time. However, what about other environments, where a corporate policy requires that credentials always be used for administrative tasks? In either scenario, you can edit the UAC alerts to meet your corporation’s needs. You can change the behavior of UAC for both standard users and local administrators in Admin Approval mode. You can do this by logging on with an administrator account and using the Security Policy MMC to edit the behavior of the UAC. You must do this separately for standard users and administrators in Admin Approval mode. Exercises 3-1 and 3-2 show how to configure both.
EXERCISE 3-1 CertCam
UAC Alerts for Admin Approval Mode To adjust the UAC alert behavior for administrators in Admin Approval mode, follow these steps: 1. Log on with an administrator account. Click Start. Type Run in the search dialog box and press ENTER. 2. In the Run dialog box, type secpol.msc in the Open box and click OK. 3. In the left console tree, click Local Policies to expand the container, and then click Security Options, shown in the following illustration.
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4. In the right pane, scroll down and double-click “User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators” in Admin Approval mode. 5. In the drop-down box that appears, shown in the following illustration, select one of the following options: ■ Elevate Without Prompting
This setting allows applications that have been marked as administrator applications as well as applications that are detected during setup to run automatically with the full administrator access token. All other applications will automatically run with the standard user token.
■ Prompt For Credentials
This setting gives content for an application to run with the full administrator token only if the user enters administrator credentials each time. This setting is designed to support compliance with Common Criteria or other corporate policies.
Configure and Troubleshoot User Account Control
■ Prompt For Consent
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This is the default setting.
EXERCISE 3-2 UAC Alerts for Standard Users To adjust the UAC behavior for standard users, follow these steps: 1. Log on with an administrator account. Click Start. Type Run in the search dialog box and press ENTER. 2. In the Run dialog box, type secpol.msc in the Open box and click OK. 3. In the left console tree, click Local Policies to expand the container, and then click Security Options.
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4. In the right pane, scroll down and double-click “User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for standard users.” 5. From the drop-down menu that appears on the dialog box, choose one of the following: ■ Automatically Deny Elevation Requests
With this setting enabled, administrator applications will not be able to run. The user will see an error message telling him that a security policy has prevented the application from running.
■ Prompt For Credentials
This is the default setting. Administrator applications can run when administrator credentials are entered.
Aside from these issues, there are a few other configuration options you should be aware of concerning the UAC, as described in the following sections.
Application Setup Detection By default, UAC detects most applications automatically and treats them as applications that require elevation of the user’s security context, even if they haven’t been marked as such. This is why some applications will prompt a standard user for administrator privileges in order to run with full access to the system. However, in an environment where users are never expected to run installation or setup programs, users will see the UAC and then need assistance from technical support. This issue can be resolved because an administrator can disable the automatic setup detection by UAC. To do so, return to the Security Policy MMC as described in the previous exercises, double-click “User Account Control: Detect application installations and prompt for elevation,” then choose the Disabled option. Marking an Application to Require a Full Admin Token Some applications that are non-Microsoft applications or internal business applications require the full administrator access token to perform at least some of their tasks, without having been identified as administrator applications by the publisher. You can resolve this problem by marking the application to always require a full administrator access token. To do this, right-click the application executable and click Properties. On the Compatibility tab under Privilege Level, select “Run this program as an administrator” and click OK. If you don’t see the option, then application is blocked from always running with administrator credentials, the application doesn’t require admin credentials to run, or you are not logged on to the computer as an administrator.
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SCENARIO & SOLUTION I am an administrator on my computer, and I need to stop seeing the UAC permission message for configuration changes. What do I need to do?
In this case, you simply need to change the security policy elevation prompt behavior for UAC Admin Approval mode. See Exercise 3-1 for instructions. This is a common situation and one you should keep in mind for the exam.
Can’t I just turn UAC off and avoid all of these issues?
UAC is a security strategy designed to prevent malware. Certainly, the feature can be turned off, but this leaves your computer vulnerable and is typically never going to be the right response to an exam question.
The security policy options concerning UAC can be a bit confusing. Naturally, the exam will take advantage of this situation and give you convoluted questions that you’ll need to sort out.
Just keep in mind the goal of the security policy change and make sure you choose the correct policy for what you want to accomplish.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 3.02
Configure and Troubleshoot Parental Controls Parental controls are a great new feature in Windows Vista, and as a parent with young children who are just starting to use the computer and the Internet, I found this feature to be one of the more exciting ones. The interesting thing about parental controls is that they are not just an Internet filter and are not just for children—you can manage users on a small network with parental controls and even
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get reports about what the users are doing. Besides, parental controls are new in Windows Vista and you should expect to see some exam questions about them. First things first: what can you do with parental controls? Here’s a rundown of their features: ■ Parental controls are tied to each user account. You can create different user
accounts for each user and configure different settings for each. ■ You can limit the user’s access to the Internet. ■ You can limit the hours the user can log on to the computer. ■ You can limit which games and programs the user can access. ■ You can override these settings at any time using your administrator account
password. Before you start to configure parental controls, each child or user needs his or her own user account. That account must be a standard account because parental controls cannot be applied to an administrator account. So, for basic security, your administrator account should be password-protected with a password that no other user knows, so that other users can’t override the settings by using your password.
Setting Up Parental Controls To set up parental controls, click Start | Control Panel | Parental Controls. Remember, you must be logged on with an administrator level account to configure these settings. In the Parental Controls window, choose the user account you want to configure, as shown in Figure 3-2. In the Parental Controls window, turn on parental controls by clicking the On radio button, as shown in Figure 3-3. You can also turn on Activity Reporting, so you can view a report of everything the user is doing on the computer. This feature gives you accurate information about how that person is using the computer, and I recommend you enable it, as well.
Configure Web Restrictions One of the main features of parental controls is that you can configure restrictions for any user, essentially determining what he or she can do on the Internet. Because Internet usage tends to be a major area of concern for parents (and rightfully so) as well as employers, you certainly want to place some restrictions on your Internet use.
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FIGURE 3-2
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Choose the desired account.
Click the Windows Vista Web Filter option in the middle of the Parental Controls interface. This opens the Web Restrictions window, shown in Figure 3-4. You can do the following: ■ Turn on the option to block some Web content by clicking the Yes button. ■ Under Control Specific Websites, choose to allow or block specific Web sites,
as the following illustration shows. Simply type the desired Web site and click Allow or Block. The options here override other general settings, so you can strengthen the Web filter or override it for some sites. Also notice the check box option to “Only allow websites which are on the allow list.” This feature is helpful in the case of a child or user that is allowed to only visit specific Web sites.
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■ Choose a restriction level. If you click a level of restriction, you’ll notice
different content categories are selected. However, you can customize this option by simply clicking the categories you want to block. This setting causes parental controls to look at each Web site and block sites with this content, assuming the sites are rated. However, this feature is not foolproof, and if content is not rated, it is automatically blocked under the Medium and High settings. ■ Under Internet Access, you have the option to block file downloads or not.
For younger children especially or to enforce network policies, this is a good setting to use.
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FIGURE 3-3
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Turn on parental controls.
Configure Other Restrictions Aside from Web content controls, you’ll also find a few other restrictions that can be helpful in terms not only of parental controls but also of usage controls that can be an asset in a business environment as well. Make sure you keep the following options and features in mind for the exam.
Set Time Limits If you click the Time Limits option, you see a simple interface where you can click and drag to allow time that the user can use the computer each day. White areas
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FIGURE 3-4
Web Restrictions options
are blocked time, so the user will be unable to use the computer during blocked-out hours of the day, as Figure 3-5 shows.
Control Games Click Game Controls to determine what types of games the user is allowed to play, as shown in Figure 3-6. You can first allow games, and then you can choose to set the game rating limits for your child, and block or allow specific games found on your computer. If you click the Set Game Ratings option, you see a window, shown in Figure 3-7, that enables you to allow or block games with no ratings. You can then
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FIGURE 3-5
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Time limits
choose rating levels your child can play, as well as any online game content. Choose the desired options here and click OK.
Allow or Block Specific Programs You can allow your child to use programs on your computer, but you can also block any programs on your computer that you don’t want your child to play. Simply click the Allow Or Block Specific Programs option on the main parental controls interface and, in the provided window, restrict the programs your child can use to the allowed programs on the list (as shown in Figure 3-8). Make your selections and click OK.
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FIGURE 3-6
Games options
Activity Reports At any time, you can return to the Parental Controls page and click Activity Reports to see the user’s Web browsing activity, file downloads, system events, and applications that were run. This report can be helpful in determining what the user is doing on your computer, but it can also be used to gather general information. If you expand the General System folder in the left pane, notice that you can see changes to settings, account changes, system clock changes, and failed logon attempts. These items can give you a global look at some important changes that have occurred, as shown in Figure 3-9.
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FIGURE 3-7
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Choose the desired game ratings
EXERCISE 3-3 CertCam
Configuring Parental Controls As you can see from the chapter, parental controls are rather intuitive and easy to configure. In terms of the exam, it is likely to give you a situation and ask what you need to do. For example, what if you have a user whom you want to restrict from using certain Web sites and programs, but nothing else? You can create this restriction using parental controls. Follow these steps: 1. Open Parental Controls and select the desired user. 2. Click the On radio button to turn on parental controls, and then click the Windows Vista Web Filter.
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3. On the Windows Vista Web Filter, click Edit The Allow And Block List, and then enter the desired Web sites on the blocked list and click OK and OK again. 4. Click Allow Or Block Specific Programs. Click the option to use only programs you allow. 5. In the list of programs on the PC, check the programs that you want the user to be able to access and click OK. Then close Parental Controls.
FIGURE 3-8
Choose the programs that can be used.
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SCENARIO & SOLUTION I want to use parental controls to log the activity of a user, but I don’t want to restrict anything. Can this be done?
Yes, simply enable parental controls for the user’s account and choose to log activity. If you don’t configure anything else, there will be no restrictions placed on the user.
I only want my daughter to be able to access a couple of Web sites. How can I configure this?
Set up parental controls and open the Web Filter and enter the desired Web sites in the allowed list. Then, click the check box toward the bottom that will block all other sites except what is available in the allowed list.
FIGURE 3-9
Activity Reports
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CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 3.03
Install and Configure Windows Drivers A device driver is simply software that allows Windows Vista or any other operating system to interact with a hardware device. The driver determines communication parameters and essentially acts as a bridge between the operating system code and the device driver. The driver, then, allows the operating system to “drive” the device so that the operating system can control the hardware device, which you then manage through the operating system interface. Drivers are developed by hardware vendors, and from Microsoft’s point of view, how well a driver operates with Windows Vista is solely the responsibility of the hardware vendor. When Microsoft releases a new operating system, an updated device driver generally needs to be created so that the device can communicate with the new operating system. This is the primary reason that some devices fail to operate after an upgrade—the driver is incompatible with the new operating system.
Managing Drivers Even though device drivers are the responsibility of hardware manufacturers, Windows Vista still maintains a generic database of drivers so that hardware can function with Windows Vista even if a manufacturer’s driver is not available. Under most circumstances, the manufacturer’s driver should be used if at all possible, since it is specifically developed for the hardware device’s interaction with Windows Vista. So, the short lesson here is to simply use hardware that is compatible with Windows Vista and make sure you are using the most current driver designed by the manufacturer, if possible.
Driver Details Because driver configuration and management can be difficult, Windows Vista provides you with the Driver tab, found on each device’s properties pages, which can be accessed from Device Manager. The Driver tab, as you can see in Figure 3-10, gives you a few different options that you can use to manage the device’s driver. If you click the Driver Details button, you see information about the driver, such as the location, files used, provider, file version, copyright, and digital signer
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FIGURE 3-10
Driver tab
information, as shown in Figure 3-11. This data can be helpful when you simply want to gain basic information about the driver. For example, if you want to know which files to remove—if you ever need to manually remove them—they are listed in the Driver Files window.
Device Manager You can take a look at Device Manager and see if there is a device that isn’t working. It will appear with a yellow exclamation point over the device. You can simply right-click the device at this point and click Update Driver so that Windows Vista can attempt to install a suitable driver for it.
Updating Drivers Since drivers are updated periodically, you should strive to always use the most current one.To help with this process, Windows Vista uses the Hardware Update Wizard, which enables you to replace an older driver with a newer one. Exercise 3-4 walks you through the process of updating a driver.
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FIGURE 3-11
Driver Details
EXERCISE 3-4 Updating a Driver To update a driver, just follow these steps: 1. In Device Manager, right-click the desired device and click Properties. Then, click the Driver tab. 2. On the Driver tab, click Update Driver. 3. The Hardware Update Wizard appears, as shown in the following illustration. Notice that you have two options. You can have Windows Vista install the new driver automatically at the online store and on your computer, or you can install from a specific list of drivers or locations. If you choose the Search option, Windows Vista searches your computer for a new driver and installs the driver once it’s found. If you want to update the driver manually, choose that option on the Welcome screen and click Next.
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4. The next window gives you a selection list. You can choose the kind of device that you are using and allow Windows to try to match a driver from its database to the device. If you have an installation disk, you can also use the disk here. However, if you do have an installation disk, keep in mind that you can simply use the automatic installation method on the Welcome screen of the wizard (which is faster and easier). Make the desired selection and click Next. 5. The files for the driver are copied and installed. Click Finish.
Windows Update delivers updated drivers as they become available. Assuming Windows Update is set for automatic updates, you should always have the latest drivers installed. However,
if the exam gives you a situation where you’re having problems with a device and you want to make sure the device has the latest update, the answer is to run Windows Update.
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FIGURE 3-12
Uninstall confirmation
Removing a Driver If you want to completely remove a driver, simply use the Uninstall button. You can also use the Roll Back Driver option to remove the current driver and use the previous one, which can be helpful in cases where you install a new driver that doesn’t work properly. If you choose to uninstall a driver, you’ll see a warning message that tells you that you are about to remove the device from your system, shown in Figure 3-12. When you uninstall the driver, the device is uninstalled as well. At this point, Windows Vista Plug and Play will detect the uninstalled hardware device as new hardware and attempt to reinstall it. In some cases, this can help you uninstall and reinstall a problematic device, especially if you are having driver problems. You can see an example of this process in Exercise 3-5.
EXERCISE 3-5 CertCam
Uninstalling and Redetecting a Hardware Device To uninstall a driver and redetect the device, follow these steps: 1. In Device Manager, expand the desired category and select the device that you want to uninstall. If you perform this exercise, choose a basic device, such as a standard network adapter, keyboard, mouse, or some other device that uses a simple generic driver. 2. Right-click the device and click Properties. Click the Driver tab. 3. Click Uninstall and click OK to the warning message that appears. 4. The device driver is uninstalled from your computer. Note that the device no longer appears in Device Manager.
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5. To have Windows redetect and reinstall the device, on the menu bar click Action | Scan For Hardware Changes.
6. Windows scans the system and detects the device. A bubble message appears in the Notification Area telling you that a new device has been detected and is being installed. Once the installation is complete, the bubble message tells you so—and that is all there is to it!
As in previous versions of Windows, you can launch the Add Hardware Wizard to help you install troublesome hardware.The wizard will detect the hardware and try to locate a suitable driver for it. One difference in
Windows Vista is that the Add Hardware Wizard can now invoke custom installation programs so that you can install additional software that comes with the device driver(s).
Verifying Drivers Aside from the driver management options found on the Driver tab, you can also verify driver signing in Windows Vista. Driver signing, first introduced in Windows 2000 systems, enables you to make certain that you are installing and using only drivers that have been “signed,” or certified, by Microsoft. This feature makes certain that the drivers have been tested and will work with specified hardware on Windows Vista. The signing feature, however, certainly does not mean that unsigned drivers are damaging to your system or will not work—it just means that Microsoft has not approved or tested them, and you are on your own in terms of testing, compatibility, and troubleshooting.
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Signed drivers have a digital signature stamp that cannot be altered without altering the entire driver package. The digital signature is basically a digital code that is able to verify that the driver package comes from a reliable source. This feature tells you that a signed driver is, in fact, a signed driver and that you can feel safe when using the driver on your system. Another advantage of signed drivers, especially with Internet downloads, is that a signed driver tells you that the package is actually a verified driver—not a virus or other malicious code acting like a driver. For downloads of drivers, the signed driver feature can certainly give you a measure of protection. The basic rule to follow is to use signed drivers if at all possible. With the signed driver, you can ensure that the driver has been tested and has received Microsoft’s seal of approval. Of course, in some cases, it may not be possible to use a signed driver. This is fine, but it leaves you doing your own homework to determine if the driver will work and if the driver is safe to use. You can also use the File Signature Verification utility to check existing files on your computer in order to make certain that they are digitally signed. Sigverif doesn’t test a file to see if it has been modified, but it does check all installed drivers and reports which ones are signed and which ones are not signed. For the exam, keep in mind that sigverif does not solve any problems. It only generates a report. You must review, analyze, and correct any perceived problems regarding unsigned drivers. So how does all of this work? Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) is the testing facility for signed drivers. Third-party developers supply the hardware device and the proposed driver (along with payment) to WHQL. If the driver doesn’t cause OS problems, MS embeds a digital certificate into the driver file itself that includes a hash of the file. This hash is like a fingerprint of the file. If there is even a single bit changed, the hash will be different and can be used to identify file modifications, virus infections, etc. This digital cert plus the hash become the digital signature used in driver signing. The point here is that drivers have to be submitted and developers have to pay for the testing, so don’t assume that all unsigned drivers are “bad”; they may just not have been tested by Microsoft. You can search for files, and you can also configure the tool to create a log file. Exercise 3-5 shows you how to use the File Signature Verification utility.
EXERCISE 3-6 CertCam
Using the File Signature Verification Utility To use File Signature Verification, just follow these steps: 1. Click Start. In the Start Search box, type sigverif and click OK.
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2. The File Signature Verification utility appears, as shown in the following illustration. You can immediately start the utility by clicking Start, or you can click Advanced to configure options for the utility. Click Advanced.
3. You see a Logging tab. You can choose to save the results of the File Signature Verification utility to a log file, which is named sigverif.txt by default. You can choose to append the scan to the existing log or overwrite the existing log (which is the default option). Make any desired changes and click OK.
4. Click Start to begin the utility. When the utility begins, a file list is built, and then you’ll see a status bar as files are verified. Once the utility completes, you see a completion window. If any files are not digitally signed, they will appear in the dialog box.
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5. Once the scan is complete, you can also easily view the log file by clicking Advanced and then clicking the Logging tab. Click View Log, and the log file appears in a simple text format, as shown in the following illustration:
SCENARIO & SOLUTION I suspect there is a driver problem with a hardware device. What is the first thing I should do?
Always go to Device Manager first. Device Manager will often report when there is a problem with a hardware device by displaying a yellow exclamation point over the device. From here, you can simply right-click the device and click Update Driver.
I installed a new printer driver, and now the printer does not work. What do I need to do?
Go to the Driver tab on the printer’s properties dialog box and choose the Roll Back Driver option. This will take you back to the previous driver.
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CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 3.04
Troubleshoot Installation and Post-Installation Configuration Issues When the exam mentions an objective like “post-installation configuration issues,” you may scratch your head and stare. After all, this objective seems to give the exam total license to ask you just about anything under the sun. After all, isn’t every possible problem you might experience on Windows Vista a “post-installation configuration issue?” Good point. However, the exam is likely to focus on only a few items from this objective, and frankly, it will spend more time quizzing you about installation and Windows Vista features than about a listing of problems. With that point in mind, I’m going to simply examine some different issues in this section that the exam is likely to ask you, as it is impossible to review every possible problem that can arise after installation (unless you want this book to be the size of a subcompact car). The good news is this: Windows Vista is very good at scanning your system before you install to make sure the system meets compatibility requirements. This fact alone solves many possible problems before they ever begin. For other issues to keep in mind for the exam, read on.
Windows Experience Index Once installation is complete, the installation routine will scan your computer and give the computer a Windows Experience Index rating, which you can gather from the Performance Information and Tools applet in Control Panel. Since the Windows Experience Index rating will be explored in Chapter 10, I’ll not repeat that information here. However, do understand that the Windows Experience Index is one of those first places you should look after installation because it gives you information about how your computer ranks and what hardware device is likely the “weakest link” in terms of performance. So, if you come across a question that has you wondering about hardware and performance after installation is complete, the Windows Experience Index is the place to go.
Problems with File Access One issue that may appear on the exam concerns multiboot systems. Keep in mind that some legacy Windows operating systems, such as Windows 95, 98, and ME, can’t read NTFS volumes. If you have a multiboot configuration with one of these
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operating systems and you notice that you can’t access some files from the downlevel system, the issue concerns NTFS. The needed files are likely on an NTFS drive, and those older systems can’t read data from them. I don’t think anyone in the real world would ever find themselves in this situation, although some businesses use older operating systems in order to maintain backward compatibility with custom applications. At any rate, just remember that older down-level systems cannot read NTFS.
Issues with Temporary Files You may run across an odd question concerning writing files to a CD after installing Windows Vista. The issue here is not a problem per se, but rather that the drive that stores temporary recorded files may not have enough space. You find out if there is enough space for temporary recorded files by checking out how much space is available. See Exercise 3-7.
EXERCISE 3-7 Temporary Recorded Files To find out how much space is available for temporary recorded files, follow these steps: 1. Click Start | Computer. 2. Right-click the CD / DVD drive and click Properties. 3. Click the Recording tab. Notice that you have a drive selection option in the middle of the tab. Here, you can take a look at the volumes available and choose one that has enough space. Generally, the volume should have at least as much free space as the CD / DVD will hold during a burning process. Keep in mind that you can view the properties of each drive in Computer to find out how much space is available.
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Issues with Standard Users One issue that tends to throw people off after installation concerns user accounts. Keep in mind that the administrator account is the first account created. After that, the Standard account is the default account for all others. So, let’s say that you configure a computer that dual-boots Windows Vista and Windows XP. You are able to install applications in Windows XP with no problem, but in Windows Vista, you get the UAC prompt for administrator credentials. In this case, you are simply using a standard user account in Windows Vista rather than an admin account. This behavior is normal.
Problems with Older Applications Naturally, if you upgrade to Windows Vista, there is always the possibility that some custom or older applications will not work under Windows Vista. The good news is Windows Vista is typically good about identifying such programs before you upgrade, and
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once the upgrade is complete, you can invoke Compatibility mode for the application and probably get it up and running under Windows Vista. In many cases, the Program Compatibility Assistant will appear and help you resolve compatibility issues. (This is an automatic program and not one you can start.) However, if the Program Compatibility Assistant doesn’t help, you can use the Program Compatibility Wizard. Keep in mind that older antivirus programs or disk management utilities should never be used with the Program Compatibility Wizard—these programs must be upgraded. To use the Program Compatibility Wizard, click Control Panel | Programs | Use An Older Program With This Version Of Windows. Once the wizard starts, as you can see in Figure 3-13, you can walk through the process, select the program, and choose which version of Windows you want Windows Vista to emulate for the program. You can also access the Compatibility tab of the program’s properties dialog box. Just right-click the executable file (*.exe) of the program and select Properties. Here, you can also choose a down-level operating system and make some basic adjustments so that the program is more likely to run correctly, as shown in Figure 3-14.
FIGURE 3-13
Program Compatibility Wizard
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FIGURE 3-14
Compatibility tab
SCENARIO & SOLUTION Do all older programs need changes made on their Compatibility tabs?
No. Many older programs will work fine under Windows Vista. Use the Compatibility tab to make changes only if you are experiencing problems running the program or using it as you normally would.
Will there be any file access problems in a multiboot scenario with Windows XP and Windows Vista?
Possibly, due to permissions. Windows XP uses NTFS just like Windows Vista. So, when dual-booting these operating systems, you may have Access Denied messages arising from permissions.
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CERTIFICATION SUMMARY Windows Vista includes a number of important tools and features that you may need to configure and troubleshoot after installation. First, you should have a thorough understanding of User Account Control, which is turned on by default in user accounts for all users. UAC allows the elevation of rights for standard users if an administrator password is provided, and it provides a “permission” dialog box for administrators. Changes to the default behavior of UAC can be configured in the Security Policy MMC. Parental Controls is a new feature in Windows Vista that enables you to place restrictions on any user with a standard user account. You can restrict Web surfing, computer use time, game use, and programs. You can also log activity so that you can review a user’s actions on a computer. You can manage post-installation driver problems using Device Manager, where you can attempt to install new drivers or access the properties dialog box for the device. On the Driver tab, you can get details about the driver, update it, uninstall it, or roll back the driver to the previous version. Use the File Signature Verification utility to make certain that all drivers on your computer are digitally signed. Other post-installation issues include misunderstandings with user accounts and UAC, file access when dual-booting with down-level systems on FAT drives, ensuring that the drive selected to hold temporary files when burning CDs / DVDs has sufficient space, and managing legacy program compatibility with Windows Vista. Be sure to keep these issues in mind for the exam.
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TWO-MINUTE DRILL Configure and Troubleshoot User Account Control ❑ UAC is enabled for all user accounts by default. ❑ Some applications that are configured as administrator-only applications
or processes will cause UAC to prompt a standard user for an administrator account password or it will prompt administrators for permission. ❑ UAC behavior can be configured via security policies in the Security Policy
MMC. ❑ You can use the Security Policy MMC to determine whether or not the UAC
prompt appears using the “User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for standard users” and “User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators” settings in Admin Approval mode.
Configure and Troubleshoot Parental Controls ❑ Parental controls can be applied by an administrator to any standard user
account. ❑ Use parental controls to restrict Web site access, enforce time limits, or
restrict the use of games and programs. ❑ You can use parental controls to log activity for the user as well as general
activity on the system.
Install and Configure Windows Drivers ❑ Each device on your computer uses a driver that enables it to communicate
with the operating system. ❑ Drivers are updated periodically and can be downloaded through Windows
Update in many cases. ❑ Use Device Manager to review the operation of hardware and access the
device’s properties dialog box. ❑ Use the Driver tab to update, remove, or roll back a driver.
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Troubleshoot Post-Installation Configuration Issues ❑ Keep in mind that the two account types available in Windows Vista are
the administrator account and the standard user account. After the initial administrator account is created, all other accounts are standard user accounts by default. ❑ Down-level operating systems such as Windows 9x cannot read NTFS drives.
Keep this in mind in dealing with dual-boot scenarios and file access. ❑ You can change what drive temporary files waiting to be burned to a CD /
DVD are stored on in the Recording tab of the CD/ DVD drive’s properties dialog box. ❑ You can use the Program Compatibility Wizard or a program’s Compatibility
tab on the properties dialog box and configure Windows Vista to emulate an older operating system for backward compatibility.
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SELF TEST The following questions will help you measure your understanding of the material presented in this chapter. Read all the choices carefully because there might be more than one correct answer. Choose all correct answers for each question.
Configure and Troubleshoot User Account Control 1. You manage a small network consisting of Windows Vista Ultimate computers. One of your users is a member of the local Administrators group on his computer. He frequently makes configuration changes to the PC for testing purposes, and the UAC prompt appears each time, asking for permission. You need to prevent this message from appearing when the user configures the computer. What do you need to do? A. Turn off UAC for the user. B. Change the behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators in the UAC Admin Approval mode security policy. C. Change the behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators in the UAC security policy to require applications to have a full security token. D. Configure Windows Defender to allow software changes for local administrators. 2. A user on your network complains that when he opens the date and time properties, he receives a UAC message telling him that he doesn’t have sufficient privileges to make changes. The user has a standard user account on the Windows Vista Business computer. The user needs to be able to make configuration changes like this. What do you need to do? A. Turn on UAC. B. Add the user to the local administrator group. C. Edit the security policy “UAC: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators” in Admin Approval mode. D. Turn on UAC. 3. You have a non-Microsoft application installed on Windows Vista that you need to mark as an administrator application so that it runs with a full admin token for security purposes. You access the application’s properties and on the Compatibility tab, you find that the option to mark it as an administrator application is grayed out. What are the possible explanations? (Choose all that apply.) A. You are not logged on with a local administrator account. B. UAC is turned off.
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C. The program does not require admin credentials to run. D. The application is blocked from always running elevated. E. The security policies are blocking the permissions.
Configure and Troubleshoot Parental Controls 4. On your office network, you use parental controls to control the use of programs. However, a certain user can still access a particular program that should be blocked. You verify that parental controls are turned on for this user. What do you need to do? A. Change the user’s account to a standard account. B. Uncheck the program option in the program restriction section of Parental Controls. C. Remove the time restrictions. D. Turn on UAC. 5. Concerning parental controls, which statement is true? A. Parental controls can be configured for any standard user. B. Parental controls can be configured for any administrator. C. Parental controls can be configured for any standard user and administrator. D. Parental controls work only if UAC is enabled. 6. A user on your network accesses a Windows Vista Business computer. The user comes in to work early on a particular day, and when he attempts to log on, he receives a message telling him that his account has time restrictions that prevent him from logging on at this time. What is causing this problem? A. His password has expired. B. A Group Policy is restricting him from logging on with the current password. C. Parental controls are configured to prevent use at certain times. D. Remote Desktop is in use. 7. A user on your network is using a Windows Vista computer to access a particular Web site from another company. You want to prevent the user from accessing this Web site, but you don’t want to restrict anything else. How can you configure this? A. Block the site’s domain in Internet Explorer. B. Configure Windows Firewall to deny all IP addresses in the site’s IP address range. C. Use Windows Defender to block the Web site. D. Use parental controls to block the Web site.
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Install and Configure Windows Drivers 8. You install a new printer according to the manufacturer’s instructions, but the printer does not seem to work. You open Device Manager and notice a yellow exclamation point over the printer. What is the best solution to quickly resolve this problem? A. Unplug the printer and plug it back in. B. Right-click the printer icon in Device Manager and click Update Driver. C. Use the Add Hardware Wizard to reinstall the printer. D. Run Windows Update. 9. You install the driver for your new network card. However, the network card does not work. You need to transfer a number of files over the network and do not have time to troubleshoot problems with the new driver. You need to get the network card up and running as quickly as possible. What can you do? A. Use the Update Driver button on the Driver tab. B. Enable the driver in Device Manager. C. Use the Roll Back Driver button on the Driver tab. D. Use the Uninstall button on the Driver tab. 10. You need to install a device on your Windows Vista system. You want to ensure that the latest driver is used, and you want to also install some additional software that accompanies the device. What is the easiest way to do this? A. Windows Update B. Add Hardware Wizard C. Device Manager D. Windows Defender 11. You want to make sure that all driver files on your system are digitally signed, including some new drivers you have installed. What tool can you use to verify which drivers are signed and which ones are not? A. MSINFO B. Software Explorer in Windows Defender C. MSCONFIG D. Sigverif 12. For a particular hardware device, you want to check and see what company provided the driver. You have some suspicion about its origins. What is the easiest way to find this information? A. Driver Details button on the Driver tab B. MSCONFIG
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C. MSINFO D. Sigverif
Troubleshoot Post-Installation Configuration Issues 13. You recently updated a Windows XP Professional computer to Windows Vista Ultimate. Although the computer meets the hardware requirements, you also want to determine what hardware component is the weakest in terms of performance so that you can consider any necessary hardware updates. How can you most easily determine this information? A. Reliability Monitor B. Windows Experience Index C. Device Manager D. Error Checking tool 14. You dual-boot Windows Vista with Windows 98 SE to maintain backward compatibility with some older custom business applications. You have created some files in Windows Vista that you need to access from Windows 98, but you are unable to access the drive containing the files. What is the most likely cause of the problem? A. The files are not stored in the Public folder. B. You are using a standard user account. C. UAC is turned off. D. The files reside on an NTFS partition. 15. On a new Windows Vista installation, you notice that you receive error messages concerning disk space availability when you try to write a larger amount of data to a DVD. You want to change the drive which is used for temporary recorded data. How can you most easily change this? A. Use Computer Management to expand the drive’s capability for recorded files. B. Use the Recording tab of the CD / DVD’s properties dialog box. C. Use Device Manager to move the CD / DVD to another drive. D. Increase the size of the Temp file. 16. You have a computer with a dual-boot configuration using Windows XP Professional and Windows Vista Business. You notice that within Windows XP, you can install applications with no problem. However, in Windows Vista, you receive a UAC prompt asking for an administrator’s password. What is causing this to happen? A. You are using fast user switching. B. You cannot install new software in a dual-boot configuration with Windows XP.
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C. In Windows Vista, you are using a standard user account. D. Windows Firewall is blocking the installation.
LAB QUESTION You recently upgraded to Windows Vista Business from Windows XP (SP2). You notice that a custom application now does not work correctly in Windows Vista. This custom application is important to your daily work, and you need the application to work under your current Windows Vista Business installation. What can you do to resolve this problem?
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SELF TEST ANSWERS Configure and Troubleshoot User Account Control ✓ B. This is a common scenario where you need to change the UAC prompt so that it 1. ® does not appear. You would open the security policy console and choose the “Elevate without prompting” for Admin Approval mode. ® ˚ A is incorrect because turning off UAC is a security breach. C is incorrect because editing this security policy will not elevate without prompting. D is also incorrect because the Windows Defender configuration does not affect UAC. ✓ A. In this case, you simply need to turn on UAC. Once UAC is turned on, these requests 2. ® will be elevated and the user will see the UAC continue box as normal. ® ˚ B, C, and D are all incorrect because none of these options will enable UAC. ✓ A, C, and D. You may not be logged on as administrator, the program doesn’t need admin 3. ® privileges to run properly, or it will not run with admin privileges. These are the three correct answers. ® ˚ B and E are incorrect. UAC is not turned off in this case, and the security policy is not the issue.
Configure and Troubleshoot Parental Controls ✓ B. When you configure parental controls, you can block access to programs. Clear the 4. ® check box option next to the program to prevent the user from accessing it. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because none of these options will prevent the user from accessing the program. ✓ A. Parental controls can be applied to any standard user account by an administrator. 5. ® ® ˚ B, C, and D are all incorrect because these statements are false. ✓ C. This question may seem a bit basic because you are studying a chapter about parental 6. ® controls. However, mixed with other questions on a test, it can cause you to stop and think. Remember that any message about time limits tied to a user account is going to be a parental control issue. ® ˚ A, B, and D are incorrect because none of these issues would prevent a user from logging on at a particular time. ✓ D. The easiest way to resolve this problem is to configure parental controls to block the 7. ® Web site. This configuration will deny access to the Web site without making any additional restrictions. ® ˚ A, B, and C are incorrect because these options will not block the Web site or place too many blocking restrictions on the user.
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Install and Configure Windows Drivers ✓ B. Right-click the icon and click Update Driver. This will enable you to search for a suitable 8. ® driver for the printer. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because none of these actions will immediately resolve the driver problem. ✓ A. Set Windows Update to update automatically. This will ensure that the latest drivers 9. ® available from Microsoft are downloaded and installed. ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect because none of these options will automatically update drivers on your system. ✓ B. Use the Add Hardware Wizard to install the driver software. The Add Hardware Wizard 10. ® can also install additional software that comes with the device drivers. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because none of these options will help you install the new hardware device. ✓ D. Use the Signature Verification utility to verify that files on your system are digitally signed. 11. ® ® ˚ A, B, and C are incorrect because these tools will not tell you if files are digitally signed. ✓ A. Since you want to see the specifics of one particular driver, open the device’s properties 12. ® dialog box, click the Driver tab, and click Driver Details. The dialog box that appears will give you the desired information. ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect because none of these options will give you the desired information.
Troubleshoot Post-Installation Configuration Issues ✓ B. Use the Windows Experience Index to see a report about your system’s index score as 13. ® well as the subscores of individual components. This is the easiest way to access the desired information. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because these tools do not readily give you this information. ✓ D. The Windows 98 OS cannot read NTFS drives, and since Windows Vista natively uses 14. ® NTFS, this is the most likely problem with the file access issue. ® ˚ A, B, and C are all incorrect because none of these options are the most immediately likely cause of the file access problem. ✓ B. You can change which drive is used for recording temporary files on the Recording tab of 15. ® the device’s properties dialog box. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because none of these actions will resolve the problem. ✓ C. Keep in mind that the first account created in Windows Vista is an administrator 16. ® account. Afterward, the user accounts are standard accounts by default. When you try to install software, the standard account UAC will prompt you to enter an administrator password. ® ˚ A, B, and D are all incorrect because none of these issues are causing the problem.
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LAB ANSWER Some older applications will have problems working correctly under Windows Vista, since those programs were not originally written under Vista’s software guidelines. However, Windows Vista can help resolve this problem in one of two ways. First, you can run the Program Compatibility Wizard and configure Windows Vista to emulate Windows XP (SP2) when you use this program. More easily, you can open the program’s properties dialog box and click the Compatibility tab. Here, as shown in the following illustration, you can choose to run the program in Compatibility mode and choose Windows XP (Service Pack 2) from the drop-down list of options.
4 Configure Windows Aero and Internet Explorer CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVES 4.01
Configure Internet Explorer
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Configure Dynamic Security Settings in Internet Explorer 7
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I
nternet Explorer 7 is one of the best IE upgrades we’ve seen in years. It looks smarter, provides tabbed browsing, and has better security than previous versions of IE. As a realworld IT professional, you’ll need to know virtually everything about configuring and managing IE itself along with IE security. The exam will drill you on these issues as well, and we’ll explore them in this chapter. Aside from the changes in IE, the first thing you ever heard about Windows Vista, way before it released, was something about its “glass” interface. Windows Vista’s new Aero interface, which gives a dramatic improvement to the look and feel of Windows over previous versions, is certainly interesting and fun. In fact, some of Windows Vista’s coolest features, such as Flip 3D, depend on the Aero interface. Yet, Aero has some strict hardware requirements and can cause problems on a system that doesn’t measure up, and as an IT professional, you can expect some real-world problems and issues regarding Aero as well as some exam questions.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 4.01
Configure Internet Explorer You can start Internet Explorer by clicking the Internet Explorer icon on your Start menu. This action opens the Web browser and, if you have a dial-up connection to the Internet, probably launches the connection automatically. One thing you’ll notice right away about Internet Explorer is that it looks similar to any other folder on your computer. This is by design. Microsoft has made Windows Vista integrate closely with the Internet so that your computer can look and feel more like a Web page. The Internet Explorer browser, like your Vista folders, contains several menus across the top, toolbars, and a primary interface area, as shown in Figure 4-1.
The Internet Explorer Interface At the top of the Internet Explorer window, you see your standard back and forward buttons, along with the address bar where you type in the Web address and also a box to search for a subject on Live. This option takes you to Windows Live, where
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FIGURE 4-1
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Internet Explorer
you can browse for Web sites that contain the desired subject. Below this area, you have a toolbar containing several important options, some of them new in this version of Internet Explorer. The following sections explore these features.
Favorites The Favorites Center contains a few folders of generic favorites that Microsoft configures for you. You’ll use this menu to add favorites that you want to keep. Just click the Add Favorites button (the Plus sign over the Star on the toolbar) to save
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INSIDE THE EXAM Settings and More Settings Over time, Internet Explorer has become a complicated piece of software. In its early days, it was nothing more than a simple utility that you used to surf the Internet. In the end, that’s still its primary purpose today. Yet, the Internet has changed a lot since those early days. Now, Web browsers must be able to handle great amounts of data and multimedia content, along with security management issues. All of those needs lead to a complicated piece of software. As you look through IE, you may get overwhelmed from an exam point of view. After all, you may be able to understand and configure all of the settings in IE, but can you
remember all of them for the exam? No, but you’re not expected to. In truth, the exam is likely to focus on new issues and features. You don’t need to memorize the location of every feature in IE, but you need to focus on what is new in this version. This is especially true of the new features that help resolve security problems. You’ll notice in this chapter that I don’t dwell on everything you can do or configure in IE, but I stay focused on what you are likely to see on the exam. So, be sure to follow along in IE as you study this chapter and commit the new features as well as security features to memory.
the Web page to your Favorites list. The next time you want to visit the page, just click the Favorites Center and click the page title you want to visit. You can also access Feeds (these are RSS, or Really Simply Syndication feeds, which are streams of data that are sent to you) you’ve subscribed to and view your surfing history within this interface as well, as you can see in Figure 4-2.
Tabs Tabs are probably one of the best improvements in the usability of Internet Explorer that I have seen in a long time. In fact, I think the new tab feature is really going to make your Web surfing easier if you’ll put them to work. If you look on the lower toolbar next to favorites, you’ll see the current Web page title residing on a tab. However, you can open additional Web pages on other tabs so that you can toggle between them simply by clicking a tab, rather than surfing from page to page.
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FIGURE 4-2
Favorites Center
As you can see in Figure 4-3, I currently have three Web sites tabbed. You can also see a fourth tab that is currently empty (there is always an empty tab available). I can simply click the empty tab and type a URL or click a link; the new site will be added as another tab. Once you place sites on tabs, simply click the different tabs to access the sites. If you want to close a site, simply click the little close X on the tab you have selected. You can add a new tab at any time by clicking the new tab and entering the URL, or you can press CTRL-T. Here are a few other things to keep in mind about tabs: ■ Press the CTRL key while clicking links or use your middle mouse button to
open links on a new tab. ■ Click any tab with the middle mouse button (or wheel) to close it. ■ Press ALT-ENTER from the address bar or search box to open the result in
a new tab. ■ Click the Tab List button to the left of your tabs on the toolbar to see a quick
list of tabs, or . . .
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FIGURE 4-3
Tabs in Internet Explorer
■ Click the Quick Tabs button (CTRL-Q) to see a mini-view at each tab, as
shown in Figure 4-4. You can click any of the Web pages in the Quick Tab interface to jump immediately to it.
Home The Home button enables you to jump to your home page at any time, which is the page that opens when you first open Internet Explorer. However, you can also click the arrow for a drop-down menu that enables you to remove the current home page or change it to the currently selected tab. You’ll see a small Change Home Page
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dialog box, shown in the following illustration, where you can make your choice. Note that you can have more than one home page. Once you add pages, you can simply use the Home drop-down menu to select the one you want.
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Feeds and Print The Feeds button enables you to access any current Internet feeds you have subscribed to, and just as with the Home option, you can click the drop-down menu to manage current feeds and add new ones. A feed, which can also be called an RSS feed, an XML feed, syndicated content, or a Web feed, is frequently updated content published by a Web site. It is usually used for news and blog Web sites, but can also be used for distributing other types of digital content, including pictures, audio, or video. Feeds can also be used to deliver audio content that you can listen to on your computer or MP3 player. This is referred to as podcasting. You can also print any Web page by clicking Print. If you click the Print button drop-down arrow, you can access Print Preview and Page Setup as well.
Page The Page button enables you to open the currently selected Web page in a new window, but you can also access some additional features here. If you have selected something on a Web page, use this menu to access standard cut, copy, and paste functions. You can save the Web page, send it to someone via e-mail, or open the HTML code in Notepad, where you can edit it. Additional features are Zoom and Text Size, as well as the View Source, Security Report, and Web Page Privacy Report features.
Be sure to spend some time looking through the Page menu options, and notice that there is a zoom control pop-out menu. Let’s say that the exam asks you about a user whose Web pages in IE are smaller than they should be compared to the rest of the interface. Your first natural
thought might be of display resolution settings, but it’s much simpler than that. The Zoom setting is probably lower than 100 percent. So, simply go to this setting on the Page menu and change the zoom percentage—that’s the answer!
Tools The Tools drop-down menu gives you access to several options, many of which are repeated in Internet Options (which are explored in the next section). The following page lists what you can access on the Tools menu.
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Delete Browsing History This option deletes all history items. This is the fastest way to delete the history in IE. Diagnose Connection Problems Use this option to let Windows diagnose a possible reason for connection problems if you’re having problems surfing the Internet. Pop-Up Blocker This option enables you to stop pop-up windows. You can use the option here to turn this feature on or off or access Pop-Up Blocker settings. Phishing Filter Phishing is a technique people use on the Internet to trick users into revealing personal or financial information through an e-mail message or Web site. The spoofed Web sites look like legitimate Web sites that you would normally log in to and where you would reveal such information. The phishing filter works to identify these pages as false Web sites in order to keep your personal information safe. The phishing filter is turned on by default, and you should leave it turned on. Manage Add-ons You may use some add-ons to Internet Explorer from various Web sites, including ActiveX controls and additional toolbars, and you can manage them here. Work Offline This feature enables you to work without an Internet connection. Windows Update Internet Explorer.
Access Windows Update directly for possible updates to
Full Screen See Internet Explorer in full-screen mode (you can also press f11 to access Full Screen). Toolbars Use this option to adjust Internet Explorer’s default toolbars or create a custom toolbar. Internet Options Many other configuration options and features are available through Internet Options, which are explored in the next section.
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Configuring Internet Options You can configure Internet Explorer through Internet Options, which is found in your Tools menu. When you open Internet Options, you find seven different configuration tabs, and the following sections show you what you can do on each tab. You’ll need to understand these options carefully and know where to access them for the exam, so make sure you work with these options on Windows Vista as you study this section.
General Tab The General tab, shown in Figure 4-5, contains five major categories—Home Page, Browsing History, Search, Tabs, and Appearance. The home page is simply the Internet site to which you want Internet Explorer to connect as a default site. Whenever you open Internet Explorer, it will always connect to this site first. If you want to change the site, type a new URL in the
FIGURE 4-5
General tab
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Address field. If you don’t want to use a home page, click Use Blank. Also, if you are currently visiting the Web page you want to make your home page, click the Use Current button on the General tab (which keeps you from having to type the URL). The Browsing History section enables you to determine how temporary Internet pages are stored. When you surf the Web, your computer stores pages that you visit in a Temporary Internet Files folder (including all of the graphics and photos from that page). This speeds up your access to those pages when you revisit them. You can change the default options by clicking Settings. Doing this opens a Settings dialog box, shown in the following illustration, where you can adjust how Internet Explorer uses the temporary pages. If you have a fast Internet connection, temporary Internet files are unnecessary; they’re designed to help speed up slow-connection Web surfing.
By default, Internet Explorer automatically checks for new material. This setting ensures that you are looking at the most current version of the Web page, and I recommend you leave this default setting. You also see that you can adjust the amount of disk space that is used for temporary Internet files. You can increase this
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setting if you like, but the default setting is probably all the space you need. You can also use the buttons at the bottom of the Settings dialog box to view your temporary Internet files and objects, and you can move the Temporary Internet Files folder to a different location on your computer (which doesn’t help anything, so it’s best just to leave it alone). You see a Search option on the General tab as well. You can click Settings and change the default search engine, which is Live Search by default. To add search providers, click the Find More Providers link toward the bottom of the dialog box. Under the Tabs section, you can make some changes to the way tabs behave and function in Internet Explorer. Just click the Settings tab and see the check box options as shown in the following illustration. The options you see here are selfexplanatory, and generally speaking, the default options are all a typical user needs.
At the bottom of the General tab, you see several buttons: Colors, Fonts, Languages, and Accessibility. These options enable you to change the way Internet Explorer looks and displays Web pages. These options are self-explanatory, so check them out if you want to make appearance changes.
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Security and Privacy Tabs The Security and Privacy tabs are a part of Internet Explorer’s security features. You can expect the exam to zero in on the security issues in Internet Explorer, and you can find out more information about the Security and Privacy tabs in the next section of this book.
Content Tab The Content tab enables you to configure how Internet Explorer manages different kinds of content from the Internet, as well as information about you. This tab has five sections—Parental Controls, Content Advisor, Certificates, AutoComplete, and Feeds, as shown in Figure 4-6. You can configure Parental Controls that enable you to determine what Web sites your children are able to access, as well as other items on your computer. The Parental Controls button you see here simply opens Parental Controls in Windows Vista, which you can learn more about in Chapter 3.
FIGURE 4-6
Content tab
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The Content Advisor enables you to manage how (and if) Internet Explorer handles different kinds of potentially offensive Web content. If you click Enable, you see a Content Advisor dialog box, shown here:
You see different categories of potential offensive material. You can use the slider bar to adjust the level of offensive content that users are able to view. This feature is great if you have children who use the Internet on your computer. You can enable this feature to prevent accidental access to offensive Web content. However, these settings are not foolproof. Internet Explorer examines the requested Web site for keywords that provide clues about offensive content. Internet Explorer can also use a site’s rating system to determine whether it is safe. As you can see, a lot of this is up to the individual site, so don’t assume this system is entirely safe. Once you make some settings decisions, click Apply, and Windows Vista will prompt you to enter a password. This prevents other users of your computer from changing the content settings. Also note that you can access the Approved Sites tab to create a list of approved sites, and you can also make some basic changes on the General and Advanced tabs. Normally, however, you don’t need to use these tabs; if you do, you’ll find them self-explanatory. You also see a Certificates option in Internet Explorer. In some organizations, Internet Explorer is configured to use various digital certificates to verify certain
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Web site authenticity. In some circumstances, you might want to use a digital certificate to communicate with a highly secure Web site. If this is the case, you will need to follow that Web site’s instructions about obtaining and using a digital certificate. You can use the AutoComplete section of the Content tab to change or turn off AutoComplete. Internet Explorer tries to learn what Web sites and information you enter into Web pages. If Internet Explorer recognizes what you are typing, it will try to complete it for you. You may find this helpful or aggravating. At any rate, you can click the AutoComplete button to change the behavior. This button opens another window with some simple check box options you can consider. Also, you see a My Profile button, which you can click to change personal information about yourself that Internet Explorer keeps. To delete an item in the AutoComplete list, say a typo, or some private information, highlight the entry (don’t click it) in the AutoComplete list, and press DELETE. Finally, you see a Feeds section that helps you manage RSS feeds from various Web sites. You can click Settings to manage a default feed schedule.
The AutoComplete options are helpful because they remember where you’ve been as well as username and passwords that are used to log on to sites. However, what if a different user needs to access the PC using the same account? Should you want to permanently remove the AutoComplete features, you can do so on the General tab. Under Browsing
History, click Delete and then use the Delete All button. Notice that temporary Internet files, cookies, history, form data, and passwords are all deleted using this action. In the case of a shared computer, you may also want to use the General tab to disable the memorizing of passwords in IE, if this is a security concern.
Connections Tab The Connections tab, shown in Figure 4-7, lists any Internet connections you have configured on your computer. You normally do not need to configure anything on this tab because you configure these options when you create a dial-up connection. However, you can use this tab to tell Internet Explorer what specific connection to use if your computer has multiple connections. If you are on a network where your computer accesses a proxy server to reach the Internet, you may need to perform some configuration via the LAN Settings button to configure IE to use the proxy server.
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FIGURE 4-7
Connections tab
Programs Tab The Programs tab, shown in Figure 4-8, enables you to choose which programs on Windows Vista perform what options. For example, by default, Internet Explorer uses Windows Mail for Internet mail (in other words, if you are visiting a Web page and click a “send e-mail” link, Internet Explorer opens a Windows Mail message). However, you may want to use a different mail client you have installed on your computer. You can use this page to change the applications that Internet Explorer uses for HTML editing, e-mail, newsgroups, Internet calling, your calendar, and your contact list. If you plan to use both Internet Explorer and Windows Mail, you won’t need to change any of these settings. The Set Programs button takes you to the Default Programs interface, which is also directly available in Control Panel. This interface allows you to choose the default programs that should be used for different kinds of files and media.
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FIGURE 4-8
Programs tab
Advanced Tab The Advanced tab contains a bunch of check box options for a variety of processes. For example, you can change some browsing behavior, multimedia settings, and
Although you can change a lot of settings on the Advanced tab, it is easy to get back to the default settings. Should the exam mention that a user has changed a number of items here and now needs to have them fixed, all you need to do is go to the Advanced tab and click Restore Advanced Settings.This will put the
Advanced settings only back to the default. What if the user has really done a number on IE? You can reset everything on the Advanced tab as well by clicking Reset.This action resets all changed settings, but it also deletes all temporary files and disables browser add-ons, so this option should be used as the last resort.
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printing settings (among others) just by checking or un-checking different options, as you can see in the following illustration.
EXERCISE 4-1 Using Tabbed Browsing Get familiar with tabbed browsing! Not only are you likely to enjoy the feature, but you’ll be prepared should any exam questions come your way. 1. Log on to Windows Vista and open Internet Explorer. IE opens to the default home page. 2. Click the New Tab option (or press CTRL-T). In the address bar, type Osborne.com. 3. Click the New Tab option again. This time, type Amazon.com.
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4. You now have three tabs open. Simply click between them to switch from Web site to Web site. 5. Click the Quick Tabs button (or press CTRL-Q). Here you can see a mini-view of each tab. If you click a tab here, it opens to full screen. Notice that you can also close any tabs you don’t want here as well.
6. Click the Amazon.com tab with your middle mouse key/wheel. Notice that the tab is now closed. 7. Close Internet Explorer. Notice that you receive a message asking if you want to close all tabs. Click the Close Tabs button.
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SCENARIO & SOLUTION I want to perform a search using IE, but I don’t want to use the default search Web site. How can I quickly choose another?
Use the drop-down arrow next to the search dialog box and simply choose a different provider. This does not permanently change the default search site.
I am having problems reading the text on a particular Web site because it is too small. How can I quickly change the text size?
Click the Page drop-down menu and access the Text Size submenu and choose a different size for the text.
How can I quickly toggle a toolbar on or off?
Click the Tools menu and point to Toolbars. Here, you’ll see a listing of toolbars that you can click to select or deselect.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 4.02
Configure Dynamic Security Settings in Internet Explorer 7 As you might expect, security in Internet Explorer 7 is very important in the IT world, and you can expect several important exam questions about configuring the security features IE 7 brings to the table. The good news is that IE 7 makes some great strides toward a more secure browser, so you’ll need to know about these options and how to use them. The following sections explore these features.
Tools Menu Features The Tools menu contains three important features for managing some potential security threats in IE 7. These features are already at work by default, but you’ll need to dig a bit deeper and understand how to configure them. The next three sections explore these features.
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Configuring the Pop-Up Blocker The Pop-Up Blocker is nothing new in IE, but it is improved in IE 7 and easier to manage. If you click Tools and point to Pop-Up Blocker, you can turn off the Pop-Up Blocker or access Pop-Up Blocker settings. The Settings dialog box, shown in Figure 4-9, enables you to add exceptions to the Pop-Up Blocker. For example, let’s say that your company accesses another company’s Web site that has pop-ups. You want the pop-ups to work in IE 7 for this particular Web site. Simply access the Settings dialog box and add the Web site to the exceptions list. Toward the bottom of the Settings dialog box, notice that you can determine if a sound is played when a block occurs and whether that information appears on the Information bar. Also, you can choose a filter level. The Low level allows pop-ups from secure sites. The Medium level (default) blocks most automatic pop-ups, and the High level blocks all pop-ups.
FIGURE 4-9
Pop-Up Blocker settings
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Phishing Filter The phishing filter helps identify bogus Web sites that are attempting to collect personally identifiable information from you. The filter is turned on by default. If you click Tools, you can access a submenu for the phishing filter. You can check the current Web site, turn off the phishing filter, report a Web site, or access phishing filter settings. This action simply opens the Advanced tab of IE properties, where you can turn on or off automatic Web site checking or disable the phishing filter altogether. The exam is likely to put you in a scenario where you need to check a suspect site or report one that you have discovered. Just remember that both of these options are available on the Tools tab. If you need to report a site, click the option on the Phishing Filter menu and a Web site will open, shown in the following illustration, where you can report it to Microsoft.
Manage Add-ons You can install add-on toolbars and browser helpers as always. However, what if you want to disable one of them later? Use the Tools menu and click Manage Add-ons |
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Enable Or Disable Add-ons. In the Manage Add-ons dialog box, shown in Figure 4-10, notice that you can select an add-on and click Disable to disable it. Also, an important feature here is the Show drop-down list. Here you can choose to view add-ons that have been used, that are currently loaded, or that run without requiring permission, as well as downloaded ActiveX controls. In other words, if the exam gives you a scenario where you need to view the add-ons that run without requiring permission, the Show menu will give you that information.
Security Zones Internet Explorer offers four different security zones, which you can access by clicking the Tools menu in Internet Explorer and clicking Internet Options. On the Security tab, you see the Internet, Local Intranet, Trusted Sites, and Restricted Sites zones, as shown in Figure 4-11. If you select a zone, you can see the current security level of the zone in the lower portion of the dialog box. FIGURE 4-10
Manage Add-ons
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FIGURE 4-11
Security zones
There are four preconfigured levels of security that you can select for each zone by simply moving the slider bar: ■ High
Using this setting, all features that are less secure are disabled. This is the safest way to use the Internet, but it provides you with the least amount of functionality. All ActiveX content is disabled along with all downloads. Additionally, there are a number of restrictions on accessing data and requesting data.
■ Medium
The medium setting does not allow the downloading of unsigned ActiveX controls, and you see the familiar prompt before downloading potentially unsafe content. Browsing is safe, yet functional under this setting, and in most cases, this is the best setting to use.
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■ Medium-Low
The Medium-Low setting will run most content without prompts, but still does not allow unsigned ActiveX controls. This setting is safe for intranet use.
■ Low
The low setting provides basic warnings and few safeguards. All active content can run. This setting is not recommended unless the site is one you completely trust.
You can configure different settings for each zone by simply selecting the zone and moving the slider bar. However, you can also custom-create the settings by clicking Custom Level. This opens the Security Settings dialog box, as shown in Figure 4-12. You can scroll through the list of settings and choose the Disable, Enable, or Prompt option for each security setting. This enables you to create a custom security setting that invokes the features that you want instead of the default options. You can use the default settings, but you can also customize each zone to meet your needs. The following sections give you some pointers for customizing each security zone.
FIGURE 4-12
Custom Level settings
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Internet and Intranet Zones The Internet zone is the place to strike a balance between functionality and security. In the same manner, the Intranet zone is typically the place you go for more functionality and less concern about security. As a general rule, the default settings that you see are best, but you can certainly customize them using the Custom Level button. If you decide to customize, keep the following points in mind: ■ For the Internet zone, keep in mind the highest security settings possible,
but maintain good usage features. Low security settings may make browsing easier, but you are asking for trouble. As you customize, keep the concept of “balance” in mind and you’ll make the best decisions. The exam will expect to balance the security needs with the usage needs. ■ The default setting for the Intranet zone is Medium-Low. You can basically
use the intranet in any way, but unsigned ActiveX controls will not be allowed. In some cases, you may even want to use the Low setting, if you are certain all of the content on your intranet is safe. If it is, then the Low setting will not prevent any active content from running.
Trusted Sites Zone If you configure security settings, some content from some Web sites may get blocked. However, what if you use a site regularly that has content that would normally not be allowed by IE. No problem, you can configure the site as a “trusted site,” and in order to do that, IE gives you a Trusted Sites zone. When a site is added to the trusted sites list, then the Low security setting is used when that site is accessed. This allows you to freely use the site without any security restrictions. To add trusted sites to your Trusted Sites zone, follow these steps: 1. On the Security tab, click the Trusted Sites zone, and then click Sites. 2. In the Trusted Sites dialog box, enter the URL of the trusted site and click Add, as you can see in Figure 4-13. Repeat this process to add other sites. Note that you can remove sites at any time by using the Remove button, and you can also require server verification (if supported by the site) for sites in the zone. However, the Require Server Verification setting will slow down the performance of the Web site noticeably and cause failure to load Web pages if certificate errors occur. Click OK when you are done.
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FIGURE 4-13
Trusted sites
Restricted Sites Zone In the same way that you can configure a trusted site, you can also configure a restricted site. Sites listed in the Restricted Sites zone are given the High security level in order to protect the computer from harmful content. You can select the Restricted Sites zone and click Sites in order to add sites to the zone that might use harmful content. Select the Restricted Sites zone, click Settings, and enter the URL that you want to restrict.
Understanding Protected Mode Protected mode is a new feature in Internet Explorer 7. Protected mode makes it more difficult for malicious software to install on your computer, including ActiveX controls and other software that modifies system settings without the user’s explicit permission. Protected mode is turned on by default in IE in the Internet, Intranet, and Restricted Sites zones. Protected mode will warn the user when a Web page tries to install or run certain software programs. This feature helps the user know what the Web site is trying to run, in the case of programs or add-ons, that might function outside of Internet Explorer and impact other settings in Windows. If you don’t want to see the warning dialog box, you can use the “Do not show me the warning for this program again” check box. However, if you want warnings in the future, you’ll need to reset Internet Explorer’s settings on the Advanced tab of Internet Options.
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Customizing Privacy Settings Privacy settings enable you to determine how cookies are handled in Internet Explorer. Cookies are small text files of data that are used with Web sites. It is important to realize from the start that cookies are not bad—in fact, many things that you love about the Internet would not work without cookies. Yet, cookies may contain personal information, and so there is always a privacy issue looming. In fact, cookies account for many different kinds of privacy invasions, including a lot of the spam you probably receive in your e-mail inbox. The good news is that you can use IE to configure how cookies should be handled, giving you the Internet functionality you want and need but also the best privacy you can get. In order to make the best attempt to protect your privacy, Internet Explorer uses a technology standard called the Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P), which enables Internet Explorer to inspect cookies, determine how they will be used, and then make a decision about how to handle them. The feature is not perfect, but it is a big step forward in handling online privacy. Here are the important concepts you should understand: ■ Compact privacy statement
A compact privacy statement tells how cookies are used on the site and the lifetime that a particular cookie is used. When you access a Web site, the compact privacy statement is contained in the HTTP header of the Web site and Internet Explorer can read the compact privacy statement when you first access the site.
■ First-party cookie
A first-party cookie is a cookie that is generated and used by the site you are currently viewing. First-party cookies contain information about you and your browser, and are commonly used to tailor site content to your needs. First-party cookies are commonly used on online store sites.
■ Third-party cookie
A third-party cookie is used by a site other than you are currently accessing, such as a banner ad or an advertisement. Third-party cookies can be a problem because you do not really know who is using them or what they will do with the personal information contained in the cookie.
■ Session cookie
A session cookie is generated during a single session with a Web site and then deleted once the session has ended. In many cases, you cannot use a Web site unless a session cookie can be generated.
■ Implicit and explicit consent
Implicit consent means that you have not blocked a site from using a cookie—in other words, you have not granted permission, but you have not denied it either. On the other hand, explicit consent means that you have acted to allow a Web site to use or gain personal information about you.
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Internet Explorer uses some default privacy settings. If you move the slider bar on the Privacy tab, you see the various levels and kinds of protection that are used. Keep in mind that the more you move the slider bar toward the secure end, the more restrictive the use of cookies becomes. Once again, you are faced with choosing a balance between security and convenience. The standard privacy setting options that are available are described in Table 4-1. The Advanced button on the Privacy tab gives you the Advanced Privacy Settings dialog box, as you can see in Figure 4-14. The Advanced Privacy setting essentially allows you override how cookies are handled for this particular zone. As you can see, you can choose accept, block, or prompt for first- and third-party cookies, and you can also always allow session cookies. For some users, the automatic cookie handling settings do not provide the right support. In this case, you can override these settings and choose how you want to handle all first- and third-party cookies at all sites, regardless of the compact privacy policy. If you choose to use automatic cookie handling, you can override the privacy settings for certain Web sites. For example, let’s say that you regularly use a site that TABLE 4-1
Privacy Setting Options
Privacy Setting
Explanation
Block All Cookies
All cookies are blocked. Web sites cannot generate any new cookies, and no existing cookies can be read.
High
No cookies that use personally identifiable information can be generated without your explicit consent. Web sites that do not have a compact privacy statement cannot generate cookies.
Medium High
First-party cookies that use personally identifiable information are blocked without your implicit consent. Cookies are blocked from third-party Web sites that do not have a compact privacy statement. Also, third-party cookies that use personally identifiable information are blocked without your explicit consent.
Medium
First-party cookies that use personally identifiable information without your implicit consent are allowed, but they are deleted when you close Internet Explorer. Thirdparty cookies that use personally identifiable information without your implicit consent are blocked, as are third-party cookies that do not have a compact privacy statement. The Medium setting is the default Internet Explorer setting.
Low
The Low setting accepts all first-party cookies. Third-party cookies are blocked from sites that do not have a compact privacy statement. However, third-party cookies that use personally identifiable information are allowed without your implicit consent, but the cookies are deleted when you close Internet Explorer.
Accept All Cookies
All new cookies are allowed, and all Web sites can read existing cookies.
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FIGURE 4-14
Advanced Privacy Settings
contains first- and third-party cookies. However, the site does not have a compact privacy policy, and your current cookie settings prohibit the use of first-party cookies on sites with no compact privacy policy. Rather than changing your entire policy, you can simply create an exception for the Web site. On the Privacy tab, click Sites. You see a Per Site Privacy Actions dialog box, shown in Figure 4-15. Simply enter the URL of the Web site and click the Block or Allow button. Web sites that you have added appear in the Managed Web Sites list, which you can edit and change at any time.
SCENARIO & SOLUTION I need to ensure that ActiveX controls on our intranet are allowed to run in Internet Explorer. What do I need to do?
By default, the Medium-Low setting is used in the Intranet zone. This essentially allows everything except ActiveX controls. If you need to allow them, change the setting to Low for the Intranet zone in Internet Options, Security tab.
What setting do I need to ensure that first-party cookies that use personally identifiable information without implicit consent are allowed, but that they are deleted when I close Internet Explorer?
Medium. The Medium cookie setting will allow cookies that use personally identifiable information without your consent, but they are deleted when you close IE.
For a particular user, I want to make sure that IE is protected against malicious code so that system files or settings cannot be changed without the user’s explicit permission. How can I do this?
Enable Protected mode on the Security tab of Internet Options. This will prevent COM objects from executing and changes to system files with permission.
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FIGURE 4-15
Per Site Privacy Actions
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 4.03
Configure and Troubleshoot Windows Aero Windows Aero is the new visual experience in Windows Vista. It’s a transparent, glassy-looking interface where the windows seem to hover over the desktop. Beyond the basic look, you also have some new features, such as Windows Flip 3D, which allows you to preview windows in a three-dimensional stack, and taskbar buttons that have live thumbnail-sized window previews. The figures and illustrations you see in this book are all taken from Windows Vista Ultimate with Aero turned on. There are a few important things you need to know about Windows Aero for the exam, and since it’s one of Vista’s new visual features, you can expect a few scenario questions where you are expected to configure it or solve problems. First things first, be sure to memorize the requirements for running Aero. Aero is an interface that makes heavy demands on hardware, so before running Aero, the PC must meet the hardware and OS requirements. The table on the following page shows the minimum requirements for running Aero; make sure you memorize this table for the exam.
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Windows Vista version
Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, Windows Vista Home Premium, and Windows Vista Ultimate
Processor
1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor
RAM
1GB
Graphics card
128MB. Aero also requires a DirectX 9–class graphics processor that supports Windows Display Driver Model, Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware, and 32 bits per pixel
Turning on Configuring Windows Aero If the computer meets the OS and hardware requirements, you can turn on Aero and configure it to your liking. Open Control Panel and open Personalization, or just right-click the desktop and click Personalize to open the Personalization dialog box, shown in Figure 4-16. FIGURE 4-16
Personalization
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Click the Window Color And Appearance option. Here, you can configure Aero as desired. Notice in Figure 4-17 that you can choose a glass color for Aero and adjust the color intensity as desired. You can even use the color mixer to personalize the glass color options. Also notice the Enable Transparency check box. To get the full effect of Aero, make sure this option is selected. If you don’t see the options here or the interface looks different, you probably have something other than Windows Aero selected. Click the “Open classic appearance properties for more color options” link, choose Windows Aero in the Color Scheme box, and click OK to see the dialog box shown in Figure 4-18. So let’s say that you want to turn on Aero and these settings still do not seem to work. There are few troubleshooting steps you should take to make sure the system is configured for Aero. Exercise 4-2 shows you what to do. FIGURE 4-17
Window Color and Appearance
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FIGURE 4-18
Classic Appearance Settings
EXERCISE 4-2 CertCam
Troubleshooting Windows Aero If Windows Vista meets the OS and hardware requirements for Windows Aero but still doesn’t seem to work, try these troubleshooting steps: 1. First, open Personalization | Window Color And Appearance and ensure that the Enable Transparency check box is selected. Click OK. 2. Open Control Panel | Personalization | Display Settings. 3. Make sure that the Colors drop-down menu, shown in the following illustration, is set to Highest (32 bit).
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4. Click Advanced Settings and click the Monitor tab. 5. Make sure the screen refresh rate is higher than 50 Hertz, as shown in the following illustration. Click OK.
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Using Windows Flip 3D Windows Vista includes a new graphical feature called Flip 3D that enables you to rotate through open folders quickly. Using this feature, you can quickly preview all open windows without having to click each one on the taskbar. Rather, with Flip 3D, your windows are displayed in a stack and you can simply flip through the stack as you would a deck of cards, as shown in Figure 4-19. Flip 3D only works when Aero is turned on, which is the first thing you should remember for the exam. To use Flip 3D, press the Windows logo key and TAB to open the feature. Then, while holding down the Windows logo key, press TAB repeatedly (or use the mouse wheel) to rotate through the cycle of currently open windows, as demonstrated in Figure 4-20. You can also use the RIGHT or DOWN arrow key to cycle forward or use the LEFT or UP arrow key to cycle backward. Simply release the Windows logo key to display the front-most window in the stack, or click any part of the window in the stack to display that window.
FIGURE 4-19
Windows Flip 3D
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FIGURE 4-20
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Flip 3D rotation
Some applications, especially custom applications, may have problems conforming to Windows Aero, and thus not work with Flip 3D.The result may be a locked-up 3D collection of folders. In
this case, the custom app is the “problem” and all you need to do is close Flip 3D and open it again, preferably without the custom app.
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FIGURE 4-21
Quick selection option
You can turn on Flip 3D so that you don’t have to hold down the Windows logo key by pressing CTRL-Windows Logo-TAB. Now you can release the keys and simply tab through your windows or use the arrow keys. If you want to quickly choose an open window, you can also press CTRL-ALT-TAB. This gives you a window option where you can view your open folders in a flat-screen format and simply tab through them to select the desired folder, as shown in Figure 4-21. All of these options simply make Windows easier to use, helping you find what you want in a hurry.
SCENARIO & SOLUTION My Windows Vista Home Basic computer does not seem to have Aero—what can I do?
Aero is only available in Windows Home Premium and higher Vista versions. You may want to consider an upgrade to Premium if your PC hardware can support it.
How can I use Flip 3D without using Aero?
Flip 3D is a Windows Vista feature that only works if Aero is enabled. You can’t use Flip 3D without Aero.
My computer meets Aero’s OS and hardware requirements. My monitor properties are set to 32-bit, but Aero doesn’t work well. What else can I check?
Make sure the monitor refresh rate is set to at least 50 MHz. Settings above 50 MHz, such as 85 MHz, are best.
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CERTIFICATION SUMMARY Internet Explorer is Microsoft’s Internet browser tool. After several years of revisions, IE 7 is now a rather secure browser that includes such security features as pop-up blocking, a phishing filter, add-on management, content and privacy configurations, and zone configuration as well. For the exam, you should especially be familiar with these security features and how to make changes to them and manage them. In addition to security, IE 7 provides a new streamlined interface that makes it easier to manage favorites and RSS feeds as well as tabbed browsing. Internet Explorer provides dynamic security features to help keep browsing safe. On the Tools menu, you have a pop-up blocker, a phishing filter, and a feature to help you manage add-ons to IE. You can also delete your browsing history directly from this menu. You can configure different security zones and manage protected mode (enabled by default) on the Security tab. Use the Privacy tab to manage cookie security—the medium setting is enabled by default. Windows Aero is the new transparent graphical interface available in Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Ultimate, and Windows Vista Enterprise. It requires 1GB of RAM, a 1 GHz processor, and a graphics card that is WDDM compatible with 128MB of graphics memory. You can configure Windows Aero through the Personalization dialog box in Control Panel. Windows Flip 3D and live taskbar icons are available only in Aero.
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✓
TWO-MINUTE DRILL Configure Internet Explorer ❑ Use tabbed browsing to view and manage several Web sites at one time. ❑ Use the Page menu to manage many different page viewing features,
including page and text magnification. ❑ Access the Tools menu for a variety of tools and security features. You can
also access Internet Options here. ❑ Use Internet Options to manage all aspects of Internet Explorer’s configuration.
Keep in mind that the Advanced tab has an option to reset the browser or at least revert the settings back to the default.
Configure Dynamic Security Settings in Internet Explorer 7 ❑ The Pop-Up Blocker allows you to block pop-ups from all Web sites except
those you allow. ❑ The phishing filter allows IE to inspect a Web site and determine if it is
legitimate. You can use the phishing filter to check a site and also report one. ❑ Manage add-ons from the Tools menu. Here you can disable add-ons and see
which add-ons are considered secure. ❑ The security levels in IE determine what Web sites are accessible. The zones
are Internet, Local Intranet, Trusted Sites, and Restricted Sites. ❑ Protected mode on the Security tab of IE prevents COM objects from
modifying files and settings on your Windows Vista computer. ❑ You can delete the entire browsing history from the Tools menu.
Configure and Troubleshoot Windows Aero ❑ The transparent visual style in Windows Vista is called Aero. Flip 3D and
live taskbar thumbnail views are only available in Aero. ❑ To use Aero, the computer OS must be Windows Vista Business, Windows
Vista Home Premium, Windows Vista Enterprise, or Windows Vista Ultimate. ❑ Aero requires 1GB of RAM and a 1 GHz processor.
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❑ The video card must be WDDM compatible with at least 128MB of graphics
memory, supporting DirectX 9 and Pixel Shader 2.0. ❑ The color depth should be set to 32 bits if the monitor supports it. ❑ The monitor refresh rate must be greater than 50 MHz. ❑ Make sure the Enable Transparency check box option is selected in order to
get the full Aero effect.
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SELF TEST The following questions will help you measure your understanding of the material presented in this chapter. Read all the choices carefully because there might be more than one correct answer. Choose all correct answers for each question.
Configure Internet Explorer 1. In your organization, a user complains that the Web pages in Internet Explorer on her Windows Vista Business computer are too small. She says that the IE interface appears normally in terms of its size, but the Web pages don’t even take up two-thirds of the screen. What do you need to do? A. Use the Reset option on the Advanced tab of Internet Options. B. Use the Restore Advanced Settings option on the Advanced tab of Internet Options. C. Use the Page menu to change the magnification setting to 100%. D. Turn off the phishing filter. 2. A user in your company has changed a number of settings on the Internet Explorer Advanced properties page. Now, the browser is not working the way he needs it to. You need to quickly fix these problems in the browser. What do you need to do? A. Change the user’s account to a standard account. B. Open the Group Policy MMC and configure a group policy that prohibits the user from making changes to IE. C. Click the Restore Advanced Settings option on the Advanced tab of Internet Options. D. Click the Reset option on the Advanced tab of Internet Options. 3. You have four tabs open in IE. You want to ensure that the browser opens next time with these four tabs open. What do you need to do? A. Access the General tab and click Restore All Tabs. B. Access the Advanced tab and click Restore All Tabs. C. Close IE and you’ll receive a dialog box asking if you want to restore the tabs when IE opens the next time. D. Tabs cannot be restored after closing IE. 4. You want to change the default Search option in IE to a different search site. How can you do this? A. General tab, Internet Options B. Content tab, Internet Options C. Security tab, Internet Options D. Advanced tab, Internet Options
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Configure Dynamic Security Settings in Internet Explorer 7 5. Your company works with another company’s Web site. Users in your network are complaining that Internet Explorer 7 is blocking important pop-ups from this site. You verify that they are accessing the correct Web site. How can you stop the Pop-Up Blocker from blocking pop-ups from this site? A. Access the Pop-Up Blocker settings dialog box and enter the Web site as an exception. B. Disable the Pop-Up Blocker. C. Change the security zone for the Internet to Low. D. Create an exception for the Pop-Up Blocker on the Advanced tab of Internet Options. 6. You suspect a certain Web site of being a phishing site. How can you report this suspected site to Microsoft? A. Page menu B. General tab of Internet options C. Tools menu D. Advanced tab of Internet options 7. You want delete all browsing history on a Windows Vista computer as quickly as possible. What is the fastest way to do this? A. Click Tools | Delete Browsing History. B. Click Page | Delete Browsing History. C. Change the Security zone to Low. D. Access the General tab of Internet Options and delete the history. 8. How can you determine if Internet Explorer is actively preventing the installation of COM objects from the Internet? A. Check the firewall report. B. Make sure the phishing filter is turned on. C. Make sure the Internet zone is set to Medium. D. Ensure that Protected mode is on. 9. You installed an IE add-on on your Windows Vista Home Premium PC. Now, the add-on is causing problems. What do you need to do? A. Reset IE on the Advanced tab of Internet Options. B. Use the Programs applet in Control Panel to uninstall the add-on. C. Use the Manage Add-ons dialog box to disable the add-on. D. Drag the add-on from the IE interface to the Recycle Bin.
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10. Consider the following dialog box:
You need to determine what add-ons have been installed that will run without requiring permission. How can you find this information? A. Select an add-on and click Disable. B. Double-click the add-on in the list to see a properties report. C. Select the desired option from the Show menu. D. You cannot determine this information from this dialog box. 11. What IE security zone will run most content without prompts but still does not allow unsigned ActiveX controls? A. High B. Medium C. Medium-Low D. Low
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12. What IE security zone disables all downloads? A. High B. Medium C. Medium-Low D. Low 13. Which standard privacy setting would block all first-party cookies that use personally identifiable information without your implicit consent? A. High B. Medium-High C. Medium D. Low
Configure and Troubleshoot Windows Aero 14. Which operating system does not support Windows Aero? A. Windows Vista Home Basic B. Windows Vista Home Premium C. Windows Vista Business D. Windows Vista Ultimate 15. Which item in the list does not meet Windows Aero’s minimum hardware and operating system requirements? A. 1 GHz processor B. 512MB RAM C. 128MB graphics memory D. Windows Vista Ultimate operating system 16. A user reports that her Windows Vista Business computer meets the hardware requirements to run Aero, but it still will not run. What are two other requirements that she should check? (Choose two.) A. 32-bit monitor support B. 80GB hard drive C. Internet Explorer 7 D. A monitor refresh rate greater than 50 MHz
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17. You’re using Windows Aero. You would like to manually adjust the color of the Aero interface you chose. How can you manually adjust the color? A. Access Display properties and adjust the color settings. B. Use the Classic Appearance option on the Window Color And Appearance dialog box. C. Use the Color Mixer option on the Window Color And Appearance dialog box. D. Aero colors cannot be manually adjusted. 18. Your company uses a custom application. You have noticed that Flip 3D often stops working when this application is open. What do you need to do? A. Turn off Aero. B. Start the application in Safe mode. C. Disable the Enable Transparency option in Aero. D. Close and restart Flip 3D.
LAB QUESTION You are an IT professional for medium-sized financial services group. You just installed Windows Vista Ultimate on four computers using a clean install. You need to configure Internet Explorer 7 to meet these requirements: ■
All pop-ups should be blocked except from www.comp1tx.net.
■
The phishing filter should be turned on.
■
Browsing history should be deleted every time IE is started.
■
Internet zone cookies that do not have a compact privacy policy should be blocked.
How can you configure these options?
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SELF TEST ANSWERS Configure Internet Explorer ✓ C. Use the Page menu and simply change the magnification settings for the page. 1. ® ® ˚ A and B are both incorrect because these actions will reset either the entire browser or the advanced options. While resetting the browser may resolve the problem, it is a drastic action that is not necessary. D is incorrect as well because the phishing filter will not affect the magnification level. ✓ C. The only action you need to take in this scenario is to restore the advanced settings. 2. ® This will fix the problems and requires only one mouse click. ® ˚ A and B are both incorrect because these changes will not fix the problem at hand. Remember that the answer that completes the problem or scenario is always the best answer. D is also incorrect because the Reset button will change all settings in IE to the default, which is not what you want in this case. ✓ C. If you have tabs in use and want to restore them when you open IE, simply close IE and 3. ® a dialog box will appear asking what action you want to take with the tabs. ® ˚ A and B are both incorrect because you cannot configure this option on the General and Advanced tabs. D is incorrect, since keeping the tabs is an available option. ✓ A. There is a Search section on the General tab where you can change the default 4. ® search site. ® ˚ B, C, and D are all incorrect because you cannot change the Search site option on these tabs.
Configure Dynamic Security Settings in Internet Explorer 7 ✓ A. In this scenario, you only want to allow pop-ups from a particular site. Therefore, all you 5. ® need to do is access the Pop-Up Blocker’s settings dialog box and create an exception. ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect because none of these settings will deliver the desired outcome. ✓ B. Access the Phishing Filter submenu from the Tools menu to report a suspected phishing 6. ® site to Microsoft. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because none of these options enable you to report a suspected phishing site. ✓ A is correct. The fastest way to delete the history is via the Tools menu. 7. ® ® ˚ B and C are incorrect because you cannot delete history this way. D is incorrect because this is not the fastest way to delete the browsing history.
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✓ D. Protected mode stops the installation of COM objects and other software from Web sites 8. ® without the user’s explicit permission. You can ensure that it is running on the Security tab of Internet options. ® ˚ A and B are incorrect because the firewall report or phishing filter will not give you this information. C is also incorrect because you would not want to set the Internet zone to medium—this would create more potential security problems. ✓ C. Use the Manage Add-ons interface from the Tools menu to disable the add-on. 9. ® ® ˚ A is incorrect because you do not need to take the drastic action of resetting IE for this problem. B and D are also incorrect because these actions will not remove the add-on. ✓ C. Use the Show menu and choose the option to see which add-ons run without requiring 10. ® permission. ® ˚ A and B are incorrect because you cannot determine the information by disabling or double-clicking an add-on. D is incorrect because you can gain the desired information from this dialog box. ✓ C. The Medium-Low setting will run most content without prompts but still not allow 11. ® unsigned ActiveX controls. ® ˚ A, B, and D are incorrect because none of these settings meet the desired security criteria. ✓ A. The High setting disables all downloads as well as all ActiveX controls. 12. ® ® ˚ B, C, and D are all incorrect because these settings do not disable downloads. ✓ B. The Medium-High setting blocks all first-party cookies that use personally identifiable 13. ® information without your implicit consent. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because these settings will not provide the desired security setting.
Configure and Troubleshoot Windows Aero ✓ A. Aero is not included as an option in Windows Vista Home Basic. 14. ® ® ˚ B, C, and D are all incorrect because these versions of Windows Vista all support Aero. ✓ B. Aero requires 1GB of RAM. 15. ® ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because these items all meet the hardware and operating system requirements to run Aero. ✓ A and D. Even if the computer meets the minimum hardware requirements, you may still 16. ® experience problems with Aero if your monitor is not set to 32 bits and the monitor refresh rate is not higher than 50 MHz. ® ˚ B and C are incorrect because these answers are not requirements of Aero.
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✓ C. You can select an Aero color on the Window Color And Appearance dialog box. Just 17. ® below the color selector, you can also click Color Mixer to adjust the color. ® ˚ A and B are incorrect because you cannot adjust the color options in Aero in these ways. D is also incorrect, since you can adjust the color using the Color Mixer. ✓ D. Some custom applications may have problems working with Aero features, including 18. ® Flip 3D. If this occurs, simply close Flip 3D and restart it. ® ˚ A is incorrect because if you turn off Aero, Flip 3D will not work. B is also incorrect because Safe mode will not resolve the problem. C is incorrect because disabling the Enable Transparency check box will not resolve the Flip 3D problem.
LAB ANSWER You can configure the requirements of this scenario in Internet Explorer: ■
All pop-ups should be blocked except from www.comp1tx.net. Click the Tools menu and open the pop-up settings. Enter the URL as an exception and click Done. All other pop-ups are blocked by default.
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The phishing filter should be turned on. The phishing filter is automatically turned on in IE 7, so there is nothing you need to configure here.
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Browsing history should be deleted every time IE is started. Click Tools | Internet Options. On the General tab, click the Settings button under Browsing History and choose the “Every time I start Internet Explorer” radio button, shown in the following illustration. Click OK.
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Internet zone cookies that do not have a compact privacy policy should be blocked. Open Internet Options and click the Privacy tab. Change the slider bar setting to Medium-High.
5 Configure Windows Defender and Windows Firewall CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVES 5.01
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5.02
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S
ecurity is a never-ending issue in the IT world. As computers and networking have become more complex over the years, so have the potential threats and problems. In today’s business world, Internet connectivity is virtually a must and even the smallest offices now have a local network where computers are left running 24×7 with an “always on” Internet connection. In short, we are much more available to be located, identified, and attacked by Internet threats. As such, the potential security threats both on the local network and especially from the Internet require serious consideration for any computer user or IT professional. In Windows Vista, Microsoft provides two important tools that help combat these threats: Windows Defender and Windows Firewall. Windows Defender is a software program designed to identify and remove spyware, while Windows Firewall is a software solution designed to identify and stop unauthorized access to the local computer, especially from the Internet. Both of these tools can greatly reduce potential security problems in Windows Vista. From an exam point of view, Microsoft considers these two tools to be an extremely important part of the security solution at the local level. You can expect the exam to ask you specific questions about their use and configuration and place you in situations where the appropriate configuration of these tools can help solve a problem. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to use these tools and configure them.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 5.01
Configure Windows Defender Spyware is generally defined as software that can display advertisements such as pop-up ads, collection information about the user, and change system settings without the user’s permission. It has become an ever-growing problem on the Internet. Any time a user accesses the Internet, downloads information, and even installs programs from a CD, DVD, or any removable media, spyware can try to install itself without the user’s knowledge on any computer operating system. Therefore, the use of an antispyware program has become a must in today’s computing world. Windows Vista includes its own anti-spyware program called Windows Defender. First available as a downloadable product for Windows XP, Windows Defender has matured over the past couple of years to a full anti-spyware program that is simple and straightforward. In most cases, users do not have to do anything with Windows Defender—it simply runs in the background, constantly watching for potential
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spyware attacks. You can make sure that it is running because of the icon that appears in the Notification Area. As with antivirus software, Windows Defender works by keeping up-todate definitions that help Windows Defender know when a piece of software is potentially spyware or at least unwanted software. The definitions are everchanging as the threats change, and Windows Defender automatically downloads the definitions through Windows Update. Once again, a typical user never has to interact with this process. Windows Defender can run regular scans of the computer in search of potential spyware, but it also provides real-time protection in that Windows Defender can alert you when spyware or potentially unwanted software attempts to install itself. In the following sections, you’ll learn how to configure Windows Defender and prepare yourself for related exam questions.
INSIDE THE EXAM Tell-Tale Signs of Spyware The Windows Vista exam is more likely to give you a scenario than ask you a direct question. The scenario will typically give you a problem with symptoms or issues, and you’ll need to figure out what to do in order to solve the problem. As such, you need to know the typical symptoms and clues a computer will give you if it is infected with spyware. Be sure to keep these symptoms in mind for the exam: ■
You notice new toolbars, links, favorites, or even buttons in Internet Explorer that you did not put there.
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You type a Web site address in your browser, but you end up at another Web site you didn’t want instead.
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Your home page in your browser changes to a different home page.
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You see pop-up ads appear, even when you’re not using the Internet.
Your computer starts to run much more slowly than normal. Spyware can come from any kind of software installation or download, but it most commonly gets on the computer by installing so-called “Free” software from the Internet, such as file-sharing software, screen savers, and utilities, or by adding new search toolbars to your browser. Spyware problems can range from inconvenience to someone being able to take over your PC and use for it malicious or even illegal purposes. It is a serious problem that must be managed!
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Windows Defender is located in the Windows Security Center, which you can find in Control Panel. Click Windows Defender in the left column of the Security Center and Windows Defender will open. As you can see in Figure 5-1, Windows Defender has a basic interface that is rather easy to navigate. In the following sections, you’ll see how to configure and use Windows Defender.
Running a Scan Windows Defender is always at work, but you can run a scan manually by clicking the Scan button (see Figure 5-2). You can also click the drop-down menu next to Scan in order to run a quick scan, a full computer scan, or a scan of selected drives and folders. You can also check the History and see when the last scans were run and what spyware threats Defender has encountered. You need to know which scan option you should choose under different circumstances for the exam. Check out the scan types and commit them to memory. FIGURE 5-1
Windows Defender
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FIGURE 5-2
Click Scan to run a complete scan
Quick Scan The Quick Scan option scans several different locations on your computer where spyware is most likely to reside. It doesn’t check every nook and cranny of the computer, but it is the most effective and fastest way to check the areas of your computer where spyware is likely to end up. So, if an exam question wants to know how to scan the most likely places on your PC for spyware, the Quick Scan feature is your answer.
Full Scan The Full Scan option scans the entire computer. You should use this option only when you want to scan every directory and every drive. While it checks everything, it is slow, so this is not the option you want when you need a faster scan that checks likely places for spyware. In that case, use the Quick Scan.
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Custom Scan If you want to scan particular directories or particular drives, then you should use the Custom Scan option. The Custom Scan feature scans only directories or drives that you specify, so in cases where a particular drive or directory is suspect, choose this option.
When potential spyware is encountered, you have four options that you need to keep in mind for the exam. You can choose to Ignore the software. In this case, nothing is done and Windows Defender will flag it again the next time it runs. You can remove it from the computer, you can place it in quarantine, which is a holding area (and explained in more detail later in this chapter), or you can Allow it. If you choose to allow the software, it will be placed in the
Allowed Items list and Windows Defender will not flag it again as long as it stays on that list. So, let’s say that your company uses a custom application. Windows Defender identifies it as potential spyware. You want to make sure that this action doesn’t happen again.The solution is to use the Always Allow option, not the Ignore option. This way, the software will never be flagged again when scans are run. Don’t get these two features confused on the exam.
Configuring Options If you click the Tools option, shown in Figure 5-3, you can choose from a few important features. The exam is most likely to focus on the use of these features as well as the configuration options, so make sure you get some hands-on practice! The following sections outline these options.
Standard Options The Options button enables you to configure several standard options and features that are self-explanatory for the most part, as shown in Figure 5-4. You can schedule when a scan should occur (a daily scan is recommended). You can also determine what the default actions should be for each kind of alert level. You can choose to use or not use real-time protection (you are recommended to leave this setting enabled), and you can choose to scan certain archived files and folders for potential threats. Finally, you also have some administrator options that enable Windows Defender and allow users that do not have administrator privileges to run a scan and manage any spyware found. You can make any desired changes and click the Save button.
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FIGURE 5-3
Tools and Settings
There are a couple of potential exam issues you should keep in mind on this interface. The first concerns automatic scanning and the default actions that are taken during an automatic scan. As you can see, Automatic scanning is the recommended setting, along with a daily frequency and default actions for high, medium, and low alert items. The Default action settings are definition-based, and in most circumstances, you should use the default settings. You should also select a time when the computer is running (otherwise, the scan will not run) and choose a time when you are not too active on the computer because you will notice a performance hit as the scan takes place. However, let’s say that you want to scan your computer each time without running any default actions. In other words, you want Windows Defender to prompt you for an action. In this case, you can continue to use the automatic scanning feature, but you need to clear the “Apply default actions to items detected during a scan” check box. This action will enable you to choose what you want to do with scanning results.
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FIGURE 5-4
Options
Real-Time Protection Another potential exam issue you find within Options is Windows Defender’s realtime protection. If you scroll down the Options page, you’ll see a real-time protection category, shown in Figure 5-5. Real-time protection alerts you when spyware and other potentially harmful software attempt to install itself on your computer. This real-time protection helps catch spyware programs as they attempt to install rather than waiting for the next Windows Defender scan. Real-time protection works through the use of Monitoring Agents. Monitoring Agents are different categories or options of protection monitoring, such as Auto Start, Internet Explorer Add-ons, and Services and Drivers. As you can see on the Options page, these features are all selected so that you have complete real-time protection. Agents are active during file copy, during download, when you launch apps (directly or by extension association), and during browsing when Web sites run mobile code.
Configure Windows Defender
A common exam question you may run into on the exam involves the monitoring of security-related settings in Windows. For example, let’s say that you want to make sure that real-time protection monitors hardwareor security-related settings in Windows so that unwanted software cannot change these settings. In this case, you simply want to ensure that the System
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Configuration setting on the Options page is enabled, since this monitoring agent handles security-related settings in Windows. This option is typically enabled anyway, but this is one of those questions that can throw you off track. Just remember that there are several monitoring agents, but the System Configuration agent is the one that deals with security-related settings in Windows.
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Administrator Options Finally, keep in mind the Administrator options at the bottom of the options dialog, shown in Figure 5-6. Here, you can enable Windows Defender for all users (which is enabled by default), and you can also allow or deny access to Windows Defender by all users. In other words, if you disable this option, users who do not have administrator rights will not be able to scan the computer or choose any actions to take with unwanted software.
Microsoft Spynet If you return to the Tools page and click the Microsoft Spynet option, you see a simple interface that gives you the option to join this online community. When you join Spynet, Windows Defender sends basic information to Microsoft about spyware that it detects on your computer. This information is then added to the community,
FIGURE 5-6
Administrator options
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where it can help others identify the same potential threat. The Join Microsoft Spynet page gives you a review of the differences between basic and advanced membership options, so I won’t review those here. However, what you do need to know regarding the exam is that Microsoft Spynet is the only way you can send information from your computer about spyware that is found to Microsoft.
Working with Quarantined Items When Defender stops a program from installing or running, it is placed in quarantine, which is basically a holding area where it cannot install or run on your computer. If you click Quarantined Items in the Tools section, you can see what software is being held here. At this point, you can remove the desired items or even restore quarantined items that shouldn’t be there. From an exam point of view, just keep in mind how quarantined items work. For example, if an exam question says that you want to make sure that any spyware programs detected are put in a place where they cannot run or install, the answer is, of course, quarantine. On the other end of the spectrum, let’s say that Windows Defender identifies a custom piece of software as a potential threat and is placed in quarantine. You can take the item out of quarantine by simply restoring it from Quarantined Items. If you remove an item from quarantine, however, the software is removed from the computer, so keep the difference between removing an item and restoring an item straight in your mind.
Software Explorer The Software Explorer, shown in Figure 5-7, is a helpful feature that enables you to examine every piece of software that is running on your computer at the moment. Simply scroll through the list, select a software item, and you can see details about it in the right information pane. You can remove software by clicking the Remove button or stop it from running by clicking Disable. One of the most helpful features of the Software Explorer is the Startup Programs option. Use the Category menu and choose Startup Programs. Here, you can see all programs that start when Windows starts, which you can also disable or remove. If your PC is acting suspicious and you want to see what programs are running at start-up that you may not be aware of, then the Software Explorer is the place you should look. This can be done to increase performance as well as identify malicious software. You can also check out www.processlibrary.com to identify and qualify any unrecognized processes and DLLs that are active on the system.
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FIGURE 5-7
Software Explorer
Allowed Items and Windows Defender Web Site If you click Allowed Items in Tools, you can see what software items Windows Defender has allowed installation. There isn’t anything you can do here except view the items on the list. However, if you want Windows Defender to begin monitoring the item again, simply select it and click Remove From List. You can also click the Windows Defender Web Site option to get the latest tools and security information.
EXERCISE 5-1 Configuring Windows Defender In this exercise we are going to use the features and options we have explored in order to use Windows Defender for a specific task. Let’s say that you are an IT
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professional working for a small advertising agency. You are concerned about a particular Windows Vista computer. You believe it may be infected with spyware. You want to run a quick scan of the computer, but you want to control what Windows Defender does with any potentially harmful spyware that it locates. You can solve this problem by following these steps: 1. Open the Security Center in Control Panel. 2. Click the Windows Defender option in the right pane. 3. In Windows Defender, first click History and review the results of the last scan. This will tell you if anything was previously found and if anything has been placed in quarantine. 4. Click Tools, and then click Options. 5. In the Options dialog box, clear the “Apply default actions to items detected during a scan” check box option. 6. Now run a scan. Since you have Automatic Scanning enabled, Windows Defender will run a basic scan, but it will now prompt you to take actions regarding any spyware that is found instead of performing the default actions.
SCENARIO & SOLUTION How do I take a piece of software out of quarantine so that it can be used?
Quarantine holds software in a location within Windows where it cannot run or install. If you want to take a piece of software out of quarantine, access the quarantined items in Tools within Windows Defender, select the software in the list, and click the Restore button.
I have a custom application that Windows Defender keeps flagging as spyware. How can I stop this behavior in Windows Defender?
Should Windows Defender identify a software program that is safe, you can add it to the Allowed Items list. Future scans will not identify the software as a potential threat as long as the software stays in Allowed Items.
What is the best way to view and manage programs that start when Windows Vista starts?
One of the great features of Windows Defender is the Software Explorer. You can use the Software Explorer feature to view all programs that start when Windows Vista starts, and you can even disable them from the Software Explorer interface.
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CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 5.02
Configure Security Settings in Windows Firewall Firewalls use various kinds of protocol tactics to check traffic as it flows in and out of the network. Based on rules configured by system administrators, certain kinds of traffic are allowed or not allowed, and some kinds of traffic can even be seen as threatening. In short, the firewall acts as a traffic cop who makes certain no one gets inside the private network. Firewalls are nothing new. They have been around for years, and most large, private networks today use some kind of firewall technology (and they spend thousands of dollars on it each year). As with previous versions of Windows, Windows Vista includes a new iteration of Windows Firewall to help protect your computer from malicious people when you’re on the Internet, and even on a network at work and home. You can think of the firewall found in Windows Vista as a personal firewall. The next question that may come to mind concerns the need for a firewall. After all, as a home user, you may have been connecting to the Internet for years without a firewall on your computer. Why do you need one now? Any time you are using the Internet, your computer is open to potential attacks. With a dial-up connection, the attacks are limited because you aren’t connected to the Internet all the time. However, with the explosive growth of broadband connections (such as DSL and cable), the need for a firewall becomes important, because these computers are always connected to the Internet, and therefore, they’re always exposed to danger. For this reason, Windows Firewall is included with Windows Vista and a part of the Security Center. Windows Firewall is a software solution in Windows Vista. A software solution means Windows Firewall uses code built into the Windows Vista OS to monitor and manage Internet and local network traffic. Windows Firewall is considered a stateful firewall, which means Windows Firewall works with your Internet connection and/or local area network (LAN) connection to examine traffic as it passes through the firewall, both to and from your computer/network. Because Windows Firewall is stateful, it examines traffic in terms of its live use. If something not allowed attempts to enter the firewall, Windows Firewall steps in and blocks the traffic from entering. Basically, no disallowed traffic ever passes the firewall. To use stateful inspection, Windows Firewall examines the destination of every piece of traffic coming from your computer or computers on your network.
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Whenever something is sent to the Internet (such as a URL request) or even a local request on your local network, Windows Firewall keeps a routing table to track your requests. When data comes to the firewall inbound, Windows Firewall inspects it to see if it matches with requests found in the state table. If so, it’s passed on to your computer or the requesting computer on your network. If it is an unsolicited inbound frame, it’s blocked from entering the firewall. The end result is this: any traffic you want from the Internet or your LAN can enter the firewall, and anything you haven’t requested is blocked. Windows Firewall is enabled by default when you install Windows Vista. You make sure it’s turned on and access additional Firewall settings by opening the Security Center, found in Control Panel. When you open the Security Center, you can click on Firewall and see Windows is actively defending your computer, as shown in Figure 5-8. FIGURE 5-8
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Configuring Windows Firewall Settings The default Firewall settings are typically all a user needs, but in some cases, you may need to change the normal way Windows Firewall works or even some advanced options to enable certain programs to work to reach a certain configuration goal. Naturally, the exam will expect you to be able to configure Windows Firewall to meet a number of different needs. In the Security Center, click Windows Firewall in the left pane, and then on the Windows Firewall page, click the Change Settings link. This takes you to the Windows Firewall property pages. Use the following sections to explore the options you find.
General Tab The first tab you see is the General tab, shown in Figure 5-9. All you can do here is either turn the firewall On or Off or Block All Incoming Connections. This setting should be used when you’re connected to public networks, such as those found in airports, coffee shops, and such. When you use this setting, you can still surf most Web
FIGURE 5-9
General tab
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sites, send and receive e-mail, and send and receive instant messages, but everything else is essentially blocked. This feature blocks any and all programs coming from the network, which is an additional security feature. Otherwise, you can leave this check box alone. In terms of firewall use, you should always leave the firewall enabled. Only disable the firewall if you’re using a third-party firewall solution instead.
The Block All Incoming Connections option is a new feature designed to make Windows Firewall secure, but easy to use. Let’s say you are traveling with your laptop computer. You want to use a hotspot in an airport to check your e-mail. Before connecting, click the Block check box. When you use this option, all
exceptions are ignored and every incoming connection is blocked. However, you can still surf most Web pages, send and receive e-mail, and send and receive instant messages. So, if you face an exam question that gives you a similar scenario, the Block check box feature is the one to use when you are connecting to less secure networks.
Exceptions Tab If you open the Exceptions tab of the Windows Firewall dialog box, shown in Figure 5-10, you see settings that govern how Windows Firewall works and what kinds of applications and services it allows. Again, you typically don’t need to configure anything here if you’re simply using the Internet and accessing Internet mail. However, if you’re using certain applications or providing certain types of content to the Internet, you may need to configure some of these settings. The Exceptions tab provides a list of programs and services running on your computer or network that you are allowing Internet or network users to access. Essentially, the settings here either block or allow inbound traffic. For example, let’s say you want to use Remote Assistance on your Windows Vista computer. If Windows Firewall is in use, you need to check the Remote Assistance check box, so that a Remote Assistance expert can contact you. Selecting a check box unblocks the program. When you click this check box and then click OK, Windows Firewall reconfigures itself to allow certain kinds of content to pass through the firewall to meet these needs. Or, for example, let’s say you want to use Remote Desktop with someone on the Internet. By default, Windows Firewall won’t allow this kind of communication, but if you enable it here, Windows Firewall understands Remote Desktop should be allowed.
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FIGURE 5-10
Exceptions tab
Customizing Exceptions However, you can customize the exceptions by adding a program to unblock or adding a port to unblock. For example, let’s say you have some application installed that uses the Internet in some way, but this application doesn’t seem to work. You click the Add Program button and Browse your computer to locate the program, and then click OK. Furthermore, you can be even more specific by clicking the Add Program button, locating and selecting the program in the Browse list, and then clicking the Change Scope button. Here, you can specify that any computer (including those on the Internet) can access the program, or you can limit it to your local network or even local computers on your network if you like, as shown in Figure 5-11. If you have a program that needs a particular port number open, you can click the Add Port button, give the exception name, and enter the port number. Certain programs use TCP or UDP ports on the network to communicate. Consult your program’s documentation to determine if this is something you need to do. However, be wary of opening ports. Ports are not program-specific, so any application that can use a certain TCP or UDP port that you open will be able to get through the firewall.
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FIGURE 5-11
Change Scope
Be wary of exam questions that recommend opening ports for communication—there is often a more secure way by allowing certain program rather than ports.
If you take a look at the Exceptions tab, you’ll see that a number of exceptions are enabled by default, such as Messenger, Network Discovery, Remote Assistance, and such. Depending on your computer’s networking configuration, File and Printer Sharing may also be enabled. Naturally, the exam will give you some scenarios and ask you what you need to do to enable certain programs
and services to work. Two important exceptions to keep in mind: ■
If you need to allow Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs), enable the Remote Administration exception.
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If you need to allow Remote Desktop connections, you’ll need to enable the exception as well.
Advanced Tab If you click the Advanced tab, you can see which network connections Windows Firewall is protecting, as Figure 5-12 shows. If you want to allow more or less connections, select or deselect the check boxes as necessary. Remember, however, every network connection on your computer should be protected by the firewall.
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FIGURE 5-12
Advanced tab
Configuring Windows Firewall Advanced Settings If you have used Windows Firewall’s previous versions, you may wonder where some additional features, such as ICMP settings and logging settings, are located. In Windows Vista, there is yet another interface you use to configure Windows Firewall Advanced Settings. Open Administrative Tools in Control Panel and then open Windows Firewall with Advanced Security. The Advanced Security interface, shown in Figure 5-13, allows you to configure both Inbound and Outbound rules, which you’ll need to do in order to complete some security requirements. As you can see, standard inbound and outbound rules are already enabled, but you can use this MMC to configure specific rules to meet specific needs. You must be logged in as an Administrator to make any changes to the Advanced Security features. First things first, you can click the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security option in the left tree pane to see an overview of your settings, shown in Figure 5-14.
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FIGURE 5-13
Windows Firewall with Advanced Security
Notice that you have a domain profile, a private profile, and a public profile. Click the Windows Firewall Properties link in the center pane under the three profiles. This opens the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security on Local Computer properties dialog box. Notice that on the Domain Profile, Private Profile, and Public Profile tabs, you can examine the current firewall state, configure settings, and turn on and configure logging for that profile, shown in Figure 5-14.
The Domain Profile le domain profi determines the firewall’s settings when you you are connected to Windows domain connected to Windows domain network. network. Theprofi Private Profile determines the The private le determines the firewall’s fi rewall’swhen settings you are connected settings youwhen are connected to a to a private network location, andpublic the private network location, and the Public le determines the settings when profile Profi determines the settings when you
you are connected a public network are connected to a to public network location. location. Let’s say you have a user on your Let’s say you have a user on your network network who hercomputer’s laptop computer’s who needs herneeds laptop firewall fi rewall confi gured differently for a network confi gured differently for a private private than theshe public network than thenetwork public network accesses. You she accesses. You can use these tabs to can use these tabs to configure different confi gure for the profiles. settings fordifferent the profisettings les.
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FIGURE 5-14
Profile tab options
Enabling a Rule To enable a rule, select the Inbound or Outbound category, locate the rule, and double-click it. For example, let’s say that you want to allow Media Center Extenders so that Xbox can connect with your Windows Vista computer. Under Inbound rules, locate the Media Center Extenders option for the desired profile (domain, public, or private). On the General tab of the Properties dialog box that appears, shown in Figure 5-15, click the Enabled check box and click OK.
Creating a Rule In some cases, you’ll need to create new rules that enable specific programs, ports, predefined options, or custom options. These settings are often necessary for custom applications and processes, or for ICMP settings. Keep in mind that ICMP commands such as Ping can be used in several Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, such as the Ping of Death and Smurf. It is disabled by default for this reason, so only enable it if you really need it. Exercise 5-2 shows you how to enable the Ping command (ICMP), which is not allowed by default in Windows Firewall.
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FIGURE 5-15
Rule properties dialog box
EXERCISE 5-2 Enabling the Ping Command in Windows Firewall ICMP is made up of several commands that network administrators often use to test network connectivity and conditions between computers. The Ping command, which is a simple test you can run to determine if one computer can connect to another, is the most common. However, ICMP settings are disabled by default in Windows Firewall, so you’ll need to enable the options you want using the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security MMC. The following steps show you how. 1. Log on to Windows Vista with an Administrator account. 2. Open Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Windows Firewall with Advanced Security. 3. In the left console pane, select Inbound Rules. 4. In the Actions pane, click New Rule. 5. In the Rule Type dialog box, click the Custom option and click Next. 6. Click the All Programs button and click Next.
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7. On the Protocols and Ports window, shown in Figure 5-16, for Protocol Type, select ICMPv4. Click the Custom button for Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) Settings. 8. On the Customize ICMP Settings dialog box, you can enable all ICMP types, or specific types. If you only want to allow incoming pings to your computer, click specific ICMP types and choose Echo Request and click OK, as shown in Figure 5-17. 9. Click Next. 10. Under Scope, click Next. 11. On the Action page, choose Allow The Connection and click Next. 12. On the Profile page, choose if you want to allow ping for the domain, private network, or public network (or any combination of the three), and click Next. 13. Name the rule, such as “ping command,” and click Finish. You’ll now see the rule in your Inbound Rules category.
FIGURE 5-16
Choose ICMPv4 and click Customize
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FIGURE 5-17
Enable Echo Request
SCENARIO & SOLUTION I need to log all firewall activity from the Internet to a user’s Windows Vista computer. How can I configure that?
You’ll need to enable logging on the Public profile option of Windows Firewall Properties within the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security MMC.
I have a user that travels with a laptop and often connects at hotspots in public areas, such as hotels and airports. How will I enable the user to access the Internet but provide the best security?
On the Windows Firewall settings, General tab, choose the Block options. This feature overrides all exceptions and blocks all traffic. The user will still be able to send and receive e-mail, view most Web pages, and send and receive instant messages.
I enabled the ping command on a Windows Vista computer as an inbound rule, but now I want to stop using it. What do I do?
Open Windows Firewall with Advanced Security, click Inbound Rules, locate the rule you made, and double-click it. On the General tab, clear the Enabled check box and click OK.
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CERTIFICATION SUMMARY In this chapter, we explored two very important tools in Windows Vista’s arsenal of security features, Windows Defender and Windows Firewall. You can expect to face exam questions about these tools because Microsoft expects you, as an IT professional, to have a working knowledge of these tools needed for custom configurations and problem solving. Windows Defender is a built-in spyware and malware tool. Windows Defender is configured to perform automatic scans of the Windows Vista computer and identify potential software threats. These software threats can then be quarantined or deleted from the system. Keep in mind that you can access Tools and Options to configure several important configuration options, including the default behavior that scans take regarding potential threats, real-time protection, and administrative rights in terms of the use of Windows Defender. Additionally, you can use Windows Defender to manage quarantined items, you can add software to an allowed list, and you can join Microsoft Spynet, which sends information about the spyware your computer encounters to Microsoft. Keep in mind that the Software Explorer is an excellent tool to manage startup programs on your PC. Windows Firewall is designed to stop unauthorized traffic from the Internet or local network. You can enable, disable, or block traffic using the General tab of Windows Firewall properties. You can also enable and disable basic exceptions for programs, protocols, and ports. For more advanced options, open the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security MMC from Administrative tools in Control Panel. Here, you can manage profiles (domain, local, public) and you can enable inbound and outbound rules as well as create new rules. Keep in mind that logging and ICMP settings must be configured in the Advanced Security MMC.
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TWO-MINUTE DRILL Configure Windows Defender ❑ Run a Quick Scan to check your computer for the most likely places spyware
may be hiding. ❑ Run a custom scan to check certain directories or drives on your PC. ❑ You can configure Options by accessing the Tools feature. Here, you can
choose whether or not to use automatic scanning and whether default actions are carried out for risky software. Your computer must be turned on for the scheduled scan to run. ❑ Real-time protection is enabled by default so that software that attempts
to install is checked by Windows Defender. You can manage real-time protection settings within Options. ❑ You can take items out of quarantine so that they can be used by accessing
the quarantined items within Tools and using the Restore button. ❑ Use the Software Explorer to review programs that start when Windows Vista
starts. You can also disable these programs from within Windows Defender and view what processes are currently running that might be causing poor performance. ❑ If Windows Defender identifies a custom application as spyware, you can add
it to the allowed list so that Windows Defender does not identify the software as a potential threat.
Configure Security Settings in Windows Firewall ❑ Windows Firewall protects Windows Vista by blocking unsolicited inbound
traffic. ❑ Windows Firewall can effectively block unsolicited inbound traffic from the
Internet, or even a local area network connection. ❑ Use the Block All Programs feature on the General tab of Windows Firewall
Advanced Properties to block all program access to the computer. This setting is ideal when you are connecting to an unsecured network or public area. With this setting, you can still send and receive e-mail, read most Web pages, and send and receive instant messages.
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❑ You can configure programs within Windows Firewall with exceptions so that
network traffic is always passed to those programs. ❑ You can configure Windows Firewall exceptions for protocols or TCP/UDP
ports. ❑ By default, Windows Vista blocks all ICMP traffic. You will need to create a
rule to allow ICMP traffic, such as echo requests (the ping command), using the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security MMC. ❑ You can configure different firewall settings based on domain, private, and
public profiles in the Advanced Security MMC.
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SELF TEST The following questions will help you measure your understanding of the material presented in this chapter. Read all the choices carefully because there might be more than one correct answer. Choose all correct answers for each question.
Configure Windows Defender 1. You are an IT professional working at a small publishing company. A user reports that his Windows Vista Ultimate computer is running very slowly. You reboot the computer and find that the computer is still very slow when performing tasks. You believe the computer may be infected with malware or spyware. You want to review the applications that run at start-up. What should you do? A. Check Programs in Control Panel. B. Use Task Manager to view the total CPU cycles. C. Use Windows Defender to see what programs run at start-up. D. Check MSINFO. 2. You want to configure Windows Defender so that Windows Defender will recommend actions to you when malicious software is detected so that you can choose what action you want to take. You also want to make sure that Windows Defender scans the most likely places on your computer where spyware is known to exist. You want Windows Defender to perform this action every day. Considering the Options settings in the following illustration, what do you need to do? (Choose all that apply.)
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Clear the Automatically Scan My Computer option. Change the Scan Frequency setting from Daily to Automatic. Clear the “Apply default actions to items detected during a scan” option. Change the Signature Actions defaults to “always remove.”
3. You want Windows Defender to offer real-time protection on your PC. What option should you choose in order to specify an agent that monitors security-related settings in Windows? A. System Configuration B. Startup Services C. Windows Security Center D. Internet Explorer zone security
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4. You want to check your Windows Vista Business computer for spyware. You want to check areas of the operating system that are most likely to be infected by spyware. What do you need to do? A. Run a full scan. B. Run a quick scan. C. Run a custom scan so that only C:\Windows is scanned. D. Run a custom scan and scan all hard drives. 5. You work for a company that has developed a custom program called ATR. When the program is installed on Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows Defender identifies the program as spyware. You need to configure Windows Defender so that the program will not detect the ATR program as spyware. What do you need to do? A. Click the Ignore option in the Action column on the Scan Results page. B. Select the Always Allow option in the Action column on the Scan Results page. C. Use Programs in Control Panel to configure the ATR program as a trusted program. D. Update Windows Defender’s spyware definitions. 6. When Windows Defender locates spyware on your computer, you want to make sure that the software is moved to an area of your computer where it cannot run. What option should you use? A. Remove B. Ignore C. Quarantine D. Always Allow 7. On a Windows Vista computer, you want to ensure that any spyware that is found is reported automatically to Microsoft. What should you do? A. Configure Windows Defender to run automatically. B. Make sure Windows Update is turned on. C. Set up a Windows Live account. D. Become a member of Microsoft Spynet. 8. You recently placed a suspicious program installed on Windows Vista in quarantine in Windows Defender. You have now discovered that this program is legitimate and needs to remain on the computer. What do you need to do? A. Reinstall the program. B. Restore the program from quarantine in Windows Defender. C. Use the Always Allow option in Windows Defender to allow the program to run. D. Run the program from quarantine.
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9. You have a Windows Vista Ultimate computer. You share this computer with several members of your immediate family, each having an account. You have the only administrator account. You want to prevent all other family members from using Windows Defender to scan the computer and make decisions about potential spyware. What is the easiest way to configure this need? A. Give other users an administrator account. B. Use the Services applet in Control Panel to stop the Windows Defender service from running. C. In Windows Defender Options, clear the Allow Everyone To Use Windows Defender feature. D. Nothing. Users without administrator accounts cannot access Windows Defender by default.
Configure Security Settings in Windows Firewall 10. A user at your company will be traveling to a conference in a few days. She will carry her Windows Vista laptop and connect to a public hotspot at the hotel. You want to ensure that the user’s laptop will be safe from any unauthorized access via the network. However, the user needs to be able to send and receive e-mail at the conference. What is the easiest solution to this problem? A. Block all traffic on the General tab of Windows Firewall Advanced Properties. B. Disable Windows Firewall on the Windows Firewall Advanced Properties. C. Close all ports except the HTTP port. D. Disable all ICMP settings. 11. What types of possible threats does Windows Firewall effectively block? A. Unauthorized access from the Internet B. Unauthorized access from a local network C. Unauthorized access from program to program on the local computer D. Unauthorized access to a Windows domain controller from the local computer 12. On a Windows Vista Business computer, you run a ping test to see if there is connectivity to another computer running Windows Vista Ultimate. When you run the ping test, you see the following results:
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Before you conduct further tests, you want to ensure that Windows Firewall is not blocking the ping request on the Windows Vista Ultimate computer. What do you need to do? A. On the Windows Vista Business computer, add the Ping program to the exceptions list. B. On the Windows Vista Business computer, create a rule to allow inbound Echo Requests. C. On the Windows Vista Ultimate computer, add the Ping program to the exceptions list. D. On the Windows Vista Ultimate computer, create a rule to allow inbound Echo Requests. 13. You are an IT professional for a real estate agency. One of the agents uses a Windows Vista Ultimate computer using the company’s required firewall rules. The agent needs to use the computer at the office using the required firewall rules, but she needs a different set of firewall rules when she works from home. File sharing must also be allowed at home. How can you configure this? (Choose two. Each correct answer presents part of the solution.) A. Create a different profile on the network’s domain controller. B. Enable the HTTP option on Windows Firewall’s exception list. C. Use the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security MMC to create an inbound rule allowing file sharing for the private profile. D. Use Windows Firewall with Advanced Security to change the private profile settings to allow for inbound connections.
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14. You need to enable Windows Firewall to allow Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs). What do you need to do? A. Enable ICMP traffic. B. Enable the RCP exception in Windows Firewall. C. Enable the Remote Service Management exception in Windows Firewall. D. Enable TCP port 1592. 15. What two kinds of protocols can you allow using the Add a Port utility in Windows Firewall? (Choose two.) A. TCP B. ICMP C. RDP D. UDP 16. Your Windows Vista computer is a laptop computer you use to connect to the Internet in various locations. You want to ensure that no computer from the Internet can access your computer while you are directly connected to the Internet, regardless of any existing firewall rules that allow the connection. What should you do? A. No action is required. B. Use the Windows Firewall Advanced Security MMC to block all connections on the public profile. C. Use the Windows Firewall Advanced Security MMC to block all connections on the private profile. D. Use the Windows Firewall Advanced Security MMC to block all HTTP traffic. 17. You created a new rule in the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security MMC that allows echo requests on the private profile. You now want to stop allowing this feature. What do you need to do? A. Enable the Block option on the General tab of Windows Firewall properties. B. In the Advanced Security MMC, use the Block option on the Private Profile tab of Windows Firewall properties. C. In the Advanced MMC, select Inbound Rules and double-click the Echo Request rule you created. Clear the Enabled check box. D. In the Advanced MMC, create a rule disallowing all ICMP requests.
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18. You want to turn on logging when a user accesses the Internet within Windows Firewall. However, you do not want to log Firewall events from the domain or private network. What do you need to do? A. Create a firewall rule to allow logging in the Advanced Security MMC. B. In the Advanced Security MMC, disable logging for the domain profile and private profile. C. In the Advanced Security MMC, enable logging of dropped packets and log successful connections in the public profile. D. Do nothing. This configuration is enabled by default.
LAB QUESTION You are an IT professional for an advertising firm. A certain user needs to use his Windows Vista Ultimate computer on the local network at the office, but also needs to use the laptop on the road to access public hotspots. You want to maintain typical Windows Firewall settings while connected to your private network, but block all connections when the user is accessing the Internet at a public hotspot. You also need to make certain that HTTP-Streaming-in Media Center Extenders are allowed on the domain profile. How can you configure these options?
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SELF TEST ANSWERS Configure Windows Defender ✓ C. Use Windows Defender and review the Software Explorer feature to see what programs 1. ® are configured to run at start-up. ® ˚ A is incorrect because the Programs applet will not tell you what programs run at start-up. B is incorrect because a Task Manager program review of CPU usage will not report information about startup programs. D is incorrect as well. MSINFO is a tool that records system information, but it will not give you a list of startup programs. ✓ C. Since you want Windows Defender to prompt you for action, you only need to clear the 2. ® “Apply default actions to items detected during a scan” option. ® ˚ A is incorrect because you want the software to automatically scan the computer. B is also incorrect because you want scans to run daily (the default setting). D is also incorrect because this action would not prompt you for a decision. ✓ A. Real-time protection will alert you immediately if any spyware attempts to install on 3. ® your computer. This real-time protection is offered through monitoring agents. To specify an agent that monitors the system, you need to select System Configuration under Real-Time Protection options on the Options page in Windows Defender. ® ˚ B, C, and D are all incorrect answers because none of these options have anything to do with Windows Defender configuration settings. ✓ B. A quick scan checks areas of the system that are most likely to be infected with spyware. 4. ® ® ˚ A is incorrect because this option will run a complete scan of the entire computer. C and D are also incorrect because a custom scan will check only specified areas of the computer, not necessarily all areas where spyware may reside. Other directories beside C:\Windows may be infected as well. ✓ B. Use the Always Allow option in the Action column on the Scan Results page to make 5. ® sure that Windows Defender always allows the program in subsequent scans. ® ˚ A is incorrect because this Ignore option tells Windows Defender to ignore the program during this scan only. It will still be identified as spyware in subsequent scans. C is incorrect because this option does not exist in Programs. D is also incorrect because updated definitions will not solve the problem of incorrect detection with this custom program. ✓ C. When you use the Quarantine option, you move the software to another location on the 6. ® computer that prevents it from running until you choose to permanently remove it or restore it. ® ˚ A is incorrect because this action will permanently remove the software from your computer. B is incorrect because the Ignore option will allow the software to run. D is also incorrect because this action will allow the software to always run.
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✓ D. In Windows Defender, you can set up a membership with Microsoft Spynet so that any 7. ® spyware found on your PC is reported to Microsoft. ® ˚ A, B, and C are all incorrect because none of these options will report spyware to Microsoft. ✓ B. When a program is placed in quarantine in Windows Defender, you can take the 8. ® program out of quarantine by using the Restore option in Windows Defender. ® ˚ A is incorrect because there is no need to reinstall the program. C is also incorrect because you cannot use the Always Allow option if the program is in quarantine. D is also incorrect because you cannot run a program held in quarantine. ✓ C. You can stop any user who is not an administrator from using Windows Defender by 9. ® clearing the Allow Everyone To Use Windows Defender check box feature in Options. ® ˚ A and B are incorrect because these actions would not prevent the users from accessing Windows Defender. D is also incorrect because users can access Windows Defender by default.
Configure Security Settings in Windows Firewall ✓ A. The Block option on the General tab provides the needed solution. The Block feature 10. ® blocks all incoming traffic, but the user will still be able to send and receive e-mail, surf most Web pages, and send and receive instant messages while connected to the public network. ® ˚ B is incorrect because if you disable the firewall, the user will have no protection at all, which is the opposite of the desired result. C is incorrect because with HTTP allowed, the computer is still vulnerable to an attack from the Internet. D is also incorrect because disabling ICMP exceptions will have no effect on this issue. ✓ A and B. Windows Firewall can block unauthorized access from the Internet or a local network. 11. ® ® ˚ C and D are incorrect. C is incorrect because Windows Firewall doesn’t filter information between programs on a local computer. D is incorrect because a local Windows Vista computer cannot impact security settings on a Windows domain controller. ✓ D. Ping is an ICMP routine and is therefore not allowed by default. You’ll need to create a 12. ® rule that allows echo requests. ® ˚ A and B are both incorrect because you do not need to do anything on the Windows Vista Business computer. You need to allow ICMP on the Ultimate computer. C is also incorrect because only receiving programs need to be added to the exception list. Since you need to send data, this configuration would not solve the problem. ✓ C and D. For this solution, you’ll need to use the Windows Firewall with Advanced 13. ® Security MMC to configure the private profile so that file-sharing traffic is allowed. Profiles, such as this one, can only be configured from the Advanced Security MMC. ® ˚ A and B are incorrect because these settings are not affected by a domain controller. Also, HTTP is allowed through the firewall by default, assuming the traffic is authorized.
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✓ C. Remote Procedure Calls can be allowed to pass through Windows Firewall by enabling 14. ® the Remote Service Management exception. ® ˚ A, B, and D are all incorrect because none of these actions will enable RPCs. ✓ A and D. TCP and UDP are the protocols for which you can open incoming connections 15. ® to Windows Firewall. ® ˚ B and C are incorrect because these protocols are a part of the TCP/UDP stack of protocols. ✓ B. Since you only want to block connections from the Internet, even if there are 16. ® exceptions allowed, you’ll need to use the Advanced Security MMC to configure the option. Use the Inbound Rules, Public Profile tab. ® ˚ A, C, and D are all incorrect because these options will not provide the desired security level when connected to the public network. ✓ C. Since you created the rule to allow echo requests in the Advanced Security MMC, all 17. ® you need to do is return to the rule and disable it. You can simply leave the rule disabled until you need to allow pinging in the future; then you can enable it again. ® ˚ A, B, and D are incorrect because all of these actions will block more connections than desired. You only need to disable the rule you created for echo requests. ✓ C. Logging is not enabled by default, so you’ll need to access the Windows Firewall with 18. ® Advanced Security on Local Computer dialog box within the Advanced Security MMC. On the Public Profile tab, choose Yes for Log Dropped Packets and Log Successful Connections. ® ˚ A is incorrect because you cannot create a rule to allow logging. B is also incorrect because logging is not enabled by default, so you could not disable logging for the domain and private profiles. D is incorrect because logging is not enabled by default on the public profile (or any other profile).
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LAB ANSWER You can configure the requirements of this scenario in the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security MMC. First, you can enable the HTTP-Streaming-in Media Center Extender Rule for the domain. Follow these steps: 1. Open the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security MMC from Administrative tools in Control Panel. Make sure you are logged on with an Administrator account. 2. Under Inbound Rules, locate the Media Center Extenders (HTTP-Streaming-in) Rule for the Domain profile, as you can see in the following illustration:
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3. Double-click the rule and click the Enabled check box on the General tab, shown in the following illustration, and click OK.
Next, you need to change the public profile option so that all connections are blocked. Follow these steps: 1. Open the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security MMC from Administrative tools in Control Panel. Make sure you are logged on with an Administrator account. 2. Select Windows Firewall with Advanced Security in the left console pane. 3. Under the Overview section in the center pane, click the Windows Firewall Properties link. 4. Click the Public Profile tab.
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5. Under Inbound Connections, change the setting to Block All Connections, shown in the following illustration. Click OK.
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6 Network with Windows Vista
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVES 6.01
Configure Networking by Using the Network and Sharing Center
6.02
Troubleshoot Connectivity Issues
6.03
Configure Remote Access
✓ Q&A
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W
ithout question, networking is one of the most important features of any computer system today, and networking has come a long way. In the past, networking was reserved for computer engineers at larger corporations, and there was no need for the average user to know a thing about networking.Yet, in the connected world today, more and more people have a home network, and even the smallest of businesses have a network of at least a few computers. With Internet connectivity and the ability to share files and information becoming commonplace, operating systems that make networking easy and robust are a must. The good news is Windows Vista makes networking easier than it ever has been before. Networks are easy to set up and configure, and in many cases, Windows Vista can solve network connection problems itself without any help from the user. Yet, as an IT specialist, you’ll need to know how to configure network connections in Windows Vista, how to troubleshoot those connections, and how to use Windows Vista’s remote access features. Naturally, the subject of networking can be a book in and of itself, but in this chapter, we’ll stay focused on networking with Windows Vista and the issues that you are likely to see on the exam. As with all chapters in this book, it is very important that you get some hands-on practice with Windows Vista’s networking features, so turn on Windows Vista and get ready to tackle the networking questions on the exam!
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 6.01
Conf igure Networking by Using the Network and Sharing Center In an attempt to make all networking components and features available in one centralized location, Windows Vista now includes a component available from Control Panel called the Network and Sharing Center. This feature is listed as a subobjective on the exam, so you can expect that the exam will ask you questions about this feature and expect you to know how to use and configure it. The good news is the Network and Sharing Center is designed to be straightforward and intuitive, which is good news for you in the real world and the exam.
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Exploring the Network and Sharing Center If you open the Network and Sharing Center from Control Panel, shown in Figure 6-1, you see a simple interface that gives you information about your current network connection, if one exists, and what your computer is configured to do on the network. As usual, you also see a Tasks pane listing several important tasks that you can access in order to set up a network connection or use an existing one. The following sections explore the Network and Sharing Center.
Network Map The Network Map feature provides you with a graphical map showing how your computer connects to the network and the Internet. Typically, the map you see here isn’t particularly helpful, but if you click the View Full Map link, you’ll see additional network devices and how they are connected as well. This feature can be helpful when you need to troubleshoot connection problems on your network. As you can see in Figure 6-2, not all discovered network devices appear on the map, and there are some reasons why this can happen. We’ll explore those reasons when we discuss troubleshooting issues later in this chapter. FIGURE 6-1
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FIGURE 6-2
Network Map
Network In the middle of the Network and Sharing Center, you see a Network section, listing Access and Connection. Access shows you what you can access via the network, such as the local network and Internet, and Connection shows you how you are connected, such as through a local area connection or a wireless connection. You can customize the network here, making changes to the current configuration, and you can also view the current status of the network connection, as shown in Figure 6-3. If you are using a wireless connection, you’ll also see a signal strength icon and a link to disable the connection. If you click the Customize link, you see a simple dialog box that enables you to change the location type of the network to either a public or private network. It is important that you understand these two types, so commit the following bullet points to memory.
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FIGURE 6-3
Set Network Location
■ Public
A public network is a network that exists in a public area, such as an airport or coffee shop. You can connect to the network, but discovery of other devices as well as your computer will be highly restricted and some programs will not work on this network. Use the public network option when your computer resides in a place where you don’t want other computers around you to see your computer. This is a security feature so that you can still use the public network with limited risk to your computer. When you are using Public, you will not see a network map in the Network and Sharing Center.
■ Private
A private network is a home or office network where other computers around you can see your computer and devices and vice versa. Your computer is discoverable on the private network, and this is the setting you want to use in most networking scenarios so that your computer has full access to network resources and others can access shared resources on your computer.
To change the network location type, simply select the desired radio button and click Next. UAC will appear for you to grant the change, and then the change will be made.
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Notice that you can also click Merge Or Delete Network Locations. If you have multiple network locations and you need to merge or remove one of them, click this link to access a simple dialog box where the change can be made.
Having problems seeing a Windows Vista computer on your network, or do you find that it is listed as discoverable but does not appear on the network map? The computer is likely set
to a Public location type, which occurs with some default network configurations. You simply need to change the network location type to Private in this scenario.
Sharing and Discovery Settings The Sharing and Discovery Settings essentially define how a computer can be used on the network. Think of this section as your one-stop place to configure the network connection so that it meets your particular networking needs. You have several settings here that you can turn on or off, and you’ll need to know these for the exam. The following sections explain these options.
Network Discovery Discovery is a network setting that determines a few important characteristics about your computer on the network. If Discovery is turned on, then your computer is “discoverable” to other computers and devices on the network. More specifically, when discovery is turned on, your computer is visible to other computers and devices, you can access shared devices and files on other computers on the network and computers and devices can be shared from your computer, and the right security settings are applied to your computer to accomplish these goals. There are two Discovery settings, On and Off, as you can see in Figure 6-4. As previously mentioned, when Discovery is turned on, your computer can be seen on the network. When Discovery is turned off, it cannot be seen, you cannot access shared devices and files, and no one can access files and devices on your computer. In most computing scenarios, Discovery needs to be turned on so that your computer is accessible on the network. The only time you would not want Discovery enabled is in the case of a public network where you do not want your computer seen by other computers and devices on the public network. As with all of the settings under Sharing and Discovery, you can click the toggle arrow to access the On or Off radio buttons, as you can see in Figure 6-4.
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FIGURE 6-4
Network Discovery settings
File Sharing As the name suggests, the File Sharing settings (On or Off) enable your computer to share files and printers from your computer so that people on your network can access them. This setting must be turned on for there to be any access to shared files or printers by people on your network. Note that if your computer is configured to Sleep during inactivity periods, the Sleep state will prevent users from accessing your shared files or printers. In this case, you may want to access Power Options and turn Sleep off so that your computer’s resources will always be available to others. Public Folder Sharing Windows Vista has a Public folder where you can put any kind of file for others on your network to access, if Public Folder Sharing is turned on here. This is a quick and easy way to share files without having to share individual files and folders. You can simply place documents in the Public folder and they become readily accessible on the network.
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You have three setting options, shown in Figure 6-5. You can turn on sharing so that anyone with network access can open files in the Public folder, or can open, change, and create files in your Public folder. Or, you can turn off this feature, preventing anyone on the network from accessing the Public folder (people logged on to your local computer can still access the folder, however). The main question here is, do you want users to only be able to access your files, or to access, change, and create files in your Public folder? The answer, of course, all depends on your networking needs.
Printer Sharing You can use this option to share your printer over the network or not. You see a simple “turn on” or “turn off” option here. When you turn on printer sharing, people on your network can see your shared printer, connect to it, and print documents on your printer. Password Protected Sharing In some cases, you may want your shared files and printers to be discoverable on the network but only accessible by those who FIGURE 6-5
Public Folder Sharing
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have a user account and password on your computer. In this case, you can turn on password-protected sharing, which will require a user who wants to connect to your resources to enter a username and password that is configured in User Accounts on your computer. All other users will be denied access without this user account and password. If you want to use this kind of restriction, simply click the Turn On option here.
Media Sharing The Media Sharing feature enables your computer to share music, photos, and videos, and when this setting is turned on, your computer can access shared media resources on the network as well. If you click Change, you see the Media Sharing dialog box, shown in Figure 6-6. This dialog box shows you where your media are shared to, and in some cases of network access, you can select who they are shared to and deny access or customize, if the option is available. If you click Settings, the Default Settings dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 6-7. Here, you can choose a name for your shared media and determine the type, star rating, and parental rating of media that are shared from your computer. You can also allow access to new devices and computers automatically, if desired.
Tasks Options In the Network and Sharing Center, you see a Tasks pane on the left side of the window. The Tasks pane gives you access to different features and related FIGURE 6-6
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FIGURE 6-7
Media Sharing – Default Settings
configuration options. You can even configure a new network here. The following sections show you what you can do.
Viewing Computers and Devices The first task option you see is to View Computers And Devices. If you click this link option, the Network window appears, listing all of the computers and devices on your network, as shown in Figure 6-8. You can double-click each network resource to access it. Notice also that you can add a printer or wireless device directly from the toolbar.
Connect to a Network If you click the Connect To A Network option, you can connect to any network that Vista is able to detect. If you are already connected and Vista doesn’t find other network connections, then you’ll see a window, shown in Figure 6-9, where you can access other link options that can help you troubleshoot the problem should an additional network be available to you.
Set Up a Connection or Network This option enables you to begin the connection or network setup wizard, which is easy to use because Vista does most of the work for you. When you click the link option, the Set Up a Connection or Network Wizard appears, shown in Figure 6-10. Initially, you choose the kind of connection you want to create, such as a connection
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FIGURE 6-8
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Network
to the Internet via wireless, broadband, or dial-up; the initial setup of a wireless router or access point; a dial-up connection; or a connection to a workplace through a dial-up or Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection. The configuration options you see at this point vary depending on what selection you have made. Essentially, you’ll provide the necessary information for each kind of connection and Vista configures the option. The instructions from the wizard are straightforward.
If you choose to set up a wireless network or router, you’ll be given the opportunity to save the settings, which you can save to a USB flash drive. When you choose this option, the settings and a small setup utility are written to the flash drive, which you can then simply insert into another Windows Vista computer to
set up the network. So, if you face an exam question about needing to configure 20 Windows Vista computers with the same wireless network settings, the fastest way to accomplish this goal is to configure one, save the settings, and then use the USB flash drive to automatically set up the rest.
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FIGURE 6-9
Connect to a network
FIGURE 6-10
Choose a connection option
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Manage Network Connections If you click the Manage Network Connections link, you’ll see the Network Connections folder, shown in Figure 6-11. Here, you see a listing of each connection you have configured on your computer. If you double-click a connection, you’ll see either a status dialog box or a connect dialog box in the case of a dial-up connection that is not currently connected. The status dialog box, shown in Figure 6-12, is a helpful feature because you can get immediate information about the connection, click Details for more information, access properties, disable the connection, and diagnose problems with it, all directly from the status dialog box. You can click Properties to access the properties dialog box, where additional networking services and protocols can be configured for the network connection.
FIGURE 6-11
Network Connections
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FIGURE 6-12
Connection Status
SCENARIO & SOLUTION Do I have to turn on Public Folder Sharing in order to share folders on my PC?
No. Public Folder Sharing is a setting that shares the Public folder on Vista. If you don’t want to share the Public folder, don’t enable this option. You can still share other folders as you normally would.
In what cases would I configure a network connection as a public connection?
The public connection is designed for network connectivity in public locations, such as airports, coffee shops, hotels, and other public access or hotspot areas. The public connection isn’t discoverable, meaning other users will not be able to see your computer on the public network.
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INSIDE THE EXAM Getting to Know IPv6 Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is a network protocol standard that is used on almost every kind of network today, including the Internet. TCP/ IP is a routable protocol where each computer has a specific IP address along with subnet mask address that helps route data from one computer to another. TCP/IP is a rather difficult subject, but the Vista exam will not ask you direct questions about networking issues with TCP/IP. It will use the configuration of TCP/IP issues for troubleshooting purposes, rather than asking you how to determine the subnet mask of a network. Keep in mind that Windows Vista automatically establishes an IP address for itself based on your network settings. In the case of a Windows domain, the IP address and subnet mask are typically provided by a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server. What you should be aware of for the exam concerns the new TCP/IP standard, version 6, which is supported under Windows Vista. Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is a set of protocols that computers use to exchange information over the Internet and over home and business networks. IPv6 allows for many more IP addresses to be assigned than IPv4 did. It does this by using eight groups of hexadecimal characters, giving more addressing options
than provided in IPv4. The groups are separated by a colon; therefore, a typical IPv6 address will look like this: 3ffe:ffff:0000:2f3b:02aa:00ff: fe28:9c5a. IPv6 addresses can also be made to appear shorter than this by compressing zeros in the address with multiple colons. In this case, an address with compressed zeros would look like this: fe80::2aa:ff:fe9a:4ca2. The double colon represents zeros that have been compressed. You do need to remember two things for the exam: The first concerns loopback address testing. In IPv4 networks, you can run a loopback test to see if your network adapter is working by pinging the loopback address, which is 127.0.0.1. If you want to test your adapter for connectivity on an IPv6 network, the loopback address is 0:0:0:0:0:0:0:1. Should you see a question asking you how to test for connectivity in an IPv6 network, the loopback address is your answer. The second concerns a unicast address. If you’re working on an IPv6 network, but you need to use a unicast address in order to communicate on the Internet, which is still primarily IPv4, what do you need? In this case, you need a global unicast address. Although there are other unicast types, such as link-local, APIPA, and such, still, you need a global unicast address in this case. Just keep these points in mind for the exam.
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CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 6.02
Troubleshoot Connectivity Issues In any network, problems with connectivity to the network or between computers and devices is likely to be your greatest concern because connectivity is likely to be your greatest problem. Although Vista is very good at detecting connections and applying the correct settings, the operating system is certainly not perfect, and you should expect to see some troubleshooting problems on the exam concerning connectivity to the network. In these troubleshooting cases, you’ll need to determine what is most likely the cause and then determine what action to take or what tool you should use to at least troubleshoot the problem. In this section, we’ll explore connectivity problems and examine the tools and troubleshooting action you should know for the exam.
Vista’s Diagnostic Tool Windows Vista includes a diagnostic tool that can help you identify problems when a computer has problems connecting to the network. In many cases, Vista can solve the problem, or at least help you understand what is causing the problem (including unplugged network cables), so this is your first action when there is a problem with connectivity from a computer to the network. You can access the diagnostic tool from the Tasks pane of the Network and Sharing Center, or from the connection’s Status dialog box. When you click the Diagnose And Repair option, the tool will run and give you a result with a recommended action. In Figure 6-13, you see that the network adapter is disabled
FIGURE 6-13
Diagnose and Repair
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and all you have to do is click the Enable option to enable it so that the connection can be set up again. If there is nothing wrong with the connection, the tool will tell you so, meaning that you’ll need to troubleshoot further. Other than this, there isn’t much else to say about the tool, except that it is your first line of defense when you are troubleshooting connection problems.
Using the Network Map The Network Map feature in the Network and Sharing Center may not seem too exciting, but it can be an initial problem solver for you. If there is a connectivity problem, take a look at the network map and it will show you if the computer is not connected in some way, as you can see in the following illustration.
What you may not realize here is the red X is clickable. If you click it, the same diagnostics routine runs to help you identify the cause of the problem and to offer instructions or clickable options to repair it. In the end, this is simply another way to access the network diagnostics tool, but it should be one of the first things you inspect if there are connectivity problems.
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Troubleshooting TCP/IP Settings Aside from the diagnostic tool, you’ll find yourself needing to dig deeper from time to time to solve problems, and in a Windows network, this will put you in the murky land of TCP/IP. Once again, I’ll assume you are up-to-date on your TCP/IP skills—if not, you’ll find a wide variety of introductory-level books at any bookstore. As you are working with Windows Vista, it’s important to remember that all of the old TCP/IP rules apply. Each client on your network needs a unique IP address, an appropriate subnet mask, and possibly a default gateway if the client’s requests must travel to a different subnet. The good news is that Windows Vista can configure this addressing automatically if you are one of the following: ■ On a home or small office network with no domain controllers ■ In a Windows 200x network that has DHCP up and running
Let’s consider the first option. Windows Vista is designed to use TCP/IP in a small workgroup or office setting. Because the users in this type of setting are typically not IT professionals who can configure TCP/IP, Windows Vista can configure it automatically through the Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA). When APIPA is used, an IP address from the address range of 169.254.0.0 to 169.254.255.255 is used, along with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0. Afterward, Windows Vista checks the network for the presence of a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server that can lease an IP address to it. This process is backward from Windows XP, which first looks for a DHCP server to provide an address. The reversal in Windows Vista comes in an effort to get the computer up and running on the network more quickly. Windows Vista automatically assigns itself an IP address from this range so that it can participate on the network. Before assigning itself a random IP address from this range, the client broadcasts a network message to see if another APIPA client is already using that same IP address. Of course, if a different range of IP addresses or subnet masks is used on the network, the client still may not have IP connectivity with other clients. The point here is that Windows Vista can use APIPA in environments where no DHCP server is used and where static IP address configurations are not used. The end result is that a user can have a home network running TCP/IP without even knowing what TCP/IP is or that it even exists—and that’s the real beauty of APIPA.
Troubleshoot Connectivity Issues
APIPA assigns only the IP address and subnet mask—not a default gateway. APIPA assumes that communication is limited to the local subnet. Again, this feature is great in home or small office networks or in the case of
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a DHCP server failure, but it is not designed as a large networking solution. In most home networking solutions, a router is supplied by an ISP, and this router will typically provide DHCP services to the home network.
In the same way that Windows Vista can automatically assign itself an IP address, Windows Vista is configured to search for a DHCP server so that it can lease an IP address. DHCP is a Windows 200x Server service. Administrators can configure DHCP with a pool of IP addresses that can be leased to network clients. The client receives a unique IP lease and keeps that lease for a specified period of time, after which the lease must be renewed. If the lease cannot be renewed, then the client can receive a new IP address. The end results are a system that is relatively easy to configure, unique IP addresses that all clients receive, and for administrators, the freedom from having to worry about unique IPs. By default, Windows Vista configures itself for APIPA if a network adapter card is present in the computer. For the exam, however, you should also know the correct setting that APIPA and DHCP use. Fortunately, the configuration is a single radio button, and you learn how to set it in Exercise 6-1.
EXERCISE 6-1 CertCam
Using APIPA or DHCP To configure TCP/IP to use APIPA or DHCP, follow these steps: 1. Click Start | Control Panel | Network And Sharing Center | Manage Network Connections. 2. Right-click the Local Area Connection and click Properties.
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3. On the Networking tab, shown in the following illustration, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IP) in the list and click Properties.
4. On the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties General tab, ensure that the Obtain An IP Address Automatically and the Obtain DNS Server Address Automatically radio buttons are selected, as shown in the following illustration:
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Configuring a Static IP Address APIPA and DHCP are designed to provide automatic IP addressing so that configuration never needs to be static. By static, I mean that you manually enter an IP address, a subnet mask, and a default gateway if necessary. In the past, this manual form of IP addressing was required, and a simple keystroke error could cause a number of connectivity errors. As you can imagine, for this reason TCP/IP was known as a “high overhead” protocol. With automatic addressing mechanisms, however, you will typically not perform manual assignment. However, there are cases in which clients may want a workgroup to have a certain IP address range and subnet masks. When a handful of computers are used (or even up to 100), you can reasonably perform a manual assignment if necessary, and the exam expects you to know how to configure a Windows Vista computer with a manual IP address. Not to sound like a broken record, but let me again say that you are unlikely to see IP addressing and subnet mask configurations on this exam. You might see a network configuration and the IP addresses of certain clients in order to troubleshoot a problem, but the important point to remember is that each client must have a unique IP address but all clients must have the same subnet mask when they are on the same subnet. Keep in mind that in order for a client computer to find its way off the local subnet, a default gateway must be configured. Also, you might consider manually entering the IP addresses of DNS servers on your network, since this information is typically provided by the DHCP server. Exercise 6-2 shows you how to manually configure a Windows XP Professional computer’s IP settings.
EXERCISE 6-2 CertCam
Manually Configuring TCP/IP To manually configure TCP/IP settings, follow these steps: 1. Click Start | Control Panel | Network And Sharing Center | Manage Network Connections. 2. Right-click the Local Area Connection and click Properties. 3. In the Local Area Connection properties dialog box, select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) in the list and click Properties. 4. On the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) properties dialog box, shown in the following illustration, click the Use The Following IP Address radio button and manually enter the desired values for the IP address, subnet mask, and
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default gateway. If desired, you can also enter preferred and alternate DNS server IP addresses in the provided boxes.
5. If you click Advanced, you can configure some additional TCP/IP settings. On the IP Settings tab, you can add, edit, and remove IP addresses and default gateways for the computer, as shown in the following illustration. This feature enables you to use multiple IP addresses and default gateways on the same computer and may be especially helpful in the case of a laptop computer that you move from one network to the next.
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6. On the DNS tab, you can enter the additional addresses of other DNS servers that can be used. You can also determine how DNS handles names that are unqualified. The default settings are typically all you need here.
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7. On the WINS tab, you can add the names of WINS servers, if they are still in use on your network, and you can enable LMHOSTS lookups.
8. Click OK and OK again once you have configured these options.
Helpful TCP/IP Troubleshooting Tools Troubleshooting TCP/IP connectivity and problems can be a moderately difficult task. The good news, however, is that there are several command-line tools that can help you. The following sections explore these troubleshooting tools, and you should spend some hands-on time with them as you prepare for the exam.
Ping Ping is a network connectivity tool that allows you to test network connectivity against another computer or even your computer’s local network adapter card. Ping sends an ICMP echo request to the desired IP address or name and provides you with a response as to whether the ping was successful or the host was unreachable. At the Windows XP Professional command prompt, simply type ping ipaddress, such
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as ping 10.0.0.1, or you can ping via a name such as ping computer7. You can also perform a loopback test against your computer’s network adapter card by typing ping 127.0.0.1. In the case of an IPv6 network, you would type ping 0:0:0:0:0:0:0:1. To see all of Ping’s options, type ping -? at the command prompt. Figure 6-14 shows you an example of a successful ping test. Keep in mind that Windows Vista blocks ICMP echo requests by default, so if you want to use the ping test against a Vista computer, you’ll need to enable ICMP echo requests in Windows Firewall.
Ipconfig Ipconfig reports the IP configuration of your computer. At the command prompt, simply type ipconfig and press ENTER. You’ll see the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway for the local area connection. If you type ipconfig /all, you can see a more detailed list of the computer’s IP configuration, shown in Figure 6-15. Ipconfig also gives you some additional command-line parameters, which you can review by typing ipconfig /?.
Netstat and Nbtstat Netstat is a connectivity tool that displays all connections and protocol statistics for TCP/IP. You can use a number of switches with Netstat, which you can view by typing netstat ?. For example, you can view the protocol local address, the foreign address, and the current state of the connection. Similarly, Nbtstat is helpful in cases where you need to troubleshoot NetBIOS naming and connectivity problems. This tool checks the status of NetBIOS over TCP/IP connections and can give you information about the NetBIOS caches, the current sessions, and statistics. There are a number of switches, which you can view FIGURE 6-14
Successful ping test
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FIGURE 6-15
Ipconfig /all
by simply typing nbtstat at the command line. The –RR switch (ReleaseRefresh) was first introduced in Windows NT 4.0 in order to send name release packets to WINS and then perform a refresh.
Tracert Tracert is a simple utility that traces the route from one host to another. You can trace routes over the local network, or even to a Web site, such as www.osborne .com, as shown in Figure 6-16. You can also view a listing of Tracert switches by simply typing tracert at the command line.
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FIGURE 6-16
Tracert
Pathping First appearing in Windows 2000, Pathping combines the functionality of Ping and Tracert. You can ping an address or DNS name and see the actual route of the ping, including percentage information on the packets lost. This troubleshooting tool can be useful in a large network environment with connectivity problems. The Pathping utility can help you isolate where the connectivity problem is so that it can be repaired.
Route The Route command can be used to view local routing tables and change them if there are errors present. This troubleshooting tool can be used to verify correct routing information and correct IP routing data in the host’s routing table. You can view all the switches available for Route by typing route at the command prompt.
Nslookup Nslookup is used to look up IP address–to–DNS mappings in a DNS database. Of course, this tool is mainly used in domain environments where DNS is in use. You can gain the DNS server’s name and IP address by simply typing nslookup at the command prompt. To see a listing of available switches, type nslookup so that the DNS server is found; then simply type ? to see the options available to you.
Troubleshooting Virtual Private Network Access Virtual private network connections have been around for some time now, and with good reason. VPN connections enable you to use an existing public network, such
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SCENARIO & SOLUTION There are two subnets on my network. What must be done to enable communication between the two?
There has to be physical connectivity between the two IP subnets, and then you’ll need to configure the clients with a default gateway. This can be done manually in small environments but is typically handled by DHCP in larger environments.
In a workgroup setting, how does APIPA function? After all, since the computers are auto-assigning themselves an IP address, couldn’t two have the same IP?
No. When APIPA is used, the computer that is about to auto-assign itself an IP address broadcasts the autogenerated IP address on the network to determine if that IP address is already in use.
Can you ping a host name?
Yes, you can ping a host name, such as www.osborne .com, a computer name, or an IP address.
as the Internet, freely and in a way that is private. When a VPN connection is used, the actual network data that you are transferring is encapsulated in a Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol packet (PPTP) or a Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) packet. The packet has a typical header destination for a typical PPP packet traveling the Internet. The PPTP or L2TP packet can traverse the Internet as a PPP packet. When the packet reaches the destination network, the PPTP or L2TP encapsulation is stripped away, and the true data is revealed. The end result? You can connect to segments of your network using the Internet without paying WAN link charges. This feature works great for a company that has a satellite office where a few people need to send data over the VPN connection each day. Of course, the VPN connection is not designed for high levels of traffic, but in many situations it is an easy and costefficient solution. I mentioned that PPTP and L2TP are used in VPN connections. Let’s consider these two protocols in a bit more detail. First, PPTP allows tunneled traffic through an IP network, such as the Internet. The second type, L2TP, provides more functionality. For example, PPTP can be used only on IP networks, whereas L2TP can be used on any type of PPP packet network, such as ATM or X.25. Also, L2TP supports header compression and tunnel authentication, as well as the use of IP security (IPsec). PPTP does support encryption, whereas L2TP supports encryption only when IPsec is used. The end result is that L2TP gives you more options and functionality than PPTP, but both are highly effective VPN protocols.
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You can configure Windows Vista to make VPN connections or to allow incoming VPN connections. Exercise 6-3 walks you through the process of configuring Windows Vista to make VPN calls.
EXERCISE 6-3 CertCam
Configuring VPN Connectivity To set up a VPN connection, follow these steps: 1. Click Start | Control Panel | Network And Sharing Center. Click the Set Up A Connection Or Network link in the left pane. 2. In the Network Connection Type dialog box, click Connect To A Workplace and click Next.
3. You can choose to create a new connection, or you can use an existing connection. Make your selection and click Next. For this exercise, I’ll assume you’re just going to use an existing connection.
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4. Enter the Internet address, such as the domain name or IP address, and the destination name, and also choose any desired connection options, such as connecting with a smart card. Then click Next.
5. Enter the username and password required to connect to the VPN server at work. 6. Click Connect to make the connection.
Once the connection has been made, you can open Network Connections and manage the VPN connection just as you would any other connection. The VPN connection’s properties pages are basically the same as for a typical dial-up connection. You have the same security-setting options, calling options, and so on. The General tab lists the host name or IP address of the destination and the dial-up connection that should be used to generate the VPN connections. It is important to keep in mind that VPN connectivity can be managed with authentication protocols, just like a typical dial-up connection. This feature enables you to use VPN solutions without compromising network security standards.
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CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 6.03
Conf igure Remote Access Remote access is nothing new in Windows Vista, but it has become more and more important as users and networking have become more mobile. Windows Vista continues to provide Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop support. The first, Remote Assistance, allows you to access another person’s Windows Vista computer remotely, such as over the Internet or a WAN, so that you can help the user troubleshoot and solve problems. The second, Remote Desktop, enables you to open a terminal session with a Windows Vista system so that you can use the computer remotely. Both of these remote access features are important, and you can expect to see a couple of exam questions concerning them. The following sections show you how to set up and configure Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop.
Configuring Remote Assistance Let’s say you have a cousin in New York, but you live in San Diego. How can you help your cousin solve his computer problems? Sure, you can use the phone, but if you could actually see his desktop, you could fix the problem yourself. Let’s say you are technician in a Help center for a large international company. A user in Toronto calls you for help, but you are in Houston. What if you could access her computer and fix the problem yourself without those painstaking verbal steps over the telephone? The solution to both of these scenarios is the goal of Remote Assistance. With Remote Assistance, a user can access another user’s computer over a WAN, such as the Internet, and actually configure the other user’s computer. Remote Assistance works only with Windows Vista, Windows XP, or Windows 2003 Server computers, with some flakey behavior between Vista and XP or Server computers. In other words, you can’t use Remote Assistance from your XP computer and assist someone using a Windows Me, 2000, or 98 machine, or even some nonWindows computer. Also, each computer must use Windows Messenger or an MAPIcompliant e-mail account like Outlook or Outlook Express, or you can send the RA invitation via a file. The two computers must be configured for Remote Assistance, and both must have connectivity at the same time in order for Remote Assistance to work.
Enabling Remote Assistance To enable Remote Assistance, open System in Control Panel and click the Advanced System Settings link. Click the Remote tab, shown in Figure 6-17.
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FIGURE 6-17
Remote tab
Click the Remote Assistance check box to enable the feature on your Windows Vista computer. When you do, Windows Firewall is configured to allow Remote Assistance traffic and the Teredo services, which allow your expert to connect to your computer using most routers that perform Network Address Translation (NAT). This service contacts a Microsoft Teredo server in order to get an IPv6 address. This is a new feature in Windows Vista, so watch out for it on the exam. Next, click Advanced. You will see a Remote Assistance Settings dialog box. Ensure that the “Allow this computer to be controlled remotely” check box is selected if you want your computer to be controlled remotely. Next, you see a maximum amount of time that invitations can remain open. Remote Assistance works with If you want to connect invitations. You send an invitation to another to a computer from behind a firewall, expert, who can then access your computer via a network administrator must allow the invitation. This setting places a time limit communication over TCP port 3398. on the invitation, which is 6 hours by default.
Sending an Invitation Once the computer is ready for remote assistance, the next step is to simply send an invitation to a desired user or accept an invitation from a user. Exercise 6-4 walks you through this process.
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EXERCISE 6-4 Using Remote Assistance To use Remote Assistance, follow these steps: 1. To send a Remote Assistance invitation, click Start | Windows Help And Support. Click Windows Remote Assistance link under Ask Someone. 2. Click the “Invite someone you trust to help you” link.
3. You can send an invitation using an e-mail message or by saving the invitation to a file for use with Web-based e-mail or via a network share. Select the desired option. 4. Follow the instructions that appear. You can enter additional message text as desired, set the message expiration date, and establish a password that the user will enter in order to access your computer. You must give the password to the user so that he or she can open it. Click Finish.
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Although you can access the novice's computer and make configuration changes via the remote connection, the novice always retains
control of the connection and can forcefully terminate it at any time by pressing the ESC key on the keyboard.
Configuring Remote Desktop Remote Desktop, which is built on Windows terminal services, enables you to connect to and use another computer from a remote location. As you might imagine, this capability has a number of benefits. For example, let’s say that you have a desktop system at your office, but you travel to branch offices a lot with a laptop. You can use Remote Desktop to connect to your desktop computer as needed. Let’s say you have a desktop system at home and one at work. You could use Remote Desktop to access your home computer. You could even work on collaborative applications with another user on the same desktop. All of this assumes you have administrative or Remote Desktop group permissions on the computers. Remote Desktop allows multiple sessions on the same PC, so you could even have a number of users connected to one computer, collaborating on a project. As you can see, the potential uses of Remote Desktop are many. In order to use Remote Desktop, you need two Windows Vista or XP computers. Note that Remote Desktop is not available on Windows Vista Starter or either of the Home editions. Yet, you can also connect to a Windows 9x, 2000, NT, or Me computer by installing the Remote Desktop client on those down-level systems, which is available on the Windows Vista installation CD-ROM. You can connect computers that are on the same network, and you can use the Internet or VPN connection as well. To set up Remote Desktop, you access System | Remote tab and click the “Allow users to connect remotely to this computer” check box under Remote Desktop connections (refer back to Figure 6-17). Notice that you have the option to allow any Remote Desktop connection, or only those using Network Level Authentication, which is a more secure option. If you’re not sure if the other computer is running Windows Vista, do not use the second option.
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Click the Select Remote Users button. In the Remote Desktop Users window, click Add and select the user(s) to whom you want to give access to your computer remotely. Any members of the local Administrators group can automatically connect without assigning permission here. Simply add the users you want to give access to, and if no account currently exists for the user, create one using User Accounts in Control Panel or in Computer Management. An important item to note concerns passwords. In Windows Vista, you can allow users to log on locally without a password. However, Remote Desktop requires the user to have a password, so make sure you configure a password for each user so that access via Remote Desktop will be available.
Establishing a Connection Once your computer has been configured to support Remote Desktop, you can establish a Remote Desktop Connection. Exercise 6-5 shows you how to establish the connection.
EXERCISE 6-5 Creating a Remote Desktop Connection To create a Remote Desktop connection, follow these steps: 1. Click Start | All Programs | Accessories | Remote Desktop Connection. 2. In the Remote Desktop Connection window that appears, shown in the following illustration, enter the computer name, user name, password, and domain (if necessary). At this time, you can simply click Connect if you like, or you can configure additional options as described in the following steps.
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3. If you click the Display tab, shown in the following illustration, you can choose the style and color depth of your remote desktop. Remember that higher-resolution settings may cause the connection to run more slowly.
4. On the Local Resources tab, you can choose to use the remote computer’s sound and keyboard combinations, and you can connect your local devices to the remote computer. These local devices include your printers, clipboard cache, smart card devices, serial ports, disk drives, and supported Plug and Play devices. Connecting local devices to the remote computer can greatly simplify the administration of remote computers; however, this can also expose your local computer to virus infection and other forms of attack. 5. On the Programs tab, you can choose to start a program when the connection is made. This feature is helpful if you connect via Remote Desktop primarily to run a certain application. 6. On the Experience tab, shown in the following illustration, you can choose the connection speed from the drop-down menu to see what features are used. You can select them individually via the check boxes. Keep in mind that
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these features are bandwidth intensive, so if you are on a slow connection, you might consider removing some of these.
7. Once you are done, simply click Connect. Once you have finished with a remote desktop session, you can click the Save As tab on the General tab to save your work. The configuration settings are saved as an .rdp file, and you can simply open this file next time you want to connect. Keep in mind that both computers in the RDP session using Windows Firewall, as well as any firewalls between the RDP computers, must be configured to allow Remote Desktop traffic (TCP port 3389).
Configuring the Remote Desktop Web Connection
Remote Desktop Web Connection is a Web application made up of an ActiveX control and sample ASP pages. It is designed to be deployed on a Web server. Once it’s deployed, users on the network can create a remote desktop connection to another computer within Internet Explorer. With this feature, users of other operating systems can generate remote desktop connections without the
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Remote Desktop software being installed. Also, operating systems not supported by the Remote Desktop software can use the Web connection feature, providing crossplatform capabilities. In order to set up and use the Remote Desktop Web Connection, you must be working on a network with a Web server available, such as IIS. Once the Remote Desktop Web connection is set up on the Web server, clients can connect to the Web server and the Remote Desktop Web Connection directory on the Web server using the http://servername/directoryname convention. When this connection is used, an HTML page appears. In the Server dialog box, enter the name of the computer you want to connect to and click Connect. The Remote Desktop session will then begin within Internet Explorer.
SCENARIO & SOLUTION Using Remote Assistance, what can I do with the other user’s computer?
Remote Assistance is designed for individuals to provide assistance to another person’s computer. With the user’s permission, you can use your mouse and keyboard to make changes to the user’s computer, thus making it possible to solve problems.
I want to use Remote Desktop to access my home computer via a DSL connection. Can I do this?
Yes. Your home computer must be configured to allow Remote Desktop communication through Windows Firewall. If you are using another personal firewall, you’ll need to see if you can enable the necessary ports to allow communication.
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CERTIFICATION SUMMARY In an effort to streamline network configuration, Windows Vista includes a Network and Sharing Center. Using the Network and Sharing Center, you can configure and troubleshoot network connection settings. You can use the Network Map to look at a graphical representation of your network, and you can also examine the network connections, access status and properties of those connections, create a new network connection, and diagnose problems. For the exam, keep in mind that network connections can be public or private. Public connections do not use network discovery, so your computer will not be visible to other users on a public network. For most home and office networks, you should use the private setting in order to take full advantage of network discovery and resource sharing. Windows Vista is designed for networking in Microsoft Windows domains, as well as in peer-to-peer networks. TCP/IP is installed automatically on Windows Vista computers and is the protocol of choice for today’s Microsoft networks. Windows Vista supports APIPA and is able to assign itself an IP address in a workgroup setting. Windows Vista can also receive the IP address assignment from DHCP, or you can configure the IP settings manually. Windows Vista also supports VPN connections, where Windows Vista can connect to a VPN server using PPTP or L2TP. You can set the same levels of security on VPN connections as you can for dial-up connections. Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop are features of Windows Vista that enable you to connect to another computer. Using Remote Assistance, a user can answer a help invitation and connect to another computer over the Internet in order to assist in troubleshooting problems with the remote computer. Using Remote Desktop, you can connect to a remote Windows Vista computer or to a down-level client that has Remote Desktop software installed. Once the connection is made, you can use the remote computer as though you were locally accessing it.
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✓
TWO-MINUTE DRILL Configure Networking by Using the Network and Sharing Center ❑ Use the Network and Sharing Center to configure network connections and
sharing abilities for those connections. ❑ Networks can be either public or private. Public network configuration does
not allow discovery, so your computer stays hidden on the public network. For home and office networks, the private setting should be used. ❑ Use the network map and the Diagnose and Repair tool to understand
connections on your network and resolve problems. ❑ From the Network and Sharing Center, you can examine the status of each
network connection, access its properties, create new connections, and remove or merge connections as needed.
Troubleshoot Connectivity Issues ❑ Windows XP Professional is designed for TCP/IP networking. TCP/IP
settings can be configured automatically via APIPA or via a DHCP server. You can also configure them manually. ❑ Connectivity in TCP/IP networks depends on a properly configured IP
address, subnet mask, and an optional default gateway (if there is more than one subnet). ❑ You can troubleshoot IP connectivity and functionality via a number of
command-line tools. Common command-line tools include Ping, Ipconfig, Netstat, Nbtstat, Tracert, Pathping, Route, and Nslookup. ❑ Windows XP Professional supports PPTP and L2TP for secure VPN
connections. Windows XP Professional can receive VPN connections as well.
Configure Remote Access ❑ Remote Assistance provides a way for a Windows Vista computer to connect
to another Vista computer over the Internet, allowing a user to assist in troubleshooting a remote user’s computer. With the user’s permission, you can manage and configure the system remotely.
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❑ Remote Assistance uses invitations. A user who would like assistance sends
an invitation via e-mail or a file. ❑ Remote Desktop enables you to connect to another computer remotely
over the Internet or a local LAN. In order to connect, you must have an administrator account on the local computer or you must be a member of the Remote Desktop Users group. ❑ Windows Firewall must be configured to allow Remote Desktop
communication. ❑ Remote Desktop also provides a Web connection via IIS so that remote
connectivity can be accomplished using a Web browser over port 443, a commonly available port. This feature resolves compatibility issues and is an excellent choice for cross-platform environments.
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SELF TEST The following questions will help you measure your understanding of the material presented in this chapter. Read all the choices carefully because there might be more than one correct answer. Choose all correct answers for each question.
Configure Networking by Using the Network and Sharing Center 1. Consider the following illustration.
For this network connection, you notice that no other computers on the network are able to connect to your computer. You need to be able to share a printer from your computer and you need that printer to be discoverable by other network computers. What do you need to do?
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Click the Customize link and click the Private option. Turn off Media Sharing in order to share the printer. Turn off Public Folder Sharing in order to share the printer. You must manually share the printer first, then turn on printer sharing in this window.
2. Consider the following illustration:
You need to make sure that users on your network can connect to your shared resources and printer. What do you need to do? A. Change the network to a public network. B. Configure user accounts that can access your shared resources. C. Turn on network discovery. D. Configure and share the desired resources.
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3. You have a laptop connected to your network that has a shared printer attached to it. People regularly use the shared printer. Yet, people are complaining that when you are away from your computer, they cannot print to it. You return to your laptop and discover that it seems to be turned off. What is the problem? A. Windows Firewall is blocking access. B. Network discovery is not turned on. C. The users do not have local accounts. D. The computer is configured to sleep. 4. On your Windows Vista computer, you want to share music and videos that reside on your hardware with people on your network. However, you want music and videos that rank at least 3 stars to be shared. How can you configure this? A. Configure media sharing to prompt for a rating before sharing. B. Configure media sharing to only share media ranked with 3 stars. C. Share on those particular items. D. Turn off network discovery. 5. You want to disable a particular network connection on your Windows Vista computer. How can you do it? A. Use Device Manager and remove the drivers for the device. B. Open Network Connections from the Network and Sharing Center. C. Turn off network discovery from the Network and Sharing Center. D. Active network devices cannot be disabled.
Troubleshoot Connectivity Issues 6. APIPA assigns IP addresses in the 169.254.0.0–169.254.255.255 range. What default gateway address is assigned when APIPA is used? A. 169.254.1.1 B. 131.107.2.200 C. 10.0.0.1 D. The default gateway is not assigned. 7. You want to manually configure the IP addresses and subnet masks for a certain PC. Where can you configure this? A. Local Area Connection Settings. B. You must set up third-party firewall software. C. By running the noipprot / b command. D. By accessing the advanced IP properties, Options tab.
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8. A user reports a problem with her Windows Vista computer. The computer is unable to contact any network resource. You attempt to contact resources and cannot do so. What command should you run first? A. Ping 127.0.0.1 B. Ipconfig /x C. Ping 131.107.2.200 D. Tracert 9. A particular WINS server seems to have the wrong “NetBIOS name to IP” mapping for your computer in its database. You need to issue a command so that the computer can release name mappings and perform a refresh. What do you need to do? A. Netstat -t B. Nslookup C. Nbtstat -RR D. Ipconfig /all 10. You work in a WAN environment. You verify that the clients and the server both have network connectivity. Clients report some problem accessing a remote server. You want to test the connection over a time period of several minutes and then have statistics generated on success and failure of packets. What tool will help you do this? A. Nbtstat B. Tracert C. Ipconfig D. Pathping 11. You need to view some DNS mappings on a DNS Server. What command-line tool will allow you to do this? A. Nbtstat B. Route C. Nslookup D. Pathping 12. What are the two VPN protocols that are supported in Windows Vista? (Choose two.) A. PPP B. PPTP C. L2TP D. APIPA
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Configure Remote Access 13. You need to instruct a user on a remote network to enable Remote Assistance on a Windows Vista computer. Where can you enable Remote Assistance? A. Internet Options, Advanced tab B. System Properties, Remote tab C. Connection Properties, Remote tab D. Network Properties, Advanced tab 14. You want to send a remote assistance invitation using Outlook. However, you want the invitation to expire in 3 days. What do you need to do? A. Nothing. Invitations automatically expire after 3 days. B. On the Remote tab of System Properties, click the Advanced button under Remote Assistance and change the expiration time to 3 days. C. On the Remote tab of Internet Options, click the Advanced button under Remote Assistance and change the expiration time to 3 days. D. Edit the e-mail invitation from 30 days to 3 days. 15. You want to use Remote Desktop to connect to a Windows Me computer using your Windows Vista computer. Which statement is true concerning this connection? A. Windows Me natively supports Remote Desktop. B. You must download a security patch from Microsoft.com. C. You must install IIS on the Windows Me computer. D. You must install the Remote Desktop client software on the Windows Me computer. 16. Your LAN uses a third-party firewall. You need to use Remote Desktop to connect to a computer on the Internet via the firewall. By default, the network firewall does not allow this kind of traffic. What TCP port will the firewall administrator need to open so that Remote Desktop traffic can pass? A. 80 B. 21 C. 3398 D. 54 17. You are using Remote Desktop to connect to a computer on the Internet using a 56K modem. You notice that performance is very slow. You access the connection’s properties. What can you change that will help increase performance? A. Run the remote -fb command. B. Change the display to true color.
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C. Change the options on the Environment tab to Modem. D. You cannot increase performance over this kind of connection. 18. You want to use Remote Desktop to connect your office computer to your home computer. Both computers run Windows Vista Ultimate. The home computer uses a modem that is configured to receive calls. Windows Firewall is used on your home network. You call the computer, but the Remote Desktop does not work. What do you need to do? A. Windows Firewall does not work with Remote Desktop. Disable it. B. Turn on Internet Connection Sharing. C. Configure the Services tab of ICS to allow Remote Desktop. D. Configure the Exceptions tab of Windows Firewall to allow Remote Desktop.
LAB QUESTION On a particular Windows Vista Ultimate computer, you need to configure the local area connection so that the following parameters are met: ❑
The computer must be discoverable.
❑
The computer must be able to share files.
❑
The Public folder must not be shared.
❑
A printer must be shared.
❑
Users who access the resources must log on with a username and password.
❑
You want to share music that is rated 3 stars or higher but you do not want to share unrated music.
What do you need to do to set up this computer so that the local area connection meets these parameters?
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SELF TEST ANSWERS Configure Networking by Using the Network and Sharing Center ✓ A. The network type is configured as Public. This will prevent your computer and shared 1. ® resources from being discoverable. In this case, you need to click the Change link and change the network type from Public to Private. ® ˚ B and C are incorrect because you do not have to turn certain sharing off before sharing a printer. D is incorrect because you do not have to share a printer before enabling printer sharing. ✓ C. In this illustration, network discovery is not turned on. Although the network settings 2. ® are configured for a private network and resources are shared, you still need to enable network discovery. ® ˚ A, B, and D are all incorrect. None of these actions will enable network discovery. ✓ D. Since the users have access at times when you are working on your computer and the 3. ® computer seems turned off when you return, then the computer is configured for sleep. Sleep will disrupt network access and prevent network users from accessing shared resources. ® ˚ A, B, and C are incorrect because none of these issues would cause access failure intermittently. ✓ B. When you turn on media sharing in Network and Sharing Center, you can configure 4. ® media to be shared based on their star rating. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because none of these options will provide the desired result. ✓ B. Simply open the Network and Sharing Center, click Manage Network Connections, and 5. ® then right-click the connection and click Disable. ® ˚ A, C, and D are all incorrect because these actions are not the best way to disable a device.
Troubleshoot Connectivity Issues ✓ D. APIPA is designed for small workgroups using a single IP subnet. No default gateway is 6. ® auto-assigned with APIPA. ® ˚ A, B, and C are incorrect. No default gateway is assigned. ✓ A. Access the local area connection properties. You can select Internet Protocol, click 7. ® Properties, and then adjust the addressing. ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect. You cannot adjust a connection’s properties in any of these ways. ✓ A. If there is no connectivity, first check the computer’s network adapter card by running 8. ® the loopback test, which is ping 127.0.0.1. ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect. There is no ipconfig /x command, so B is incorrect. Pinging a network IP address is not the first action, so C is also incorrect. Finally, Tracert will not help solve this problem, so D is incorrect.
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✓ C. Nbtstat, which is NetBIOS over TCP/IP, is the tool you would use here, and the –RR 9. ® (ReleaseRefresh) switch will do the job. ® ˚ A, B, and D are incorrect. These tools will not troubleshoot NetBIOS over TCP/IP. ✓ D. Pathping combines the output of Tracert and Ping, so you can determine where network 10. ® packets are being lost. ® ˚ A, B, and C are incorrect. These tools will not help you solve this particular problem. ✓ C. Use Nslookup to view DNS mappings. 11. ® ® ˚ A, B, and D are incorrect. These tools will not enable you to view DNS mappings. ✓ B and C. PPTP and L2TP are the supported VPN protocols. 12. ® ® ˚ A and D are incorrect. PPP is not used over VPN connections, and APIPA is not a transport protocol.
Configure Remote Access ✓ B. You can enable Remote Assistance by clicking the check box on the Remote tab of 13. ® System Properties. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect. You cannot enable Remote Assistance in these locations. ✓ B. On the Remote tab of System Properties, click the Advanced button under Remote 14. ® Assistance. You can change this value using the drop-down menus. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect. You can change the invitation time only on the Remote Assistance Settings dialog box, which is available on the Remote tab of System Properties by clicking the Advanced button under Remote Assistance. ✓ D. Windows Me can be used with Remote Assistance, as can with Windows 9x, NT, and 15. ® 2000, by installing the Remote Desktop client software. ® ˚ A, B, and C are incorrect. These answers are incorrect because the Remote Desktop software must be installed. ✓ C. Remote Desktop uses TCP port 3398. 16. ® ® ˚ A, B, and D are incorrect. These are not the correct port numbers. ✓ C. The Environment tab gives you a number of options that help you improve 17. ® performance. In this case, use the drop-down menu and select 56K so that Windows XP’s intensive graphics will not be used. ® ˚ A, B, and D are incorrect. None of these actions will help increase performance. ✓ D. Windows Firewall does not allow Remote Desktop communication by default. However, 18. ® you can enable it on the Exceptions tab of Windows Firewall Settings. ® ˚ A, B, and C are incorrect. Windows Firewall must have Remote Desktop enabled.
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LAB ANSWER To achieve the desired configuration, open the Network and Sharing Center in Control Panel and configure the local area connection as follows: ■
Ensure that the network is configured as a Private network (not Public).
■
Ensure that network discovery is turned on.
■
Turn on file sharing.
■
Ensure that Public Folder Sharing is turned off.
■
Turn on Printer Sharing.
■
Turn on Password Protected Sharing.
■
Turn on Media Sharing and click Change, then click Settings. Under Media types, uncheck pictures and video. Under Star Ratings, change Only to 3 stars and clear the Include Unrated Files check box, as shown in the following illustration.
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Once you’re done, the local area connection in the Network and Sharing Center should be configured as it is in the following illustration.
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7 Configure and Troubleshoot Media Applications CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVES 4.01
✓
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Q&A
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L
et’s face it: Studying for and taking Microsoft exams is no fun.You didn’t buy this book so that you would have a good time, but you bought this book to help you accomplish a goal. However, I’ll say that this chapter is likely to be more fun than grueling because most of us enjoy playing with media on our PCs. That’s good news. Windows Vista is a true media operating system. It is easier and more fun to manage and use media than ever before. With that said, you’ll notice that this chapter contains only one exam objective. You’ll also notice that this chapter is long. This is due to the simple fact that the objective “configure and troubleshoot media applications” is so broad that Microsoft can ask you essentially any question about the media applications that are built into Windows Vista. With this thought in mind, you need to have a solid command of the media applications available, and as you work through this chapter, you certainly need to get some hands-on experience with these applications. Hands-on experience will make your retention level go up, and you are much more likely to answer mediarelated questions correctly if you have some hands-on experience. The good news in all of this is that the media application questions are typically not too difficult. You just need some practical experience using and configuring them. This chapter will provide that practical experience, so warm up Windows Vista and get ready to explore Vista’s media applications.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 7.01
Configure and Troubleshoot Media Applications From music to movies to television, Windows Vista provides several applications that can help you use, manage, and even create media. That’s good news because media seem to drive our lives and even much of the content on the Internet. In the following sections, you’ll explore the media applications that ship with Windows Vista. I’ll provide a higher-level overview of the applications and their use and drill down on only the test details you really need to remember.
Windows Media Player Windows Media Player (now in version 11) has been around since the stone age of Windows. Of course, it has changed a lot over the years and has become a rather
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complicated piece of software. I think this current version is probably the best. It is more powerful, easier to use, and more intuitive than what we’ve seen in the past. Out of all of the media applications in Vista, you are more likely to run in Media Player questions on the exam than the others, so be sure to know this application well. You can start Windows Media Player by choosing Start | All Programs | Windows Media Player. Depending on your system configuration, you may also see a shortcut to Media Player on your desktop or on your taskbar. Once you open Media Player, you’ll see a default interface. The default interface provides you with a primary media area, along with a list of buttons on the top bar of Media Player (called features). If you click a button, you can see the contents displayed in the window. Figure 7-1, for example, shows my Library. You use Media Player by accessing the features on the top of the Media Player interface. Each feature does something different, of course; the following sections explore the primary features and other aspects of working with Media Player. FIGURE 7-1
Windows Media Player
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Now Playing Now Playing is your media play area and the primary area you will use—it lists or shows whatever type of media you are currently playing. When you insert most types of media into your PC, Windows Media Player will automatically launch. For example, let’s say you want to listen to your favorite CD. All you need to do is put the CD into the CD-ROM drive; then Windows Vista scans the CD, recognizes it as a music CD, and launches Windows Media Player. Media Player begins playing the CD, and information about the CD appears in the Now Playing area, as shown in Figure 7-2. You can change and configure the Now Playing interface. Because the primary purpose of Now Playing is to provide a quick and easy interface to view and play multimedia, specific configuration options for the media cannot be changed here; instead, you can adjust what is displayed in the Now Playing area and how the display looks. FIGURE 7-2
Now Playing
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If you click the Now Playing drop-down menu, you see a few important options: ■ Show Enhancements
This option turns on an enhancements interface that begins with a graphic equalizer, as shown next. However, if you click the Next button in the upper-left corner, you can also access a media link for e-mail, play speed settings, quiet mode, SRS WOW effects, video settings, color chooser, and crossfading and auto–volume leveling. All of these settings help you customize your media experience.
■ Show List Pane
The list pane, which appears on the right side of the Now Playing area, gives you additional information about the media you are viewing, such as the album name and songs, or information about the DVD. You can toggle this feature on or off here.
■ Visualizations
A visualization is a graphical display that moves with the music you are playing. You can use the pop-out box here to choose a different visualization or access options for them.
■ Plug-ins
A plug-in is additional software that works with Media Player. If you have plug-ins for Media Player, you can manage them here.
■ Options
This feature opens a tabbed properties interface that has a lot of settings. We’ll explore it later in this chapter.
■ Help
You can access the Media Player help file here.
Use the standard control buttons in the lower area of Media Player to play the media, stop playing the media, skip tracks forward and back, adjust the volume, and use related stereo or video controls. At the bottom right of the interface, you also see button options to switch to compact mode and full-screen mode. You can change the Media Player skin by first turning on classic menus. Right-click an area of the toolbar (such as the empty space next to Now Playing) and click Show Classic Menus (if they are not already turned on). Click View | Skin Chooser.
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Library All of your saved music and video files are stored in the Library under different categories so that you can easily access them, as shown in Figure 7-3. On the left side of the interface, you see various categories with plus- and minus-sign boxes next to them. Click a category, and you can see the songs or videos in your library for that category. For example, when I expand Album, I can select an album and see a list of songs I have copied to my computer from that album in the right pane. Just doubleclick a song or video clip to hear or see it. Keep in mind that the Library’s purpose is to help you keep track of files that you want. The Library is able to detect the type of multimedia you are using and add it to the appropriate category. You can search your Library by clicking the Search button at the top of the interface, and you can perform standard add, remove, and delete functions. You can also use the Library to create a playlist of your favorite tunes or videos. To add a new item to the Library, you’ll switch from the Library to the Rip tab, where you can copy a CD or certain songs to the library. We’ll explore the Rip option in an upcoming section. You can create playlists of songs in your library by mixing and matching them. This task is easy, as you can see in Exercise 7-1.
FIGURE 7-3
Library
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EXERCISE 7-1 CertCam
Creating a Playlist To create a playlist, follow these steps: 1. In Library, click the Playlists option to expand it and click Create Playlist. 2. Type a name for the playlist. Then, browse the library for the desired songs you want on the playlist. When you find a song you want to add, right-click it and use the Add To option to add it to your playlist, or you can simply drag the song to the playlist and drop it. 3. As you add items to the playlist, they appear in the list pane on the right side of the interface. You can right-click a song in the list to move it up or down in the list, or you can remove a song you’ve added this way. When you’re done, just click Save Playlist.
Rip The Rip feature, shown in Figure 7-4, gives you information about the music CD you are currently listening to so that you can rip, or copy, the songs to your Library. If you are connected to the Internet, you’ll see the names of the songs, artist name, and album name. If not, the tracks are simply listed as Track 1, Track 2, and so on. Choose the songs you want to rip by checking the boxes next to the songs (or unchecking them if you don’t want certain songs ripped). Next, simply click the Start Rip button found on the lower-right portion of the screen. The ripping process will take a few minutes, depending on how many songs you are ripping from a CD. Keep in mind that your ripped songs are added to your library.
Burn The Burn interface allows you to choose songs or playlists that you want to burn to a CD. First, though, your computer must have a CD-RW drive in order to burn CDs. Click the Burn button on the toolbar and drag items to the right pane that you want to burn, such as individual songs or whole albums. Once you are done, place a CD-R disk in your CD-RW drive and click Start Burn, as you can see in Figure 7-5. If you want to burn a data CD instead of an audio CD, used for backing up songs, click the Burn drop-down menu and choose Data CD or DVD.
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FIGURE 7-4
Rip
FIGURE 7-5
Burn
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INSIDE THE EXAM Configuring CD Audio Options You can control how songs are recorded and managed in Media Player by choosing Rip | More Options. You see a Rip Music tab, shown in the following illustration. Under most circumstances, the default options configured on this tab are all you need, but at times you may want to change the default behavior. The following options are found on this tab: ■
Rip Music To This Location By default, the location is My Documents\ My Music. If you want to change this default location, click Change and select a different folder on your computer’s hard drive.
■
Rip Settings You can choose to copy music in either the Windows Media format or MP3. The Copy Protect Music check box simply means that Windows Media Player is keeping a license for you to copy the music and play it on your computer. It is illegal for you to e-mail copies of music to other people, however, or redistribute it by any other means. The other options are obvious. You can choose
an Audio Quality setting by adjusting the slider bar. The higher the quality of the copy, the more hard drive space is consumed. Even at a lower quality, several megabytes of storage space will be needed for only a few songs.
Sync The Sync interface looks almost exactly like the Burn interface, except you use this interface to synchronize songs with a portable device instead of burning them to a CD. Simply drag the songs or albums you want to sync with your device to the right pane, make sure your device is connected and turned on, and then click Start Sync.
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Media Player Configuration Options In addition to all the fun and frills of Media Player, you can do a few things that are more substantial. Click any toolbar button menu and choose More Options. If you have Classic Menus turned on, you can also choose Tools | Options, and you’ll see several different tabs with a number of options on each tab. The following list tells you what is available on each tab: ■ Player
This tab contains a number of basic check boxes. By default, your Media Player checks the Media Player Web site weekly for updates to Media Player.
■ Rip Music
This tab enables you to make setting adjustments concerning the copying of CD music.
■ Devices
This tab, shown next, lists all devices found on your computer that can be used for media playback, such as your CD-ROM or DVD drive. If you select a drive and click Properties, a window appears, where you can choose whether to use analog or digital playback and copy. Typically, this tab
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is set to digital; but if you’re having problems, you can try the analog setting. The Error Correction feature, available only with digital playback, allows Windows to attempt to resolve problems found in the digital media. This setting can be used, but you may notice a negative effect on the performance of your system—so I recommend you skip it unless you’re having problems with digital media.
■ Performance
These settings affect how Media Player uses your Internet connection. You do not need to configure anything here, but I will note that, by default, Windows Media Player can detect your connection speed to the Internet. This allows Media Player to determine how best to handle media downloads. Make sure you leave this setting as is, because Media Player will perform better if it can detect your Internet connection speeds.
■ Library
By default, Library gives other applications that tap into it readonly access, and no access is granted to anyone on the Internet. You should leave these settings alone.
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■ Plug-Ins
This tab allows you to manage plug-ins by adding or removing them and accessing any available properties sheets.
■ Privacy
The Privacy settings are designed to keep you anonymous while you are connected to the Internet. You can peruse this list and make any changes concerning what Media Player can and cannot do, but in most cases, the default settings are all you need.
■ Security
The Security settings you have with Media Player simply determine whether or not Media Player can run scripts from the Internet and what Internet Explorer zone Media Player should use. Generally, you do not need to change these settings.
■ DVD
This tab enables you to set playback restrictions and language settings for DVDs.
■ Network
This tab contains protocol usage settings and proxy server enabler settings. You typically don’t need to change anything on this tab.
INSIDE THE EXAM Digital Rights Management Digital Rights Management (DRM) refers to a part of a protected file, such as a song or video that you purchase and download from the Internet. The purpose of DRM is to ensure that a computer is licensed to play a particular song or video, a tactic that helps prevent digital media piracy. Often times, the content provider will allow you the right to play a particular digital file a certain number of times, play it on a certain number of computers, sync it a certain number of times, or burn it to a DVD a certain number of times. All in the name of “rights,” naturally.
The DRM attached to a file varies according to the service from which you bought or subscribed to it. For the exam, just keep in mind that your PC must have the rights to use digital content. When you open the digital content in Windows Media Player, the player will attempt to acquire those rights via the Internet by default. You can stop this behavior by accessing the Options dialog box, Privacy tab, and clearing the “Download Usage rights automatically when I play or sync a file” check box.
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SCENARIO & SOLUTION How do I get to a typical File, Edit, and View menu as in previous versions of Media Player?
These menus are still available, but they are hidden by default. Just right-click an area of the taskbar and click Show Classic Menus. You can turn the menus back off in the same way.
Can I rip songs from a CD and have them automatically convert to MP3 in Media Player?
Yes. Access Rip settings (Rip | More Options) and choose the desired file format.
Windows Movie Maker and Windows DVD Maker Windows Movie Maker is another older application that gets a facelift in Windows Vista. It is easier and more intuitive than it has been in the past. Windows DVD Maker is a new application. It provides a basic interface to burn your movies or photos. While not overly exciting, it works well and is a new application (which is always a hint that you should pay attention for sake of the exam). I’ll provide a highlevel overview of using Movie Maker: the odds of your seeing direct exam questions about it are not high, but you should know the basic functions because you use it to create video clips for the DVD Maker. Then, we’ll walk through the creation of a DVD using Windows DVD Maker.
Using Windows Movie Maker You can open Windows Movie Maker by clicking Start | All Programs | Windows Movie Maker. The Movie Maker interface, shown in Figure 7-6, provides you with a few important and distinct work areas: ■ Menu
Movie Maker contains a standard menu of options, including File, Edit, View, Tools, Clip, Play, and Help. You’ll use these menus to access Movie Maker features as you create movies.
■ Toolbar
The toolbar provides quick and easy access to common features. The toolbar options you see change depending on your current task.
■ Tasks
The Tasks pane, located on the left side of the interface, is your quick and easy access point for all kinds of functions and features. The content of the Tasks pane changes, depending on what you are working on at the moment.
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FIGURE 7-6
Windows Movie Maker
■ Monitor Area
The Monitor enables you to watch your movie in progress and also manage your clips.
■ Storyboard / Timeline
The Storyboard and Timeline views enable you to assemble your movie and work with various pieces of it.
Windows Movie Maker will look for and expect to find both a video and sound card or other capture device. If it doesn’t find these, you’ll
receive a message telling you that your computer does not meet the Movie Maker requirements.
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Importing Digital Data You can import digital video and photos directly from your video camera or from your computer if the files already reside there. You can also import music to use in your movie in the same way. Windows Movie Maker can recognize all kinds of movie files, such as asf, avi, mpeg, wmv, and so forth. Additionally, it can recognize and use essentially all kinds of picture and audio files as well. You can import directly from your DV camera. Simply connect your camera to your computer and turn it on. Then, in the Tasks pane click Import From Digital Video Camera and click Import. If you already have video files and/or picture files on your computer, you can import them directly into movie maker. In the Tasks pane under Import, choose Videos, Pictures, or Audio or Music, and then simply browse for the desired files. Once you have imported video footage, you can spend a few minutes editing it. You can split clips, trim them, and combine clips so that the footage of your video is what you want and more manageable. These tasks are outside of the exam scope, but if you’re interested, just access Windows Movie Maker help for step-by-step instructions.
Just because the digital video from your camera is in a supported format, that does not necessarily mean that you will have a problem-free transfer from the camcorder. Your camcorder has to connect with Windows Vista, and depending on the make and model as well as available drivers, you may have problems.
The thing to remember is that your camcorder probably shipped with instructions or even an installation DVD that you can use to install the necessary drivers. Also, you may need to download new drivers from the manufacturer’s Web site. Be sure to check out these items as your first troubleshooting step.
Creating a Storyboard You can use the Workspace to create a storyboard or to sequence your clips together. You’ll drag clips onto the Workspace area to create the storyboard. Begin by dragging the first clip in your movie to the video area of the Workspace. Once it is in position, you see the first frame of the video displayed in the Monitor. If you change to Timeline view, you can see how much time is consumed by the clip. By using the timeline, you can connect pieces of clips while monitoring the time frame of the whole movie. However, you will probably find that Storyboard view, shown in Figure 7-7, is initially easier to use when you are assembling your movie. The zoom in and zoom out buttons at the top of the Workspace let you see more detail concerning the timeline (click the Storyboard drop-down menu and choose
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FIGURE 7-7
Storyboard view
the Timeline option to see the view shown in Figure 7-8). While zoomed out, the storyboard is shown to you in increments of 10 seconds. You can zoom in and zoom out more to see the clips in whatever time measure you want.
Adding Transitions Windows Movie Maker provides several transitions that you can use between clips. For example, let’s say your movie contains clips of your vacation in Hawaii. You can use Movie Maker to assemble the clips and place transitions between them so that the flow from clip to clip is more natural and less choppy. You can easily create transitions in the Storyboard. Follow these steps: 1. In the Workspace, make certain that Storyboard view is enabled. 2. In the Tasks pane under Edit, click Transitions. You can see the available transitions in the content area of the interface. 3. A transition box appears between each clip/photo on the storyboard. Drag a desired transition to a transition box on the storyboard. Each time you place
FIGURE 7-8
Timeline view
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a transition, an icon will appear in the transition box between each clip, as shown here:
4. Click Play in the Monitor to see your movie play with the transitions.
Adding Effects Movie Maker also includes a number of effects you can add to any clip or photo. Effects cover all kinds of video/photo effects, such as blurring features, lighting features, and even an old-age film effect. These features are not necessary, of course, but they can add some cool features to your movies. To add an effect, just follow these steps: 1. In the Tasks pane, choose Effects under Edit. You’ll see the effects options in the collections area. 2. Scroll through the effects and locate one that you want to use. 3. Drag the effect to the star icon on the desired clip in the storyboard. Repeat this process for other clips to which you want to add effects. 4. Click Play in the Monitor to see your effect in action.
Adding Audio to Your Movies Once you have placed clips on the storyboard, trimmed and transitioned as desired, you can add audio to your movie. For example, you can add narration, background music, or even additional background noise. If it’s an audio file, you can add it to your movie. If you switch to the Timeline view, you’ll see an Audio/Music section on the Timeline. You can drag and drop music clips to this area to use in your video. (Remember that you import audio files in the same way you import photos and video clips.) The following illustration shows the Timeline with an audio clip added:
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Just as when trimming a video clip, you can click and drag the audio file on the timeline to trim off the beginning or end. To adjust the level of the audio volume, click Tools | Audio. To record your voice or some background music or sounds, click Tools | Narrate Timeline. You should already have your computer microphone connected and tested, or make sure that any other sound input device that you want to use to record is ready.
Adding Titles and Credits You can easily add a title to the beginning of the movie, titles before or on a selected clip, and credits at the end of the movie. In the Tasks pane, click Titles And Credits under the Edit category and your workspace changes so that you can select the kind of title that you want to add. Saving and Publishing As you’re working on your movie, you can save and close the entire project. When you’re ready to begin working again, you can open the project and continue. When your movie is finished, you can save it as a movie file so that Windows Media Player and other media software can read and play the movie. To save the movie, choose File | Save Movie File. Once you save the movie, you can view it with Windows Media Player. Once you are finished with your movie, you can publish it. When you publish your movie, you can save it to your computer, burn it to a DVD or recordable CD, save it in a smaller format so that you can e-mail it to someone, or record it back to your digital video camera. In the Tasks pane, simply click the desired option and follow any saving instructions that appear. Note that if you want to burn your movie to a DVD, the Windows DVD Maker appears. You can find out how to use the Windows DVD Maker in the next section.
SCENARIO & SOLUTION Is there a way to make a film clip look like an old movie film clip?
Use the Effects option and choose the aged film effect. You can simply drag and drop this effect onto the desired clip.
How can I control the volume of background music verses narration?
You can control volume levels for all music, background noise, video sound, and so forth directly on the Timeline.
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Using Windows DVD Maker Windows DVD Maker is a new application in Windows Vista, and for this reason, you should work through the application once or twice and make a DVD just for background knowledge. As with Movie Maker, the odds of your seeing direct exam questions on Windows DVD Maker are not high, but as with all Microsoft exams, you never know what you’ll get. You can start Windows DVD Maker from Start | All Programs. It will also start automatically if you choose to burn a DVD from Windows Movie Maker. Your first look is essentially a welcome screen, shown in Figure 7-9. Click Choose Photos and Videos. When you first open Windows DVD Maker, you see a basic interface with no content, as shown in Figure 7-10. Before using the DVD Maker, you may want to change one of the options that determines how the DVD Maker works. Notice the Options link in the lower righthand corner. Click this link to open the DVD-Video Options dialog box, shown in
FIGURE 7-9
Windows DVD Maker welcome screen
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FIGURE 7-10
Add window
Figure 7-11. Notice that you can choose how your DVD is played back. You have the option to start with a DVD menu (this is the default), play a video and end with a DVD menu, or play a video in a continuous loop. In most cases, starting with a menu is the easiest way to use a DVD, and it is the standard DVD format you’re already used to any way. You don’t need to change the DVD aspect ratio or Video format. When you’re done, click OK.
Adding Movies or Photos to a DVD The first thing you need to do is add media items to your DVD. First things first, if you’re using a movie you created with Windows Movie Maker, just click DVD under Publish in Movie Maker and it will send your movie to the Windows DVD Maker. However, you can also add other items, or you can mix video and photos from scratch as well. Click the Add Items button on the toolbar. This opens a standard folder interface where you can browse for your movies, video clips, or photos. Windows DVD Maker can read and use most standard file formats. Locate and select your items and click Open.
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FIGURE 7-11
DVD-Video Options
The new items will appear in the DVD Maker. Note that if you choose photos, they will be placed in a folder called “Slide Show” within the DVD Maker interface, as you can see in Figure 7-12. You can double-click the folder to see the photos. When you’re done, just click the Back To Videos button on the toolbar. As you’re working on adding items, notice that you can use the toolbar buttons to remove items, or you can select an item and move it up or down in the list. Make sure the order of the items is as you want because the order you see here is the order for the DVD. If you’re using a Slide Show and you want to change the order of the photos, double-click the folder to see the photos. Then use the Move Up or Move Down button to re-order the photos. When you’re done, just click Back To Videos. Also notice that there is a Disc Title text box toward the bottom of the window. By default, the title is set by today’s date. However, you can change the title to whatever you would like. Now that everything is added and ordered the way you want, click Next.
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FIGURE 7-12
Video and slide show photos
Configure the Menu In the next window, you’ll see the option to burn your disc. However, before doing so, you have some additional options that you need to configure. The first is the DVD menu, which is what you’ll see when you put the DVD into a DVD player. To create a menu, simply follow the steps in Exercise 7-2.
EXERCISE 7-2 CertCam
Configuring the DVD Menu To create a DVD menu, follow these steps: 1. In the right Menu Styles pane, click through the menu items to locate the one that you want. When you click a menu style, you can see it in the interface. Notice that the menus will use pieces of your DVD content, as shown on the next page.
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2. As you might imagine, you’ll want to change some things about the menu, and you can easily do so. First, click the Menu Text button on the toolbar. Choose the Font option and then adjust the labels for the Disc Title, Play button, Scenes button, and Notes button (if desired). Note that once you
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make your changes, you can click Preview to see your changes. Click Save when you’re done.
3. Now click the Customize button on the toolbar. You can use the provided dialog box and buttons to adjust the Foreground and Background video, Menu audio, Motion menu, and Scenes button. The Video option allows you to pull in other videos or photos to use within the menu so that the video looks just like you want. Make any desired changes here and click Save.
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Configuring Your Slide Show If your DVD includes a folder of photos for a slide show, you can click the Slide Show button on the toolbar and make some adjustments as to how the slide show looks when it is played. You’ll see a slide show settings window, shown in Figure 7-13, where you can make the following choices: ■ Music
Click Add Music to add any music stored on your computer or a device connected to your computer to the slide show. You’ll see a standard Open interface where you can browse and select the music.
■ Slide Show Length
You can change the slide show length to match the music clip you’re using, and you can change the picture length so that each photo is displayed for a desired number of seconds. Typically, 7 to 10 seconds is enough.
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FIGURE 7-13
Choose the slide show settings and click Save.
■ Transition
You can choose a transition between the photos. Use the dropdown menu to make your selection. The transition you choose applies to all photos. In other words, you can’t assign different transitions to different photos.
■ Pan And Zoom
You can use this feature so that your photos appear to have movement with a panning and zooming feature.
Previewing and Burning Your DVD Now that you have your settings and content configured, click the Preview button on the toolbar to see a preview of your DVD. After the preview, you’ll still be able to make changes to the menu and slide show if necessary. When you click Preview, DVD Maker will generate the movie and begin playing from the menu. Use the standard controls on the interface to view your movie.
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When you have finished previewing your movie and you have made any final changes, you are ready to burn your DVD. Make sure you are happy with your DVD before burning because you cannot stop the burn process to make changes. When you’re ready, simply click Start Burn. The interface disappears and you see a Burning dialog box. The burning process will take some time and will take longer if your content is long.
Windows Photo Gallery Another new application in Windows Vista is Windows Photo Gallery. This program makes managing the plethora of photos most people end up with on their PCs easier in terms of both organization and basic photo management. As with Windows Movie Maker and DVD Maker, a 10-minute walk through of the interface will suffice for the exam—you basically need to know what you can do with the photo gallery and in what situations the gallery can help you manage photos. Click Start | All Programs | Windows Photo Gallery. The gallery appears, as you can see in Figure 7-14. If you click the File menu and choose Add Folder To Gallery, you can then browse for a desired folder of photos or videos that you can add to the gallery for viewing and management purposes. Note that this doesn’t change your original folder of photos. That folder stays the same and stays in the same place on your computer. The gallery simply allows you to manage those photos. Notice also that you can use the File menu to import photos directly from a scanner or camera. If you choose this option, you’ll see a window where you can choose a device to import the photos from.
Use the Control Bar If you take a look at the bottom of the Windows Photo Gallery, you notice a control bar where you can perform some basic actions with your photo. As you can see here, the control bar gives you the following controls:
■ Change The Display Size
Use this slider bar to quickly change the display size of the photos you see in the gallery.
■ Reset Thumbnails To Default Size
If you make a change to the display size using the slider bar, you can quickly click this button to return the photos to the default viewing size.
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FIGURE 7-14
Windows Photo Gallery
■ Previous Photo ■ Play Slide Show ■ Next Photo
Click this button to move to the previous photo. Click this button to play a slide show of your photos.
Click this photo to go to the next photo in the gallery.
■ Rotate Counterclockwise And Clockwise
Use these two buttons to rotate
photos. ■ Delete
Use this button to move a selected photo to the Recycle Bin.
Fix a Photo If you select a photo and click the Fix button on the toolbar, you’ll see an enlarged version of the photo and a control pane that gives you some basic photo fixing options, as you can see in Figure 7-15.
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FIGURE 7-15
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Fix options
You have the following adjustment options: ■ Auto Adjust
Click this button and the gallery will automatically attempt to adjust the color tones in the photo. In some cases, this feature can help instantly fix a photo, while in others, you may not like the adjustment. If you don’t like the fix, just click the Undo button at the bottom of the control pane.
■ Adjust Exposure
If you click this option, the control pane gives you two slider bars to adjust the brightness and contrast of the photo. You can move these around and see the impact that they have on the photo.
■ Adjust Color
If you click this option, you see slider controls for color temperature, tint, and saturation. Move these around to see the changes that are made on your photo.
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■ Crop Picture
If you click the Crop Picture option, a crop box appears on the photo and a proportion control appears on the pane, as shown next. You can choose the original option so that you can crop in any way that you want, or you can choose a preset, standard print size, such as 4x6. This feature enables you to crop the photo but keep a standard print ratio so that the photo will print normally. Make a selection and then drag the crop box around as needed, then simply click Apply to crop the photo.
■ Fix Red Eye
You can easily remove red eye from a photo. Red eye is a common photo problem that occurs typically in lower light settings. You can fix this easily with the gallery. Click the Fix Red Eye option, and then drag your mouse over the red eyes. The gallery will automatically fix the color.
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Add Info to a Photo If you click the Info button on the toolbar, you can add a rating to the photo and add tags. The rating and tags essentially enable you to add some information to the photo so that you can search for the photo in the future and find it more easily. For example, you can search for “four star” photos or photos that have certain tags. Once you click Info, notice that you can click in the stars and assign the photo a general rating. This feature enables you to assign a rating to the photo. If you are consistent, this feature can help you determine what photos in your collection are 5-star photos, 4-star photos, and so forth. Next, you can add tags. Tags are basically labels that are assigned to a photo, enabling you to browse through the tabs in the gallery and see the photos with those tags, or you can search for photos with the tags you’re looking for. To add a tag, click the Add Tags option and type the name of the tag. Also notice that you can add a caption to the photo. Simply click the option and type the caption that you want to see with the photo.
Print, E-Mail, and Burn Your Photo You can use the gallery to print your photo. If you click the Print button on the toolbar, you’ll have the option to print locally or order prints on the Internet. If you click the Print option, the Print Pictures window appears, as shown in Figure 7-16. Here you can choose the size of your photo, copies, the printer you want to use, and so forth in order to print your photo to your specifications. If you choose to order prints online, a dialog box appears where you can select a printing company to connect to and upload your photos. This process is selfexplanatory. If you click the E-Mail button on the toolbar, you’ll see a dialog box that enables you to choose the size of your photo and attach it to an e-mail message. Since large photos can be difficult and slow to e-mail to other people, you can adjust the size and see how large in terms of bytes the photo will be for transmission. Typically, 800 × 600 is a good size to consider for sending over e-mail. If you click the Burn button on the toolbar, you can choose whether you want to burn a data disc (CD) or a video DVD. You’ll need to insert the CD or DVD and simply follow additional instructions that appear.
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FIGURE 7-16
Print Pictures options
Windows Media Center Windows Media Center is now a built-in component of Widows Vista, giving you more flexibility with digital content, especially watching and recording television. Media Center is a rather intuitive, simple interface, so you’ll have no trouble getting
SCENARIO & SOLUTION How can I manage the order in which photos and video content appear on the DVD?
Use the Add page to adjust the order of the content. You can also open folders of photos and adjust the order of the photos. The photos are displayed as they are ordered in the folder.
If I have ratings assigned to photos and I only want to share photos that have a certain rating, is there a way to do so?
Yes. You can control what multimedia are shared on a network by rating. You use the Network and Sharing Center to configure this option. See Chapter 2 for details.
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used to using it. In this section, I’ll give you an overview and make sure you get some hands-on practice! Since Media Center is a built-in part of Windows Vista, you’ll find it in Start | All Programs | Windows Media Center. When you first start the Media Center, you’ll see a Welcome screen asking you to set it up. This “set up” routine will only take a minute as it downloads files from the Internet, so go ahead and choose Express Setup and click OK, as shown in Figure 7-17. Once you’ve set up Media Center, you arrive at the Start page, shown in Figure 7-18. Notice that if you point to the center selection area, you see a scroll-down arrow. This allows you to flip through all of the available features in Media Center. While you’re
FIGURE 7-17
Express Setup option
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FIGURE 7-18
Choose what you want to do from the start screen.
doing this, look to the right. Notice the right arrow as well. This selection arrow enables you to scroll through options for whatever feature you select. Using these two arrows, you can access anything that you want in Media Center. Click through the options using the down arrow and then click Settings. This will take you to a general settings page for the different features you use in Media Center—such as TV, Pictures, Music, and so forth. If you simply click a category, you can choose additional subcategories to access settings. For example, Figure 7-19 shows the General settings, Startup and Window Behavior. A few settings are selected by default, but you can enable others if you want. You can click through the different settings and categories to get a feel for how Media Center is configured and make any desired changes. Naturally, you may want to return to the setting options and make additional changes once you’ve used Media Center’s features a bit.
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FIGURE 7-19
Use settings options to make configuration changes.
Use the Pictures + Video Feature The Pictures + Video feature enables you to look at and use a pictures library and/or a video library. Essentially, each feature gives you a way to look at and use your media. If you select the Pictures + Video option on the Start page, you can then click the Picture Library to get started. When you first select the Picture Library, it will ask if you want to add other folders to the library from your computer (such as personal photo folders and such). Just follow the screen prompts to do so. Once you’re done, you can look at your library of photos in three different views: ■ Folders
This view shows you the folders of photos on your PC. You can click a folder to open it and view the photos or the subfolders. This is the default view selected.
■ Tags
You can also view photos by tags, shown next. If photos have been tagged with names and keywords in Windows Photo Gallery, those tags
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show up in Media Center and you can browse your photo collection by keywords.
■ Date Taken
You can click the Date Taken option to see the photos in the library by the date.
Aside from taking a look at your collection, you can also click Play Slide Show to see all of your photos as a slide show. Notice that if you move your mouse to the lower right-hand corner, you can access some standard controls so that you can manually move around in the slide show. You can make some changes to the way the slide show plays. Go back to the Settings menu and choose Pictures. Then, you can scroll through the list of options, choosing transition times, types, whether or not to play music during the slide show, and so on. These settings are self-explanatory. The Video Library option works the same way as Photos. You can open the Video Library and see videos through folders or by the date they were taken. Then, you can simply click the desired video that you want to see.
Use Music in Media Center If you click the Music option on the Start page, you can access the Music Library, Internet radio, or you can use a search feature to find what music you are looking for. As with all things in Media Center, these options are easy to use.
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If you open the Music Library, you see all of the music that is in the Library in Windows Media Player, so start in Media Player to add items to the library. You can then use Media Center to look through your library and start playing songs or playlists. As you can see in Figure 7-20, you can look for music by albums, artists, genres, songs, playlists, or composers in much the same way you can look for songs within Media Player. If you choose the album feature and select an album, you’ll see options to play the album, add music from the album to the queue, burn album to a CD, edit the album’s info, or delete it from the library. You can also locate individual songs and add them to the queue as well. You can also access Internet radio and listen to radio stations on the Internet. While you’re listening to music, you can also see a visualization on the screen for entertainment purposes, much as you would with Windows Media Player. You can turn on the visualization feature and choose a visualization by accessing the Settings feature and choosing the Music category.
FIGURE 7-20
Use the Music Library to look through songs and playlists.
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Watch and Record Live TV You can use Windows Media Center to watch and record live television, but before you can do that, you’ll need to purchase and install a TV tuner card. If you purchased a Media Center–based PC, your PC may already have a TV tuner card, but the odds are that you’ll need to purchase and install one. Most TV tuner cards are PCI cards, meaning that the device attaches to an internal slot on your computer. Most TV tuner cards cost 50–100 dollars, and you’ll be able to find one at your local computer store, or you can shop online at Windows Market Place, which is available in the Welcome Center in Windows Vista (click Start | Windows Vista). You’ll need to follow the information that comes with the card concerning installation. Once the card is installed correctly, just attach your cable television to the card and you’re all set! The first thing you’ll need to do is allow Media Center to configure the TV Tuner. Click Start | Windows Media Center. On the Start screen scroll to select TV + Movies and then choose the Set Up TV option, shown in Figure 7-21. Media Center will configure itself to work with television, so simply follow any prompts that appear. If Windows Media Center cannot locate your TV tuner card, you’ll see a message telling you so. In this case, you’ll need to check the instructions about installing your card again.
Finding Movies on TV Once Media Center is set up for television, you’ll see a Movie Guide option when you access TV + Movies on the Start screen. You can use the guide to search for movies on your television channels by rating, what is currently on, on next, or by genres. Once you find a movie that you want to view, just click Watch. For a more narrow search, just access TV + Movies on the Start screen and click Search. Using the search window, you can look for movies by title, keywords, categories, actors, or even directors. The search will give you movies that are currently playing as well as possible future showings. Watching and Pausing Live TV To watch live TV, access TV + Movies on the Start screen and click Live TV. You can see information about the program you are watching by right-clicking the TV show and clicking Program Info. Click Watch to return to the program. As with any music or movie playback in Media Center, you’ll see a control bar at the bottom of your screen (just hover your mouse there to make it reappear if you
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FIGURE 7-21
Set Up TV in Media Center
don’t see it). You can use the controls, including the channel controls, to adjust the volume and even change the channel. If you have a Media Center PC, you can also use your remote control for this purpose. When you’re not using the controls, they disappear from sight, giving you a true TV experience without any visual interruptions. Figure 7-22 shows you an example of a movie playback. So, let’s say you’re in the middle of your favorite show and someone comes to the door. You can avoid missing your show by simply pausing live TV. When you pause live TV, Windows Vista records the show to a file. When you return, you can start watching where you left off until you eventually catch back up with the live TV. You can do all of this without jumping through a bunch of configuration hoops or anything like that. When you want to pause live TV, just press the Pause button on the control bar. When you return to watch, just use the Play button to continue watching. You can also use the fast forward or rewind buttons as well. This way, you can simply fast forward through commercials until you can catch back up with live TV.
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FIGURE 7-22
Watching TV on Windows Vista
Recording and Using Playback While Windows Vista can be a real boon to watching television because of its live pausing feature, you can also just record a show or movie and watch it later. You can record a show that is playing at the moment, or you can choose a show or movie that will play at a later time and record it as well.
Unfortunately, you can’t record one show and watch another at the same time. In order to do this, you would need at least two TV tuners installed on your PC—one to record the show and
one to watch the different show. This is a limitation of the TV tuner. You can find out more about using multiple TV tuners on your Windows Vista PC by accessing Windows Help.
To record a movie or show that is currently playing, just start watching the show or movie and click the Record button on the control bar that appears at the bottom
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of your screen. This is a great way to record the rest of a show or movie if you start watching it but get interrupted. If you want to record a show or movie that has not aired yet, you have a few options you’ll enjoy: ■ Access the movie guide to record an entire series. Just right-click the series
and click Record Series. ■ To record by channel or time, access TV + Movies and click Recorded TV.
Click Add Recording and then click Channel And Time. Enter the channel and time information, or start and stop times, and then click Record. ■ To record only the new episodes of a series, access the Start screen and
choose Tasks | Settings | TV | Recorder and then click Recording Defaults. Under Series Only Recording Defaults, select First Run to record only shows that have an original broadcast date of less than a week and are not marked as reruns. After you record a show or movie, you can access TV + Movies and access recorded TV. Here, you’ll see a list of movies or shows that have been recorded. You can look through your list of movies or shows by the date they were recorded or by title. To play a movie or show, click it and you’ll see a Movie Details screen. Click Play to start playing the movie, or you can get more information about the movie, delete it, or burn it to a CD or DVD.
Using Windows Media Center Extenders The odds are quite good that you will see an exam question about Windows Media Center Extenders. Windows Media Center Extenders are necessary for interoperability between Media Center and external devices, such as Xboxes and network-capable TVs and DVD players. Essentially, a Media Center Extender (MCE) device enables you to watch or record TV, listen to music, or view pictures or videos without being at your computer. Since Windows Vista now includes Media Center, these features, formerly available in only Media Center PCs in the days of Windows XP, are now available as a part of your PC.
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For the exam, you need to know the general steps to set up an MCE device. Exercise 7-3 shows you how.
EXERCISE 7-3 CertCam
Configuring an MCE Device To set up an MCE device, follow these steps: 1. Make sure Windows Vista is connected to your network. 2. Turn on the MCE device and ensure that it is also connected to the network. 3. On the Windows Vista computer, open Media Center and go to Tasks | Add Extender. 4. Prompts will appear asking you to enter the eight-digit Setup Key provided by the MCE device. 5. Complete the additional prompts and click Finish.
When you set up an MCE device, the MCE service (mcx2svc) will start and Windows Firewall will be configured to allow MCE communication with Windows Vista. Keep in mind that if you need to cross a third-party firewall, the
firewall will have to be manually configured to allow MCE traffic. For the exam, you don’t need to worry about which TCP or UDP ports need opening, but just bear in mind that third-party firewalls will need to be manually configured.
SCENARIO & SOLUTION What are the typical problems that can happen with an MCE device?
Make sure you go through setup correctly so that the firewall is configured. Also, make sure your computer is on—not in a sleep state.
Why will third-party firewalls need to be configured for MCE?
When you run the setup routine, Windows Firewall is configured to allow MCE traffic. Naturally, this setup routine cannot configure a third-party firewall.
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CERTIFICATION SUMMARY Windows Vista includes several applications that enable you to both create and manage digital content. Windows Media Player (version 11) is a part of Windows Vista. With a more organized, streamlined look, you can easily view media; manage them in the library; burn, sync, or rip them; and access only stores. Keep in mind that you can manage most of Media Player’s configuration by clicking any drop-down menu and clicking More Options. Windows Vista includes a new version of Movie Maker. You can import digital video and photos into Movie Maker and assemble movies. You can also import sounds, create narration, and include transitions as well as effects. Once you’re done, you can save your movie for a variety of purposes and you can create a DVD with your movie using Windows DVD Maker. Essentially, the new Windows DVD Maker is a basic wizard interface that enables you to organize the media, create a menu, and burn the media to a DVD disk. Windows Photo Gallery is an effective tool to organize and manage photos as well as perform basic editing of those photos. Keep in mind that you can apply tags to photos to help identify them for searching and for sharing purposes. Windows Media Center is included with Windows Vista, giving you the ability to watch movies, play music, view photos, and play and record live TV via the Media Center. You can also configure Media Center Extender (MCE) devices to interoperate with Media Center over your local network, such as Xboxes, network-enabled TVs, and DVDs.
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✓
TWO-MINUTE DRILL Configure and Troubleshoot Media Applications ❑ Windows Media Player consists of a series of tabs that enable you to play and
manage media. They are: Now Playing, Library, Rip, Burn, and Sync. ❑ Digital Rights Management governs how many times songs are played,
copied, or burned to CDs and how many computers can play them, according to the rights settings built into the media file from the supplier. ❑ Most necessary configuration changes to Media Player can be made by
clicking any of the tabs and clicking More Options. Here, you can adjust a number of different features and functions, including playback options, codecs, security, networking, and so forth. ❑ Windows Movie Maker allows you to import digital media and organize it
into a “movie.” You can organize digital content on the Storyboard or work with it in more detail on the Timeline. ❑ You can publish your movie in a common file format, or you can use Windows
DVD Maker to burn it to a DVD. ❑ Windows DVD Maker is a wizard-type program that enables you to organize
digital content and burn it to a DVD. You can also create a menu and manage the order of the DVD as desired. ❑ Use Windows Photo Gallery to manage photo collections, assign descriptive
tags, and perform basic photo editing, printing, and e-mailing. ❑ Windows Media Center is an effective tool to view all kinds of media, such as
movies, photos, and television, as well as music. ❑ Media Center Extender devices can be used with Media Center so that you
can access these resources via the devices away from your PC.
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SELF TEST The following questions will help you measure your understanding of the material presented in this chapter. Read all the choices carefully because there might be more than one correct answer. Choose all correct answers for each question.
Configure and Troubleshoot Media Applications 1. In Windows Media Player, you need to adjust the video settings for a DVD that you want to play. Where can you adjust these settings? A. Access the Options dialog box and configure the feature on the Security tab. B. Click the Now Playing menu and choose Show Enhancements. C. Click the Now Playing menu and click Plug-ins. D. Click the Now Playing menu and click Show List Pane. 2. In Windows Media Player, you insert a CD by a favorite artist into the CD player. You want to rip the songs to Media Player. However, when you click the Rip tab, the tracks on the CD are simply listed as Track 1, Track 2, and so forth, rather than song title. What is the most likely cause of this problem? A. You need to click Now Playing first. B. The Rip tab of More Options is not configured correctly. C. The computer is not connected to the Internet. D. The CD is damaged. 3. You want to change the default location where ripped music is stored in Windows Media Player from My Music. You have created a new folder where you want the music stored. However, when you rip music in Media Player, it is still stored in My Music. How can you change Media Player’s default storage location? A. Click More Options. On the Storage tab, click Change. B. Click More Options. On the Rip tab, click Change. C. Click More Options. On the Security tab, click Change. D. The default storage location cannot be changed. 4. You purchased a song from an Internet download site. You can play the song in Windows Media Player, but when you try to burn it to a CD, a message appears telling you that you do not have permission to do so. What is the cause of this problem? A. You are logged on as a standard user. B. There are Digital Rights Management settings configured.
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C. Your user account does not have permission to burn CDs. D. The file is corrupt. 5. In Windows Movie Maker, you would like to add narration to a video track, but the background music that already exists on the track is very loud. How can you adjust the volume of the background music? A. Re-import the music and adjust the volume via the viewer. B. Use the controls on the Storyboard. C. Use the controls on the Timeline. D. The volume cannot be adjusted on an original track. 6. In Windows Movie Maker, you are editing audio segments on the Timeline. However, the segments are so compressed in terms of their time that you are having problems editing them. What can you do? A. Click the View menu and change the visibility percentage to 100. B. Switch to the Storyboard. C. Expand the overall running time of the movie. D. Use the zoom controls on the timeline. 7. You have created a sales movie for a trade show in Movie Maker. You now want to use Windows DVD Maker to create a DVD so that you can play the movie on any standard DVD player. However, you would like the DVD to play as a loop at the trade show. How can you configure this using Windows DVD Maker? A. On the menu page, choose the None option. B. On the menu page, choose the Loop option. C. Access Options and choose the Loop option. D. You cannot create this kind of DVD. 8. You are creating a DVD using Windows DVD Maker. You have added a folder of photos, but you want those photos to appear on the DVD in a particular order. How can you configure the order the photos will appear? A. Use the menu page and change the appearance order. B. Access Options and adjust the slide show order. C. Open the folder and move the photos around so that they are in the desired order. D. Photos are randomized and cannot be reordered. 9. You are creating a DVD using Windows DVD Maker. You want to adjust the button design that is used on menu. How can you edit these buttons? A. Click Menu and change the button style. B. Use the import option and import new button graphics.
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C. Click Options and change the button style. D. The menu buttons cannot be changed. 10. You have a folder of photos you are managing with Windows Photo Gallery. Several of the photos need to be rotated so that they are not sideways. How can you do this? A. Use the Rotate buttons on the control bar. B. Use the edit function to crop the photos. C. Open the folder and drag the photos to rotate them. D. You cannot rotate photos in Windows Photo Gallery. 11. You have taken a photo with a digital camera, and you now use Windows Photo Gallery to manage it. However, you need to make sure the photo will print at a 4x6 printing size. The photo needs to be cropped. What can you do? A. Only crop the edges of the photo. B. Choose the 4x6 printing size when you crop. C. Use the print feature to ensure that the photo prints at 4x6. D. You cannot edit photo dimensions. 12. You have a collection of photos that have ratings applied. Which statement is true concerning ratings sharing? A. You can choose to share the photos by rating. B. You cannot choose to share photos by rating. C. You can only share photos that have a rating. D. You can only share photos that do not have a rating. 13. Using Windows Media Center, you want to watch one television show and record another. What does your Windows Vista PC need? A. One TV tuner card B. Two TV tuner cards C. Three TV tuner cards D. You cannot record and watch two different shows 14. You use Windows Vista over a wireless network. You also have an Xbox. You would like to be able to access music from Windows Media Center and play those files on your Xbox. What do you need to do? A. Share the Xbox. B. Drag the music to the Public folder on Windows Vista. C. Configure an MCE. D. Place the files in the Public folder of the Xbox.
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15. Your company has two subnets. You need to connect a network-enabled DVD player with Windows Media Center. The two items reside on different subnets. What do you need to do to enable communication across the two subnets? A. Manually configure the firewall. B. Acquire a secondary security key. C. Configure a new wireless network. D. You cannot configure the two across two subnets.
LAB QUESTION You have a network-enabled TV. You have MCE configured with Windows Media Center. Earlier in the day, you watched a movie from Media Center. Later, you decide to watch another movie, but there seems to be no connection to the Windows Vista computer. What is the most likely cause of the problem?
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SELF TEST ANSWERS Configure and Troubleshoot Media Applications ✓ B. You can adjust video settings by clicking Show Enhancements. 1. ® ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect. You cannot configure video settings in any of these ways. ✓ C. Media Player must be connected to the Internet in order to retrieve song titles from a 2. ® CD. This is the most likely cause of the problem. ® ˚ A, B, and D are all incorrect because these options are not likely causes of the problem. ✓ B. Access More Options. On the Rip tab, next to Rip Music To This Location, click the 3. ® Change button. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because you cannot configure the storage location in any of these ways. ✓ B. Digital Rights Management is controlling the use of the file for which digital rights were 4. ® purchased. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because none of these options would prevent you from burning the song to a CD. ✓ C. Use the Timeline to adjust the volume for all tracks or video sound. 5. ® ® ˚ A, B, and D are all incorrect because you cannot adjust the volume in these ways. ✓ D. The zoom controls allow you to zoom in by 10-second increments. This makes the 6. ® running time of the timeline more visible. ® ˚ A, B, and C are incorrect because none of these actions will enable you to zoom in on the timeline. ✓ C. Access Options to create a DVD that plays in a continuous loop. 7. ® ® ˚ A, B, and D are incorrect because you cannot create a looped DVD in any of these ways. ✓ C. Photos are displayed in the order in which they appear in the folder. So, simply open the 8. ® folder and change the order as desired. ® ˚ A, B, and D are incorrect because none of these options will enable you to change the order of the photos. ✓ A. Click the Menu option and adjust the button styles as desired. 9. ® ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect because none of these options will enable you to adjust the menu styles. ✓ A. You can rotate photos by selecting them and using the rotate buttons on the control bar. 10. ® ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect because none of these options enable you to rotate the photos.
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✓ B. You can choose a preset cropping size when you choose to crop a photo. 11. ® ® ˚ A and C are incorrect because neither of these options will enable you to crop the photo correctly. D is incorrect because you can crop the photo. ✓ A. You can share photos according to their ratings if you use the Network and Sharing 12. ® Center. ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect because none of these statements are true. ✓ B. Windows Vista would need two tuner cards—one to watch the desired program and one 13. ® to record the desired program. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because you need two TV tuner cards. ✓ C. You need to configure a Media Center Extender so that the Xbox and Windows Media 14. ® Center can communicate. ® ˚ A, B, and D are all incorrect because these actions will not enable you to share music. ✓ A. Since there are two subnets, you’ll need to configure the third-party firewall to pass 15. ® MCE traffic. ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect because none of these actions will resolve the problem.
LAB ANSWER The computer has probably gone to sleep. Since you watched a movie earlier in the day, there should be no problems with connectivity or MCE. More than likely, the computer is configured to sleep after a certain period of inactivity.
8 Configure Windows Mail and Windows Meeting Space CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVES 8.01
Configure Windows Mail
8.02
Configure Windows Meeting Space
✓ Q&A
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A
pplications that come directly to the user through Windows Vista are important. After all, the more applications and features that an operating system includes, the less need there is to buy third-party software, which in turn saves money and hopefully reduces compatibility problems. As you have probably noticed so far, the Vista exam is heavily focused on built-in applications and new features within Windows Vista. As an IT professional, you’ll need to be a product expert not only in the operating system, but also in the applications that come along for the ride. This chapter explores two of those applications, Windows Mail and Windows Meeting Space. Both of these applications are considered primary applications in Vista because Microsoft expects most people using Vista to use Windows Mail and Microsoft expects Windows Meeting Space to be an important virtual meeting solution. The good news is that both of these applications are easy to use—you just need to learn the features and the ins and outs of configuring them. This chapter is designed to do that and to get you ready to tackle Windows Mail and Windows Meeting Space questions that will come your way on the exam!
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 8.01
Configure Windows Mail Good-bye Outlook Express and hello Windows Mail, which you’ll probably see as a big improvement. Windows Mail is sleeker, cooler, and easier to use and configure. As with all applications in Vista, you need to get your hands on the application and start using it. You can access Windows Mail by clicking Start | All Programs | Accessories. To use Windows Mail, you will need to set up your mail account so that Windows Mail will know how to connect to a mail server to send and receive e-mail. This information is available from your ISP. Naturally, Windows Mail is not a requirement—you are free to use any e-mail client that is compatible with Windows Vista or any Web mail clients as well. However, Windows Mail only works with POP3 or IMAP. You cannot access HTTP mail within Windows Mail. For more information about these protocols, see the Inside the Exam sidebar on the following page.
Setting Up a Windows Mail Account When you open Windows Mail for the first time, you see the basic Windows Mail interface for a moment, but then a wizard appears prompting you to set up an account. If you close the wizard, you can start it again by choosing Tools | Accounts.
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INSIDE THE EXAM Understanding Mail Protocols Windows Mail supports POP3 and IMAP, which are industry-standard e-mail protocols. POP3, or Post Office Protocol, is a standard method computers use to send and receive e-mail messages, typically within a client program such as Windows Mail, Outlook, Eudora, or Mozilla Thunderbird. POP3 messages are typically held on a mail server until you download them to your computer via one of these applications. Afterward, the mail server deletes the messages from the server because they are now locally located on your PC. On the other hand, IMAP, or Internet Message Access Protocol, typically leaves the messages on the mail server after they have been downloaded to your computer. You can organize, delete, and manage the mail before it is ever downloaded, and you can leave copies on the server. You tend to see IMAP in business environments. POP3 is typically the most common kind of
e-mail you are likely to use. POP3 messages are typically held on the mail server until they are downloaded to your computer. You may also be familiar with SMTP, or Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, as well. SMTP servers handle the sending of e-mail messages to the Internet. SMTP handles outgoing mail and works in conjunction with POP3 or IMAP messages. Thus in many configurations, outgoing mail is considered SMTP mail, while incoming mail is POP3 or IMAP. Windows Mail also supports NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol), which is used to read news and post messages to newsgroups, as well as LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol), which is used to access online directory services. However, Windows Mail does not support the HTTP protocol used to access Web-based e-mail, such as Hotmail or Yahoo.
Click the Add button on the right side of the window, and then click E-Mail Account and click Next. The software will lead you through a series of steps in which you will enter your name, your e-mail address, your server type, and your e-mail username and password. Have this information ready, and then follow these easy steps to complete the wizard: 1. Enter your display name. This is the name that you want other e-mail users to see when you send mail. Click Next when you’re done. 2. In the next window, enter your e-mail address and click Next. Remember that Webmail accounts are not compatible, and if you enter a Webmail
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address here, you’ll see a message telling you so. However, some typical Webmail services, such as Yahoo, also offer a POP3 account if you pay extra for it. So, be sure to check with your service provider for information. 3. In the next window, you’ll need to enter your e-mail server information, as shown in Figure 8-1. Almost all e-mail servers use POP3 (Post Office Protocol version 3) to manage incoming e-mail messages and SMTP for outgoing messages. Check your ISP documentation. Then, enter the incoming mail server name and the outgoing mail server name. Typically, both of these names will be in the form of mail.mydomain.com. You’ll need to check your ISP documentation to know for sure. Oddly, if you use the incoming e-mail
FIGURE 8-1
Set up e-mail servers
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server-type drop-down menu, it will list HTTP as an option. Yet, if you select it, the program tells you that it is not supported, which seems strange. Regardless, enter the correct information, and then click Next. 4. In the next window, enter your logon name (typically your e-mail address) and your password. Check your ISP documentation to make certain you are entering the correct information—and do remember that passwords are casesensitive. Click Next and then click Finish. Windows Mail has the capability to support multiple accounts for the same user. For example, let’s say you have a primary ISP with an e-mail address of myaddress@myisp .com. However, you also have an e-mail account at
[email protected]. Can you use Windows Mail to access information on both of those accounts? Sure! All you need to do is configure both mail accounts using the previous steps. When you check your mail, Windows Mail will check both accounts.
Configure Account Options When you create an account, you can manage it, along with any other accounts you create, by clicking Tools | Accounts. On the dialog box you see, select the desired account and use the buttons to remove it or access the account’s properties. Notice that you can also create new accounts or import / export accounts as well. If you access an account’s properties, you essentially see tabs that allow you to reconfigure the account. In other words, you can change the account options you configured when you first created account. Do, however, notice the Advanced tab, shown in the following illustration. Here, you can set up secure connections if your mail server requires them (SSL), and you can also choose to leave a copy of messages on the server when you download them. This feature can be helpful if you need to download messages to more than one computer or if you want to delete server e-mail when you delete messages from the Deleted Items folder. By default, POP3 and SMTP send username and password in clear text over the Internet. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), if your ISP supports it for your account, will encrypt this information, along with all e-mail messages transferred between your computer and the ISP’s mail server. SSL requires special configuration that you will need to get from your ISP. Typical SSL port numbers are 25 or 465 for
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SMTP and 995 for POP3, but get these numbers from your ISP to ensure they are correct.
Configuring Windows Mail Interface Windows Mail provides an easy-to-read and easy-to-use interface where you can quickly view e-mail messages. By default, Windows Mail uses four major panes, or views, to separate different mail components. These four panes make working with mail easy, and you can customize this interface as well (I’ll show you how later in this chapter). Figure 8-2 gives you a look at the default Windows Mail interface.
Menu Options Let’s first take a look at your menu options. At the top of the Windows Mail window, you see common menus: File, Edit, View, Tools, Message, and Help. You have the standard options on these menus, such as Open, Save, Cut, and Paste, but you also have quite a few options that are specific to Windows Mail. The following list highlights the most important features:
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FIGURE 8-2
Windows Mail
■ File
Using this menu, you can perform standard open and save functions, and you can create additional mail folders in which you can store mail. You can also import and export mail settings, messages, and address books to and from other e-mail programs. For the exam, keep in mind that Windows Mail can export messages to Microsoft Exchange, and you perform that action here on the File menu.
■ Edit
The Edit menu contains typical editing functions. Use the Edit menu to delete e-mail, move e-mail between folders, mark e-mail messages in various ways, and perform other standard editing tasks.
■ View
You use this menu to change how current messages are viewed, as well as how the entire Windows Mail interface appears. See the section “Change Windows Mail Views” later in this chapter for more information.
■ Tools
The Tools menu enables you to send and receive e-mail, configure message rules, customize Windows Mail, manage Windows Contracts, and access Calendar. All of these items are explored in more detail later in this chapter.
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■ Message
The Message menu contains typical message functions, most of which you can perform by clicking a toolbar button. You can also use this menu to block senders, create message rules, and “watch” messages or discussions. You can use Windows Mail to connect to newsgroups and flag messages so that you can watch the message and all the replies.
■ Help
Get help from the Windows Mail Help files or on the Microsoft Web site.
Below the menu bar, you see the standard Windows Mail toolbar. You’ll use this toolbar quite a bit when working with Windows Mail. You have the following standard buttons: ■ Create Mail
Click this button to start a new mail message.
■ Reply, Reply All, and Forward
If you select a message, you will see these options appear. You can reply to a message, reply to all message recipients, and forward a message to someone else.
■ Print
Select a message and click this button to print the message.
■ Delete
Select a message and click this button to delete a message.
■ Stop the Current Operation
Stops whatever action is happening at the
moment. ■ Send/Receive
Click this button to see a drop-down list of choices. You can Send and Receive, Receive All, and Send All.
■ Contacts
Click this button to open the Address Book.
■ Windows Calendar
Access Windows Calendar directly.
■ Find
Click this button to find specific messages. You can search by sender, message subject, or keywords.
■ Folder List
Click this button to see your list of Windows Mail folders.
The final part of the Windows Mail interface is composed of the three primary panes: ■ Folders
The top-left pane shows your Windows Mail folder structure. You can easily move between your Inbox, Outbox, Sent Items, and Deleted Items, as well as additional folders that you can create using the File menu.
■ New Message
The top-right pane contains a message list. These are messages that you have received but not deleted or moved into another folder.
■ Preview
The bottom-right pane contains the text of the selected message. This is an easy preview that allows you to skim through your messages without actually opening them.
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Mail View Options The Windows Mail three-pane option is the default, but you can change it easily. To change the appearance of the Windows Mail interface, choose View | Layout. A dialog box appears with a single Layout tab, as shown in Figure 8-3. As you can see, two sections appear—Basic and Preview Pane. You can select or clear the various check boxes to display the panes that you want. You can try different settings to find the ones that you like best. Also, if you click Customize Toolbar, you can add other toolbar icons or remove icons that you don’t use, as shown in Figure 8-4. In addition to using the Layout feature, you can also customize the current view, which enables you to determine which messages are displayed and which are hidden. You can use different views by choosing View | Current View. You can then select a desired option from the pop-up menu. As with an appearance configuration, you may need to play around with the settings to find the ones that are right for you.
FIGURE 8-3
Layout
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FIGURE 8-4
Customize Toolbar
Sending and Receiving E-Mail Once you have set up an account, you can send and receive e-mail. Sending and receiving e-mail is very easy in Windows Mail, and if you have ever used Outlook or Outlook Express, you’ll see that the basic interface design is similar. Review the following sections.
Send an E-Mail To send a new e-mail message, click the Create Mail button on your toolbar. A new mail message appears, as shown in Figure 8-5. To send a new mail message, type the recipient’s e-mail address in the To line and any additional e-mail addresses in the Cc line (if you want other individuals copied), enter a subject, and then type your message in the provided message box. Windows Mail supports advanced messageediting features. As you type your new message, notice that you have bold, italic, bulleted lists, and other button features on the message toolbar. You can also cut, copy, and paste message text as well. You can use the Format menu to use different color styles in your message and even use a background picture or graphic with the Message menu. You can also check your message for spelling errors by choosing Tools | Spelling, or just click the Spelling button. All of these features are nice, but do be aware that not all mail clients can receive these formatting features. Even though you style your text and add a background, some of your recipients may see only plain text, depending on their mail server rules and e-mail client configuration. When you’ve finished with your message, click Send. If you are currently connected to the Internet, the message is immediately sent; if not, the message is
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FIGURE 8-5
New Mail message
You can attach a priority to your message as either High, Normal, or Low.The default selection is Normal, but you can change when you create the e-mail message by clicking Message | Set
Priority. You can also use the Tools menu to request a read receipt and encrypt the message to the recipient or digitally sign a message.
stored in the Send folder until a connection to the Internet is present. If you are not currently connected to the Internet, click the Send/Receive button on your Windows Mail toolbar. Doing this launches an Internet dial-up connection so that the message can be sent.
Attach a File to an E-Mail If you want to send an e-mail with an attachment, which is just a file of some kind, you can easily do so. Click the Create Mail button on your Windows Mail toolbar and follow these steps. To attach a file, choose Insert, and choose either File Attachment or Picture. You can also choose to include the text from a file, which enables you to browse for the file and copy and paste the text
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from it, although this is technically not an attachment. You can also click Attach. An easier and faster method is to shrink your message window so that you can see your Desktop, and then locate the file you want to include. Drag the file into the message portion of the window. Its name will appear in the Attach line, and the file will be attached to the e-mail.
Receive Messages When you are ready to check for messages, open Windows Mail. You can click the Send/Receive button on your toolbar, but simply opening Mail automatically triggers Send/Receive by default. If necessary, an Internet connection is launched, so mail can be downloaded to your computer. New e-mail messages appear in the New Message pane. If you click each message, you can read its text in the Preview pane, but do not assume that you see all of the message text in the Preview pane; scroll down with the slider bar to view the entire message. To open a message, double-click it. Doing this enables you to read the message in its own message window. Once you have received and read your messages, you can delete them, leave them in the Inbox, or drag them to a desired folder for safekeeping. Any attachments that are sent to you are automatically downloaded with the mail message. Messages with attachments have a small paper clip beside them in the New Message pane. In the Preview pane, you see a larger paper clip on the right side of the window. If you click the paper clip, a pop-out menu appears where you can choose to either open the attachment or save it to your computer (such as in the Documents folder or your Desktop).
Messages that you delete are held in the Deleted Items folder. You can select this folder and locate a previously deleted message and even drag it back to your Inbox or another folder if it was
deleted by accident.You can also rightclick the Deleted Items folder and choose Empty Deleted Items folder.This action permanently deletes the items in the folder.
Managing Mail Windows Mail gives you a few important mail management features that can help you manage mail that you want to receive as well as junk e-mail. The following sections show you these features and focus on what you need to know for the exam.
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Create Message Rules Message rules enable you to control how various messages are handled by Windows Mail. Message rules are most helpful to people who receive a lot of e-mail or who receive a lot of spam, or junk e-mail. You can set up rules to help you manage messages so that Windows Mail can automatically delete certain unwanted messages or move certain messages to other folders. As you can imagine, this is an important feature, and you are likely to face an exam question that requires you to create a message rule. Exercise 8-1 shows you how to create a message rule in Windows Mail.
EXERCISE 8-1 CertCam
Creating a Message Rule 1. In Windows Mail, choose Tools | Message Rules | Mail. 2. The New Mail Rule dialog box appears. In the top portion of the window, select a condition for your rule. Scroll through the list and select the check box next to the desired condition.
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3. In the second portion of the window, select an action for your rule. Scroll through the list and select the check box next to the desired action. 4. Depending on your selection, you may need to enter a rule description or perform some editing. If a link appears (blue underlined wording), click it to enter some additional information that is needed for the rule. For example, in the previous illustration, I need to click the Contains People link. Once I do this, a Select People dialog box appears where I can enter e-mail addresses or choose from my list of contacts, as shown in the following illustration.
5. In the bottom of the window, give the rule a friendly name and then click OK. Once you create message rules, you can manage them from the same Message Rules interface. Choose Tools | Message Rules | Mail. A window appears, listing your current rules. You can use the provided buttons to create new rules, delete existing rules, edit existing rules, and perform related management tasks. This interface is very easy to use and self-explanatory.
Blocking Senders The Blocked Senders option enables you to create a list of e-mail addresses that you want to block from your inbox. This feature is helpful if you get mail from a certain person that you would rather not read. To use the Blocked Senders option, select the message from the sender that you want to block, choose Tools | Junk E-Mail Options,
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and then click the Blocked Senders tab. A simple window appears. Click Add, enter the e-mail address of the sender you want to block, and click OK. The sender appears in the Blocked Senders list, shown in Figure 8-6. You can modify this list at any time. You can also use the Message menu to add a new person to your Blocked Senders list immediately (and easily). When you get a message from someone and you know you don’t want any more messages from that sender, just select the message and then choose Message | Junk E-Mail | Add Sender To Blocked Senders List. That’s all you have to do; any mail sent in the future from this sender will be removed automatically. Additionally, you can use the Message menu to create a rule from the message. Select the message, choose Message | Create Rule From Message, and you’ll see the New Mail Rule window appears. These options give you quick and easy access to the Message Rules and Blocked Senders features of Windows Mail.
FIGURE 8-6
Blocked Senders list
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Managing Junk E-Mail Junk e-mail is a never-ending problem. Windows Mail makes some additional efforts to help you manage the plethora of junk e-mail that you probably get on a daily basis. These features are not cures for junk e-mail, but they will at least help, and you should watch out for exam questions about the junk e-mail management features that are available. Click Tools | Junk E-Mail Options to configure how Windows Mail handles junk.
Options On the Options tab, shown in Figure 8-7, you can choose a protection level. You can go from no automatic filtering to a Safe List Only setting where only people placed on your safe list are allowed to send mail to your inbox. Typically, the Low or High setting is best for most people, although some normal mail may end up in the junk e-mail folder if you use the high setting. Just remember to keep a check on the junk e-mail folder—you can drag any normal mail messages that get caught by the filter from the junk e-mail folder back to the Inbox. FIGURE 8-7
Junk E-Mail Options
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Safe Senders Just as you can block a sender, you can also add a sender to a safe list so that this sender’s e-mail always ends up in your inbox and not the junk e-mail folder. Typically, you can use the safe senders list to add a person whose e-mail sometimes goes to the junk e-mail folder. This action will prevent this from happening. There is an important check box setting toward the bottom of the tab. You can choose to have any e-mail address you send mail to added to the safe senders list. This option, though not enabled by default, can be useful because it automatically adds the people you communicate with to the safe senders list. International The International tab option, shown in Figure 8-8, enables you to block top-level domains and encoding lists. Some junk e-mails you receive may be from other countries in other languages. You can use the button options here to block entire country code domains as well as messages encoded with a character set that is not English. This feature can give you an additional level of protection if you know that messages you receive should not be from foreign country domains or other languages. In the end, this feature is just another way to filter more stuff away from your inbox. FIGURE 8-8
International tab
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Phishing Filter As with Internet Explorer, Windows Mail contains a phishing filter, which helps identify messages that have bogus, or phishing, links, designed to get you to give up personally identifiable information, such as account numbers, names, e-mail addresses, and even credit card numbers. In Windows Mail, the phishing filter is turned on by default. There is only one additional setting on this tab, which enables you to move phishing e-mail to the Junk Mail folder automatically.
Customizing Windows Mail Windows Mail contains quite a few customization options that you can access by choosing Tools | Options. You’ll see several tabs, but the good news is that each tab is rather easy to use. Most present a list of check box options you can choose from. The following list gives you an overview of what you can do on each tab. Remember that you can try different settings and change them later if you don’t like them, and one of the best ways to find the settings that work for you is to experiment. In terms of the exam, you should globally remember what general options you see here. For example, if an exam question mentions that you need to change the way messages are sent, the answer is Options. Here’s a quick review and make sure you look through the tabs on your Windows Vista computer. ■ General
This tab contains information about the way your computer receives messages. Most of the default options on this tab are all you need. If you want Windows Mail to check for messages automatically by launching a dial-up connection at specified intervals, you can select the option on this tab and enter the amount of time you want to pass between checks (such as 30 minutes or so). Keep this option in mind for the exam.
■ Read
This tab contains settings for messages you have received. You can choose to view messages in various colors and fonts.
■ Receipts
Some messages you receive (or send) can request a receipt—a return e-mail notification that the message was opened. Use the tab to enable this feature and determine how it should be used.
■ Send
This tab contains basic settings for sending messages. Almost all options are enabled by default, and you should probably keep these options enabled for the best functionality.
■ Compose
Use this tab to select font settings and business card settings and to attach stationery to your e-mail messages. Remember that not all mail clients can read these style features.
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■ Signatures
You can automatically add a signature—such as your name and phone number—to all new messages you type. Use this tab to enter the text you want for the signature.
■ Spelling
Use this tab to enable automatic spell checking and spell checking
settings. ■ Security
You have some important security settings available here. See the next section for more information about security in Windows Mail.
■ Connection
This tab contains information about your dial-up connection. One item of interest here is that you can tell Windows Mail to hang up the dial-up connection automatically once mail has been sent and received. If you use the General tab to dial a connection automatically to get mail, you should use this option on the Connection tab so those dial-out sessions will be terminated automatically (unless you want your computer tying up the phone line all day).
■ Advanced
This tab contains options for contact attachment conversion, IMAP settings, message threats when using news services, and such. You have some important settings regarding maintenance for stored messages, which you can find out more about in an upcoming section.
Security Features in Windows Mail Windows Mail has two primary security features you should be aware of. Click Tools | Options | Security. You see options for virus protection, downloaded images, and secure mail, shown in Figure 8-9. The following sections review these features.
Virus Protection The heading “virus protection” on this tab is misleading. Windows Mail doesn’t provide any real virus protection. You need a standard antivirus software package to scan, locate, and deal with viruses. What this option does is use Internet Explorer security settings, which you can choose from the Internet zone or Restricted Sites zone. By default, the Restricted Sites zone and the check box option provide a warning when an application tries to send mail as you (the user). Although not virus protection in the literal sense, these settings go a long way in preventing viruses and Trojan horses because Windows Mail follows the security restrictions in Internet Explorer. Notice also that by default, suspicious attachments are not allowed either. These settings do provide certain levels of security, and they should be kept enabled as they are by default.
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FIGURE 8-9
Security options
Downloading Images By default, all images in an e-mail message are blocked. You can see the images by right-clicking the image and choosing to show the image. Since images and other external content can harbor viruses, this protection level prevents you from downloading items you don’t choose to—and in the case of Internet pornography and other such content, this setting protects your privacy.
Secure Mail Windows Mail supports digital IDs and encryption. A digital ID or certificate is a document that allows you to prove your identity when you send an e-mail, and that the message hasn’t been modified since you sent it. The digital ID is sent along with the message as evidence that the message really did come from you. Notice on the Security tab that you can manage your digital IDs by clicking the Digital IDs button, but you must purchase one or more of them first by clicking the Get Digital ID button.
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This action will take you to a Microsoft Web site that will refer to other sites that sell digital IDs. Once you have the ID, you can then digitally sign your e-mail using your digital ID by clicking Tools | Digitally Sign in the New Mail Message dialog box. When purchasing your digital ID, be sure that the certificate you’re purchasing can be used with Microsoft Mail, since these certificates are used for many different purposes and applications. Notice that you can also encrypt contents of outgoing messages and attachments and choose the option here to always digitally sign outgoing mail. If you click Advanced, you see some Advanced Security Settings, shown in Figure 8-10, that provide some standard encryption and digitally signed message settings. The default settings here are the most commonly used.
Message Maintenance There are a few message maintenance settings you should be aware of. Click Tools | Options | Advanced tab. Click Maintenance to open the Maintenance dialog box, shown in Figure 8-11. The options you see here are self-explanatory, but you should keep all of them in mind for the exam. For example, should an exam question ask you how you can delete everything from the Deleted Items folder every time you exit Windows Mail, the check box option on this tab is your answer. Review these options and keep them in mind for the test. FIGURE 8-10
Advanced Security Settings
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FIGURE 8-11
Maintenance
SCENARIO & SOLUTION I e-mail a select number of people and I have my junk mail filter set to high. I want to ensure that anyone I e-mail never sends a message that ends up in the junk e-mail folder. How can I do this?
Click Tools | Junk E-Mail Options and click the Safe Senders tab. At the bottom of the tab, choose the “Automatically add people I e-mail to the Safe Senders list” check box option.
I want to ensure that all deleted messages are permanently deleted from Windows Mail every time I shut down the application. How can I configure this?
Click Tools | Options | Advanced tab | Maintenance. On the Maintenance dialog box, click the “Empty messages from the Deleted Items folder on exit” check box and click OK.
I notice that messages I receive in Windows Mail automatically have the graphics blocked. I want to stop this behavior. How can I do this?
Click Tools | Options | Security and clear the “Block images and other external content in HTML e-mail” check box.
I have a digital signature configured for using in Windows Mail. I am writing a message I want to digitally sign. How can I do this?
In the New Message window, click Tools | Digitally Sign.
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CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 8.02
Configure Windows Meeting Space I know a thing or two about sitting through meetings—you probably do too. And yet meetings typically require you to be at a certain place at a certain time in order to “meet” with the other meeting participants. But what if meetings could be held in a virtual space? A place where computers connect with each other to form the meeting without you ever having to set foot into a boardroom? This is the goal of Microsoft’s new Windows Meeting Space application. For the most part, Windows Meeting is a simple utility that helps you connect with other people and easily share documents, programs, and even your desktop anytime, anywhere. In other words, you can create a virtual meeting room right on your computer and invite up to 10 people to join in. In this section, I’ll show you how Windows Meeting Space works and prepare you for a few exam questions that may get tossed your way.
Setting Up Windows Meeting Space With Windows Meeting Space, you can collaborate on and share documents and programs as well as your desktop with the people invited to the meeting. The other computer users must be using Windows Vista, but their computer can reside on your local network, it can be somewhere on the Internet, or you can even create an ad hoc wireless network between wireless computers. No matter how they are connected, you can use Windows Meeting Space. In other to begin using Windows Meeting Space, Windows Vista must first turn on the People Near Me feature, enable file replication, and configure Windows Firewall for Windows Meeting Space. Fortunately, Windows Vista can do all of these things for you automatically. Click Start | All Programs | Windows Meeting Space. You’ll see a dialog box appear, shown in Figure 8-12, asking if you are ready to set up Windows Meeting Space. Click Yes to continue. In the People Near Me dialog box, choose a display name and whether or not you want to sign in when Windows starts. People Near Me is a Windows Vista networking feature that identifies other computers near you and allows them to send you invitations from various programs, such as Windows Meeting Space. As you can see in Figure 8-13, you can choose to allow invitations from anyone, trusted contacts, or no one. Typically, the Anyone setting is fine here.
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FIGURE 8-12
Setup Message
Once your system is configured, the Windows Meeting Space dialog box appears, shown in Figure 8-14. As it is, the dialog box is not too exciting, but you have to start using it for meeting space to be something worthwhile.
FIGURE 8-13
People Near Me
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FIGURE 8-14
Windows Meeting Space
Setting Up a New Meeting Now that you’re set up and ready to use Windows Meeting Space, your first task is to start a new meeting. In Windows Meeting Space, click Start A New Meeting. Type a name for the meeting and enter a password, which must be at least eight characters long, as shown in Figure 8-15. Click the Options link. In the Options dialog box, shown in Figure 8-16, you can choose whether or not you want other people near you to be able to see this meeting or not (which essentially makes the meeting public or private). By default, any people near you who have Windows Meeting Space open are automatically invited to the meeting. This feature saves you the trouble of having to actually invite people near you. However, you may not want everyone near you to see the meeting, in which can you can use the private option and simply invite the participants you want to attend. If you’re not connected to a network, you’ll also see the option to create a private, ad hoc wireless network as well.
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FIGURE 8-15
Choosing a meeting name and password
FIGURE 8-16
Options dialog box
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FIGURE 8-17
Meeting Space
When you’re done, click the “create a meeting” button to create the meeting. Once the meeting is created, you’ll see the meeting space, shown in Figure 8-17.
Invite People to the Meeting Once you have your meeting space created, you can now invite people to your meeting. In the Meeting Space, click the Invite People icon. There are three ways that you can invite people: ■ If you already have people near you, they will appear in a dialog box once you
click Invite People. Just click the check boxes next to their names and click Send Invitations. ■ If you want to invite people who are not near you, you can do so with an e-mail
message. Click Invite Others in the Meeting Space. Choose the Send An Invitation In E-Mail option. This will open an e-mail message with the meeting file attached so that others can join the meeting, shown in Figure 8-18. ■ Finally, you can also create an invitation file and get it to meeting recipients in
another way. Just click Invite People | Invite Others | Create An Invitation File | Save. You can now share the meeting invitation file in any way necessary.
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FIGURE 8-18
Invitation e-mail
Share Items at the Meeting Now that you have invited people to your meeting, you can share files, programs, and even your desktop if you like. Click the Share A Program Or Your Desktop icon in the Meeting Space, or click the Share button on the toolbar. Click OK to the message about others seeing your desktop. You’ll then see a dialog box, shown in Figure 8-19, where you can choose a program, share your desktop, or use the Browse button to browse for a file to open and share.
FIGURE 8-19
Sharing items
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FIGURE 8-20
Shared item in the Meeting Space
Make your selections. The appropriate programs will be opened and items you have selected will be shared. As you can see in Figure 8-20, the item you are now sharing appears listed in the meeting space. Notice that you can see how the shared session looks on other computers and you can also stop sharing the item at any time.
Add a Handout to the Meeting You can add a handout to the meeting. When you add a handout, a copy of the file you choose to use for a handout is copied to each meeting participant’s computer. This is a quick and easy way to share copies of file with other users, which they will keep once the meeting has ended. Click the Handout icon in the Meeting Space, then simply browse for the item you want to share. As Figure 8-21 shows, the handout item will then appear in the Handouts section of the Meeting Space and will be copied to other meeting participants’ computers.
FIGURE 8-21
Handouts at this meeting
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Note that participants can make changes to the handout. Those changes are then copied to the other participants’ handouts so that everyone always has the same handout. This is a great way to brainstorm together. However, the original handout is not affected by this editing process.
During a meeting, you always maintain control of your desktop and programs. You can pass control to someone else temporarily by clicking Give Control, but you can always take it back
by clicking Take Control or pressing the Windows logo key-ESC. Keep these options in mind for exam questions that place you in a situation where you need to quickly gain control of your desktop or programs.
Troubleshooting Windows Meeting Space There are a few common problems you may encounter when using Windows Meeting Space, and you need to be aware of the troubleshooting solutions for the real world as well as the exam. The following sections give you the typical problems and solutions.
I Can’t See a Meeting or Join One This problem typically happens because someone is not invited who should have been, the meeting attendee is typing the incorrect password to the meeting, or the person who is setting up the meeting doesn’t have the correct computer configuration. If everyone who needs to attend can’t see or join, you may need to configure Windows Firewall on the meeting computer. Open Windows Firewall properties, click the Exceptions tab, and then select Windows Meeting Space and click OK, as shown in Figure 8-22.
I Don’t See a Certain Person in the Invite People Dialog Box This problem most often occurs because you are not signed in to People Near Me. Open People Near Me in Control Panel and sign in. It is important to note that People Near Me only works for computers on the same subnet. If your computer resides within a network that has different subnets, you can’t use People Near Me to invite the person. However, you can still send that person an e-mail invitation to join the meeting.
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FIGURE 8-22
Enable Windows Meeting Space in Windows Firewall
I’m Having Problems Connecting to a Meeting or Others Can’t Connect to My Meeting There are a few different reasons connection problems like this may occur: ■ Other people may not have Windows Firewall configured to allow Windows
Meeting Space ■ Other people may not be signed in to People Near Me. ■ Make sure the people you want to attend your meeting are all on the same
subnet, or use an e-mail invitation if they are not. ■ People residing in other corporate networks may have firewall controls or
group policies preventing the connection. These controls are put in place by the company’s network administration. ■ There could be problems with services. In other to use Windows Meeting
Space, the Peer Name Resolution Protocol, Peer Networking Grouping, Peer Networking Identity Manager, and DFS Replication services must be running. You can verify that these services are running by opening the Services console in Administrative Tools folder in Control Panel.
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If you choose to create an ad hoc wireless network in order to have a meeting, you’ll lose your network connection.This is a normal issue because you can be connected to only one wireless
network at a time. Once you leave the meeting, you can reconnect to your wireless network as normal. Keep this issue in mind for the exam!
Other Quick Troubleshooting Issues Keep these quick problems and solutions in mind as well: ■ You can’t share Encrypting File System (EFS) files. ■ If meeting participants see black areas on their screens covering your shared
desktop or a program, you have another window open over these programs that is not shared. Minimize any additional windows during a sharing session to resolve the problem. ■ Windows Meeting Space makes a duplicate version of any handout that
you share. Changes made to that duplicate are not saved to your original document. To save the handout changes, drag the documents to a place you want to save them on your computer. ■ IPv6 must be enabled on at least one network adapter in order for Windows
Meeting Space to work. You can verify this configuration using IP properties.
EXERCISE 8-2 Verifying Firewall Settings and Services If you’re having problems with Windows Meeting Space, you should verify that Firewall settings and services are enabled and configured. Follow these steps to verify those items: 1. Click Start | Control Panel | Security Center. 2. Click Windows Firewall and then click Change Settings. 3. Click the Exceptions tab and verify that Windows Meeting Space is selected in the list of programs. If not, select it and click OK. Close Firewall Settings. 4. Click Start | Control Panel | People Near Me. Click the Sign In tab and sign in so that people can see you on the network, as shown here:
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5. Click Start | Control Panel | Administrative Tools. Double-click Services. 6. In the Services console, shown next, verify that Peer Name Resolution Protocol, Peer Networking Grouping, Peer Networking Identity Manager, and DFS Replication services are all running.
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SCENARIO & SOLUTION I am having a meeting with people in my workgroup, but there is one person who works from home via a DSL connection. Can I include that person in the meeting?
Yes. The People Near Me option works only with people on your subnet/workgroup, but you can send an e-mail invitation to anyone on your network or the Internet.
I have some files with an .efs extension that I want to make available during a meeting. However, I can’t seem to use these files with Windows Meeting Space. Why?
Files that have an .efs extension are Encrypting File System (EFS) files. Since they are encrypted, they cannot be used with Windows Meeting Space. You would need to decrypt the files first.
CERTIFICATION SUMMARY In this chapter, you explored two important Windows Vista applications. Windows Mail is the included Web mail client included with Windows Vista. Windows Mail, which replaces Outlook Express, supports both POP and IMAP mail, but HTTP mail is not supported. When you first open Windows Mail, you are prompted to create an initial account. However, you can create additional accounts, edit accounts, or delete accounts by clicking Tools | Accounts. You can also adjust the Windows Mail interface, and change the panes as desired. In an effort to reduce spam and other junk mail, you can create message rules within Windows Mail. There is also a phishing filter and virus protection, as well as protection against downloaded images. Windows Mail also supports digital IDs and mail encryption. Windows Meeting Space is a new application in Windows Vista that enables you to hold virtual meetings for the purpose of discussion, sharing documents, applications, and even your entire desktop. You can use Windows Vista’s People Near Me feature in order to invite people to the meeting, but all meeting participants must have Windows Vista configured for Windows Meeting Space, which enables several services and allows the Windows Meeting Space application to function through Windows Firewall. You can invite people through People Near Me on your local subnet or workgroup, but you can also invite others from any network location, including the Internet, through the e-mail invitation feature.
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TWO-MINUTE DRILL Configure Windows Mail ❑ Windows Mail supports POP and IMAP protocols. HTTP mail is not supported. ❑ Within Windows Mail, you can set up multiple e-mail and news accounts.
You can click Tools | Accounts to edit, create, or remove accounts. ❑ You can format messages in a variety of ways using the text editing tool. You
can also assign a priority to the message using the Message menu. ❑ You can create message rules by clicking Tools | Message Rules. ❑ You can create blocked and allowed senders lists to further manage spam. ❑ Choose Tools | Options to configure many different Windows Mail features.
The Advanced tab enables you to configure attachment conversion, and message maintenance options. ❑ Windows Mail provides virus protection through Internet Explorer zones. This
is a security feature, but it should not be mistaken for real antivirus protection. ❑ Windows Mail supports digital IDs and encryption.
Configure Windows Meeting Space ❑ Windows Meeting Space enables you to hold a virtual meeting, including file
and application sharing as well as access to your desktop. ❑ You can connect with a meeting via People Near Me or through an invitation
file. People Near Me only works on the same subnet or workgroup. ❑ You can prevent People Near Me from seeing the meeting session by
choosing the Do Not Allow option when you create the meeting. Then, you’ll need to invite people to the meeting that you want to attend. ❑ You can create an ad hoc wireless meeting as well, but this will disrupt your
existing wireless network connection until the meeting has ended because you can have only one wireless connection at a time. ❑ You can take control of your applications or desktop at any time during the
meeting. ❑ Windows Firewall must be configured to allow Windows Meeting Space. This
is one of the first troubleshooting steps you should take if someone is having problems connecting to a meeting. ❑ All users not on your subnet that you want to invite to a meeting can be
invited via an e-mail invitation.
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SELF TEST The following questions will help you measure your understanding of the material presented in this chapter. Read all the choices carefully because there might be more than one correct answer. Choose all correct answers for each question.
Configure Windows Mail 1. You use Windows Mail on Windows Vista Home Premium. You need to configure Windows Mail so that it retrieves your Hotmail account mail, allowing you to send and receive Hotmail e-mail from within Windows Mail. How can you configure this? A. Choose Tools | Options and create a new HTTP account. B. Choose Tools | Options and create a new IMAP account. C. Configure Windows Mail to send and receive HTTP mail via POP3. D. Windows Mail does not support HTTP, and therefore Hotmail cannot be used with Windows Mail. 2. You have created a new mail message as shown in the illustration. You need to send this message with a high priority because you need the recipient to read the message as soon as possible. What can you do?
A. Right-click the Send button and click High Importance. B. Open Tools | Options and configure mail to be sent with High Importance.
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C. Use the Message menu and point to Set Priority to choose the High Priority setting. D. Encrypt the message to send it as a high-priority message. 3. A user at a client site sends you a lot of work related e-mails. You have created a folder for this user in Windows Mail, and you would like Windows Mail to automatically place incoming mail from this user into the folder, rather than holding it in your inbox. How can you configure this? A. Add the user to the Safe Senders list. B. Create a message rule. C. Turn off the phishing filter. D. Use Tools | Options to create an account for the user within Windows Mail. 4. Your network uses Microsoft Exchange Server. One of your users was on a business trip for a month and used Windows Mail to access messages on the Exchange Server. Upon returning, the user expected to still find all of his messages on the Exchange Server, but they are not there. He still has his messages in his inbox in Windows Mail, but he needs the messages on the Exchange Server so that he can access them via Microsoft Outlook. You need to solve this problem. What should you do? A. Forward all of the messages from the inbox back to the user’s e-mail address for the Exchange Server. B. Export the messages as a .pst file, and then import them back into Exchange. C. Use the Export to Exchange feature. D. The messages cannot be recovered on the Exchange Server because of the POP/IMAP configuration in Windows Mail. 5. You have a certain account configured in Windows Mail. The mail servers for this account have recently changed. They now require all POP3 mail to be accessed using SSL. Without the SSL configuration, you will not be able to receive your mail. You need to reconfigure the account to require SSL. What do you need to do? (Choose two.) A. Open Tools | Accounts. Select the account and click Properties. B. Open Tools | Accounts. Select the account and click Delete. C. Re-create the account, requiring an SSL connection for POP3. D. In the Properties dialog box, choose the option requiring a secure connection for incoming mail. E. In the Properties dialog box, choose the option requiring a secure connection for outgoing mail. 6. On your network, a user runs Windows Mail. This user reports that she is receiving a lot of junk e-mails from the foreign domain, .au. For her business, she has no reason to ever receive e-mail from this domain and she would like the domain blocked so that all .au messages are
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sent automatically to her junk e-mail folder. Further, the user wants to make sure that no other messages, besides the .au domain messages, are identified as junk e-mail. What do you need to do? (Choose all that apply.) A. Click Tools | Junk E-Mail and click the International tab. Choose to block the .au domain. B. Click Tools | Junk E-Mail. On the Safe Senders list, add all users that should not be blocked. C. Click Tools | Junk E-Mail. On the Safe Senders list, add the .au domain. D. Configure the junk e-mail protection level to No Automatic Filtering. E. Configure the junk e-mail protection level to High. 7. A user on your network will be traveling with her Windows Vista laptop and checking mail remotely using Windows Mail. The user wants to leave a copy of all messages on the mail server until she returns and can manage her mail via Microsoft Outlook. She has asked you to help her configure Windows Mail so that copies are left on the mail server. What do you need to do? A. Click Tools | Options | Advanced. Choose the option to leave a copy of messages on the server. B. Click Tools | Accounts. Select the account, click Properties, click Advanced, and choose the option to leave a copy of messages on the server. C. Choose File | Export and choose to export the messages to Microsoft Exchange. D. Before sending the message, use the Copy button in the new e-mail message. 8. You use Windows Mail. You receive a number of sensitive e-mails, and when you shut down Windows Mail, you would like any messages that have been added to the Deleted Items folder to be automatically and permanently deleted from your computer. How can you do this? A. Click Tools | Options | Advanced. Select the Delete All Upon Exit option. B. Click Tools | Options | Advanced. Click the Maintenance button and click the option to have everything deleted from Deleted Items when you exit Windows Mail. C. Choose Tools | Options | Mail. Click the Maintenance button and click the option to have everything deleted from Deleted Items when you exit Windows Mail. D. Choose Tools | Options | Maintenance. Choose the option to have everything deleted from the Deleted Items folder when you exit Windows Mail. 9. You only use Windows Mail to e-mail a few people. Yet, you seem to still receive a lot of junk e-mails. You want all messages that come to your inbox to go directly to the junk e-mail folder except those few people that you e-mail. Furthermore, if you e-mail someone and that person e-mails you back, you want to ensure that the message does not go to the junk e-mail folder. How can you configure this? (Choose all that apply.) A. Add desired e-mail addresses to the Safe Senders list. B. Add all other e-mail addresses to the Blocked Senders list.
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C. For each person that is later e-mailed, add that person to the Safe Senders list as well. D. On the Safe Sender’s list, click the check box option that automatically adds any e-mail address to which you send mail to the Safe Sender’s list. E. Set the Junk Mail filter to Safe List. F. Set the Junk Mail filter to High. 10. On your Windows Vista computer, you notice that you are receiving a lot of e-mails asking you to update your account information at eBay and other e-commerce sites. You have even received e-mails telling you that you have inherited money from a foreign bank and you need to provide your banking accounts and credentials. You want to configure Windows Mail so that such messages are automatically sent to the junk e-mail folder without valid e-mail being identified as junk. What can you do? A. Create a message rule deleting such messages. B. Set the automatic filtering level to high. C. Add the users’ e-mail addresses to the blocked senders list. D. Configure the phishing filter so that e-mails identified as phishing e-mails are sent to the junk e-mail folder.
Configure Windows Meeting Space 11. Which statement is not true regarding People Near Me in Windows Vista? A. The feature only works with users on your workgroup or subnet. B. The feature only works on Windows Vista computers. C. The feature will work with any user on your network, regardless of subnet. D. You must sign in for the feature to work. 12. You hold numerous meetings on your Windows Vista computer using Windows Meeting Space. You have a lot of people on your subnet who use People Near Me. You only want certain individuals to see meetings that are available, not everyone who has a Windows Vista computer configured with People Near Me. What can you do? A. Choose the option to send invitations to trusted contacts through People Near Me. B. Choose to e-mail the invitations rather than have them published via People Near Me. C. Choose to send People Near Me invitations using only your Address Book. D. Choose to block the meeting to users with no password. 13. You need to hold a meeting using Windows Meeting Space. You have made the meeting available using People Near Me. Everyone has been able to connect to the meeting. However, there is a user on your subnet who is having problems connecting via People Near Me. You need
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to get this user in the meeting and troubleshoot the connection problem later. What can you do to quickly resolve this problem? A. Send the user an e-mail invitation. B. Use Windows Mail to send the IP address information for the meeting. C. Configure the user’s Software Explorer in Windows Defender to allow People Near Me to start when Windows starts. D. Have the user log on with an administrator account. 14. A user at your company has started a Windows Meeting Space meeting. All users on the network use laptop computers that are connected to the same subnet via a wireless router. The user configures Windows Meeting Space to create an ad hoc wireless network for the meeting. Now, the user complains that her computer will not connect to the wireless network she normally connects to. What do you need to do to restore network connectivity? A. Use the Options dialog box and turn off the “Create a private ad hoc wireless network” option. B. Configure a manual TCP/IP address for the wireless network. C. Create a VPN to use the wireless network while using the ad hoc network. D. Create an alternative network connection. 15. A user on your network reports that all Windows Meeting Space connections are blocked on his computer. You need to enable Windows Meeting Space connections. What do you need to troubleshoot first? A. Ensure that People Near Me is turned on. B. Verify in the Services that File Replication is turned on. C. Verify that Windows Firewall is configured to allow Windows Meeting Space. D. Verify that IPv6 is in use. 16. During a Windows Meeting Space Meeting, you have given control of your desktop to another meeting participant. Now, you need to take control back. Which answer options are correct ways to take control? (Choose all that apply.) A. Click Revert Control. B. Click Take Control. C. Press SPACEBAR-ESC. D. Press Windows logo key-ESC. 17. You are having problems with a certain Windows Vista Ultimate computer and Windows Meeting Space. You verify that Windows Firewall has an exception allowing Windows Meeting Space. You also want to verify that other necessary services are running. You open the Services console in Administrative Tools in Control Panel. Which of the following services is not necessary for Windows Meeting Space?
Lab Question
A. B. C. D.
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Peer Name Resolution DFS Replication EFS Peer Networking Identity Manager
18. During a Windows Meeting Space meeting, several changes were made to a handout that you provided. After the meeting, you discover that none of the changes were saved to the original file. You need to save changes to files that are altered during a Windows Meeting Space meeting. What do you need to do at the next meeting? A. Choose the Update Original File option in Windows Meeting Space. B. Drag the documents you want to save to a location on your computer to save them. C. Create a copy of the original file and save it during the meeting. D. Use an EFS file.
LAB QUESTION A user on your network has a Windows Vista Ultimate computer. The user needs her Windows Mail configuration to meet a set of specific options. You need to configure Windows Mail to ■
Use an SSL connection on the outgoing mail
■
Leave a copy of the messages on the mail server
■
Hear a sound when a new mail message arrives
■
Digitally sign all outgoing messages
How can you configure these options?
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SELF TEST ANSWERS Configuring Windows Mail ✓ D. Windows Mail does not support HTTP mail. Therefore, a typical Hotmail account 1. ® cannot be configured within Windows Mail. ® ˚ A, B, and C are all incorrect because Windows Mail does not support HTTP mail. ✓ C. You can assign a Low, Medium, or High setting to a message using the Message menu. 2. ® ® ˚ A, B, and D are all incorrect because none of these options will enable you to send a highpriority message. ✓ B. You can create a message rule that will cause Windows Mail to automatically place 3. ® e-mail from the user into the desired folder. ® ˚ A and C are incorrect answers because neither of these options will provide the desired configuration. D is incorrect because you cannot create a “user” account within Windows Mail. ✓ C. If you click File | Export, you see that Windows Mail can export messages in your inbox 4. ® (or any folder) directly back to Microsoft Exchange on an Exchange network. In this scenario, the user does not have POP3 configured to keep a copy of the message on the Exchange server; therefore, none are there. The only solution is to export the messages back to Exchange. ® ˚ A is incorrect because you don’t need to forward every message back—you can simply export them. B is also incorrect because you don’t need to use a PST file with Exchange. D is incorrect, since there is a solution to this problem. ✓ A and D. POP3 is the protocol used for incoming mail. Since you need to change the 5. ® configuration to require an SSL connection, simply open Tools | Accounts and choose the option to require a secure connection for incoming mail. ® ˚ B, C, and E are all incorrect because these actions will not resolve the problem. ✓ A and D. Use the International tab to block the .au domain. No messages with the .au 6. ® domain will be allowed in the user’s inbox. Then, turn off automatic filtering. This ensures that no other messages are filtered to the junk e-mail folder. ® ˚ B, C, and E are incorrect because none of these options will provide a solution to the problem. ✓ B. You can access account properties, and then click the Advanced tab. Under the Delivery 7. ® heading, click Leave A Copy Of Messages On Server. ® ˚ A, C, and D are all incorrect because none of these options will enable you to leave a copy of the messages on the server.
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✓ B. Click Tools | Options | Advanced. Click Maintenance. Here, you can choose an 8. ® option to have all messages in the Deleted Items folder deleted when you exit Windows Mail. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because none of these answer options enable you to configure the desired outcome. ✓ A, D, and E. Add all desired e-mail addresses to the Safe Sender’s list, but also click the 9. ® check box toward the bottom of the window allowing any address you e-mail to be added automatically to the Safe Sender’s list. Then, change the filtering setting to Safe List. This action will send all e-mail directly to the junk e-mail folder except e-mail from people on the Safe List. ® ˚ B, C, and F are incorrect because none of these options will provide the desired configuration. ✓ D. These kinds of phishing messages can be identified by the phishing filter. You can also 10. ® choose to have the filter automatically move messages identified as phishing messages to the junk e-mail folder. ® ˚ A, B, and C are incorrect because none of these options will identify phishing e-mail and automatically handle it.
Configure Windows Meeting Space ✓ C. The People Near Me feature only works on your local subnet or workgroup—not an 11. ® entire network with multiple subnets. ® ˚ A, B, and D are incorrect; these are actual features of People Near Me. ✓ B. In this case, you should e-mail the invitations instead of making the meeting available 12. ® via People Near Me. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because none of these options will enable you to invite the desired users. ✓ A. If a user has problems connecting to a meeting, or if the user resides on a different 13. ® subnet or the Internet, simply send the user an e-mail invitation that the user can access in order to connect to the meeting. This is the fastest solution. ® ˚ B, C, and D are all incorrect because none of these options will provide a solution. ✓ A. Since the users are all connected to the same wireless network, you don’t need an ad hoc 14. ® network for this meeting. In cases where an ad hoc network is necessary, connectivity to the initial wireless network will be lost because there cannot be two wireless connections. ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect. None of these options provide a real networking solution, since Windows Vista will not support two wireless connections at the same time. ✓ C. The first thing you should do is verify that Windows Firewall is not blocking Windows 15. ® Meeting Space. Check the Exceptions tab to ensure that Windows Meeting Space is allowed. ® ˚ A, B, and D are incorrect. Although all of these options are possible troubleshooting issues, the first thing you should check is Windows Firewall, since all connections are blocked.
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✓ B and D. If you need to take control of your desktop back, just click Take Control or press 16. ® the Windows logo key-ESC. ® ˚ A and C are not options that are actually available. ✓ C. The Encrypting File System is not a necessary part of Windows Meeting Space. In fact, 17. ® files that use EFS cannot be shared in a Windows Meeting Space meeting. ® ˚ A, B, and D are incorrect because all of these services are necessary. ✓ B. When you use a document in a meeting, a copy is made of the original. Changes made 18. ® to the copy are not saved to the original, so if you want to save the changes, simply drag the document to a location on your computer in order to save it. ® ˚ A and C are incorrect because these are not actual options you can configure. D is incorrect because you cannot use EFS files with Windows Meeting Space.
LAB ANSWER Follow these steps to achieve the desired configuration: 1. Click Start | Windows Mail. 2. Click Tools | Accounts. Select the account and click Properties. 3. Click the Advanced tab and select the option “This server requires a secure connection (SSL)” under Outgoing Mail (SMTP).
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4. Also on the Advanced tab (see previous illustration), select “Leave a copy of messages on server.” 5. Click Tools | Options. 6. On the General tab, click “Play sound when new messages arrive,” as shown here:
\ 7. Click the Security tab and click Digitally Sign All Outgoing Messages. You’ll need to purchase a digital certificate for this feature to work.
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9 Configure Windows Sidebar, Windows Calendar, and Windows Fax and Scan CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVES 9.01
Configure Windows Sidebar
9.02
Configure Windows Calendar
9.03
Configure Windows Fax and Scan
✓ Q&A
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W
indows Vista is an operating system full of different features that are useful to the home user as well as the office user. Microsoft expects you, as an IT professional, to have a working knowledge of these different features—how to use them, how to configure them, and how to troubleshoot various problems that might arise. You can expect the MCTS exam to have the same focus. In this chapter, we’ll consider three of these features, Windows Sidebar, Windows Calendar, and Windows Fax and Scan. Windows Sidebar is a new feature in Windows Vista that enables you to have dynamic content directly on your desktop. It’s a fun feature, but it can also be quite useful in a number of situations. Windows Calendar is a good addition to Windows Vista. With options for appointments and calendar sharing, it’s a built-in feature that the typical home or office user will find helpful. Finally, Fax and Scan continues to appear in Windows Vista, but with a new interface and easier, more flexible, options. The exam may ask you a variety of questions from these features. More likely, the exam will put you in a situation where there is an issue or a problem you need to solve, or at least a configuration need that you are required to perform. We’ll consider these issues throughout this chapter, and as with all aspects of Windows Vista, make sure you get some hands-on practice with these important tools.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 9.01
Configure Windows Sidebar One of the new features you’ll see immediately in Windows Vista is the Windows Sidebar. The Sidebar is the strip you see running along the right side of your desktop. It probably came to you configured with some default icons, which are called gadgets. They are essentially mini-programs, many of which can bring dynamic content to the desktop. The good news is the Sidebar is customizable: you can make it hold all kinds of things that are useful to you, and you can make it look and behave the way you want it to. The Windows Sidebar, shown in Figure 9-1, gives you easy access to different kinds of gadgets, some of which are essentially tools that you might use over and over again. For example, I like keeping a calculator on the Sidebar because this is a basic tool I use all of time. By default, the Sidebar appears on the right side of your screen and it always starts up whenever you start Windows. When you work with
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FIGURE 9-1
Windows Sidebar is the long vertical bar you see when you start Windows
Windows Vista, other windows can cover up the sidebar by default, but this is a behavior that you can change.
Configuring the Sidebar You can customize the sidebar by changing its basic properties. However, there are only a few basic properties you can change. Click Start | Control Panel | Windows Sidebar. You’ll see a basic properties dialog box appear, shown in Figure 9-2. You can also access this dialog box by right-clicking an empty area of the Sidebar and clicking Properties.
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FIGURE 9-2
Windows Sidebar options
You have the following options: ■ Start Sidebar When Windows Starts
This option is enabled by default and is typically the best setting because you’ll see your Sidebar content as soon as you start Windows. If you don’t want the Sidebar to start with Windows, however, just clear the check box.
■ Sidebar Is Always On Top Of Other Windows
This option will always keep the Sidebar on top of any window that is open. This feature is good in that it keeps the Sidebar content visible to you, but you may find that it gets in the way as you work with Vista and other programs, depending on the size of your monitor. The good news is you can try this setting and always change it back if you don’t like it. Click the check box to enable it.
■ Display Sidebar On This Side Of Screen
You see a right or left radio button option. By default, the sidebar starts on the right side of the screen, but you can change it here if you like. Notice that the sidebar is a not an
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old-style Windows toolbar. You can’t drag it around the screen: it either resides on the right or left side, depending on your choice here. ■ Display Sidebar On Monitor
This option is useful for people that are using a multiple monitor configuration. By default, the setting here is 1 because Vista assumes that you’re using one monitor. However, if you’re using a multiple display, you can have the Sidebar appear on whichever monitor you prefer.
■ View List Of Running Gadgets
You can click this button to see the gadgets that are currently on the Sidebar. You’ll see an additional dialog box appear listing the gadgets, shown in Figure 9-3. You can select one and click the Remove button to remove it from the Sidebar. Note that removing a gadget from the sidebar doesn’t remove the gadget from your computer: you can always put the gadget back on the Sidebar later if you like.
FIGURE 9-3
Select a gadget and click Remove to remove it from the Sidebar.
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Keep the Sidebar’s properties in mind for the exam. The exam may give you a situation where the Sidebar stays on top of windows that you open,
thus preventing you from closing those windows, since the controls are covered. You simply need to change the properties settings here to resolve the problem.
Unfortunately, you can’t minimize and maximize the sidebar as you can other windows—it is either open or closed. If you want to close the Sidebar, right-click the Windows Sidebar Notification Area icon and click Exit. The Sidebar will restart once you restart Windows.
Adding, Removing, and Detaching Gadgets You can easily add, remove, and detach gadgets on the Sidebar at any time and in any way that you want. You can also download more gadgets from the Internet to your computer. If you right-click an empty area of the Sidebar and choose Add Gadgets, a window appears listing all of the gadgets currently on your computer. You can also click the plus sign (+) toward the top of the Sidebar to open the gadgets window as well, as shown in Figure 9-4.
FIGURE 9-4
Click the Plus sign to add gadgets.
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You can scroll through the gadgets and even search for one in particular using the search dialog box. Notice that if you select a gadget, a short summary of what the gadget does appears in the bottom half of the window, as you can see in Figure 9-5, if you click the Show Details icon. Once you’ve found the gadget that you want to add, simply drag it to the Sidebar. You can also double-click a gadget to install it to the Sidebar as well. Notice that you can drag the gadget to any location on the Sidebar that you want. If you rightclick a gadget, you’ll notice a Move option. Use the Move feature if you can’t drag a gadget to a new location on the Sidebar. Once you choose Move, you’ll be able to move the gadget around as desired. You can also remove a gadget from the Sidebar at any time. This action doesn’t remove the gadget from your computer—it simply removes it from the Sidebar. You can always return to the Gadgets window and add the gadget again. To remove a Gadget, simply right-click it and click Remove.
FIGURE 9-5
Locate the desired gadget.
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FIGURE 9-6
Detached gadgets are often larger and easier to work with.
Detaching a Gadget from the Sidebar Keep in mind that gadgets are mini-programs. Since this is the case, you may want to detach a gadget from the sidebar and use it on your desktop for a period of time. This is especially helpful for gadgets that you want to interact with. For example, in Figure 9-6, I have detached the weather gadget. Now it appears on my Desktop and expands to a larger version so that I can work with it more easily. Once I’m done, I can simply put it back on the Sidebar. To detach a gadget from the Sidebar, simply right-click the gadget and click Detach From Sidebar. You can re-attach the gadget to the Sidebar by right-clicking it and clicking Attach To Sidebar or simply by dragging it back to the Sidebar. An alternative use here is to detach a particular gadget and close the Sidebar. Let’s say that I really want to keep the calculator gadget on my desktop at all times, but I don’t want the sidebar on the desktop. All you need to do is detach the gadget and close the Sidebar. Detached gadgets stay on the desktop, even if you close the sidebar.
Customizing Gadgets Some gadgets give you the ability to customize certain things about them, depending on the gadget. If you right-click a gadget on the Sidebar and see a Settings button, then the gadget has some customizable features you can explore. Since every gadget has its own setting options, we’ll not explore each setting available (and besides, most of them are self-explanatory); however, let’s take a look at the clock gadget as an example. As you can see in Figure 9-7, I have accessed the options for the clock. The clock options give you the option to choose a clock style by clicking through the selection arrows. You can then give the clock a name, choose your time zone, and decide if you want to show the second hand on the clock or not. Once you’re done, simply click OK to apply your settings. You have a few gadgets that are installed with Windows Vista by default. However, you can find many additional gadgets on the Internet. If you right-click the Sidebar and click Add Gadgets, you can click the Get More Gadgets Online link.
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FIGURE 9-7
Options for the clock gadget
This will take you to the Windows Vista Gadgets gallery, as you can see in Figure 9-8. Here, you can scroll through the available gadgets, search for a particular gadget, and download any gadget that you want to your computer. You can then use it as you would any other gadget. You can also access www.microsoftgadgets.com to find additional gadgets and download them as well. Since a gadget is essentially a miniprogram, make sure you only download gadgets from trusted sources; otherwise, they could contain malware.
The word “opacity” means the degree to which something is opaque. If you right-click a gadget, you’ll see an option for Opacity on the menu, which then provides a pop-out menu where you can choose the opacity level in terms of a percentage. If you choose a higher opacity level, the gadget will appear more opaque
on the Sidebar—at least until you hover your mouse over it.This setting is good if you want the Sidebar in use, but you want the gadgets less noticeable when you’re not actually using them. So, if you face an exam question about a gadget that is very “dim,” all you need to do is adjust the opacity setting.
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FIGURE 9-8
Find more gadgets online
EXERCISE 9-1 Adding, Configuring, and Removing a Gadget In this exercise, you’ll walk through the steps of adding, configuring, and removing a gadget. For this exercise, we’ll work with the clock gadget, which is available in Windows Vista by default: 1. Click the Gadgets button on the Sidebar, or just right-click an empty area of the Sidebar and click Add Gadgets.
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2. In the Gadgets window that appears, drag the clock from the selection list to the Sidebar. The clock is added to the Sidebar. 3. Right-click the clock gadget and click Options. 4. On the Clock’s options dialog box, choose a clock style. Give the clock a name if desired and choose whether to show the second hand or not, and then click OK. 5. Now, click and drag the clock with your mouse and drag it off the Sidebar to your desktop. Notice that you can move the clock around to any location on the desktop that you like. Now, drag the clock back to the Sidebar. 6. To remove the clock from the Sidebar, click the Close button that appears next to it when you hover your mouse over the gadget, or right-click it and click Close Gadget.
SCENARIO & SOLUTION I have several windows open, but I need to see the gadgets for a moment. Is there an easy way to get to them?
Right-click the Windows Sidebar icon in the Notification Area and click Bring Gadgets To Front. This will put the gadgets on top of the currently open windows for easy access.
How can I have gadgets on the Sidebar but make them less noticeable against the background?
Right-click each gadget and adjust the opacity level until you have a percentage that you like. The lower the opacity percentage, the more “see-through” the gadgets become until you hover over them with your mouse.
I want the Sidebar to always stay on top of other windows I open. How can I configure this option?
Right-click an empty area of the Sidebar and click Properties. On the Sidebar properties dialog box, click the “Sidebar is always on top of other windows” check box and click OK.
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CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 9.02
Configure Windows Calendar Windows Calendar is a simple but powerful calendar application. Home as well as network users will find its features useful, and the exam will expect you to answer a few important questions about its configuration. You can open Windows Calendar by clicking Start | All Programs | Windows Calendar. As you can see in Figure 9-9, Windows Calendar provides you with a simple interface that you’ll be able to use in no time. You have the following general areas: ■ Menu bar
The menu bar contains typical Windows menus, such as File, Edit, View, Share, and Help. You can access these menus to use your calendar and configure it.
■ Toolbar
The toolbar contains items that you’ll typically use, such as a New Appointment button, a New Task button, and so forth.
FIGURE 9-9
Windows Calendar
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■ Navigation pane
On the left side of the interface, you see the Navigation pane, which contains the current month’s calendar, a list of additional calendars you have created (if any), and a list of any tasks you have made (if any).
■ Day column
In the day column, you see the current day selected on the calendar to the left. Here, you’ll see appointments and tasks for the day. You can switch from day view to work week, week, or month by clicking the View menu on the toolbar.
■ Details pane
On the right side of the calendar, you see a details pane for the current calendar, including color options and sharing options.
Create Appointments and Tasks One of the main features of Windows Calendar is appointments and tasks. You can create appointments and tasks, and have the calendar remind you of them as they get close. Both of these tasks are easy and quick, and the following two sections show you how to create appointments and tasks. To create a new appointment, click the New Appointment button on the toolbar. The Details pane now displays the new appointment options. Simply work through the fields on the details pane and enter the correct information for your appointment. Make sure you choose start and end times for your appointment and choose a recurrence or reminder option if desired. As you can see in Figure 9-10, I have created an appointment. When you’re done, you’ll see the appointment appear as a block of time on the day column in the center of the interface, shown in Figure 9-11. Whereas appointments are meetings and events that you need to attend, tasks are simply another kind of appointment to help you remember to get certain things done. You can create a new task by clicking the New Task button on the toolbar. When you do, the details pane now changes to task information that is essentially very similar to the appointment details. Simply complete the fields and give the task a name; it will appear in the Tasks section on your calendar. As you can see in Figure 9-12, I have added a task to my day.
Using Multiple Calendars Windows Calendar will let you have more than one calendar. Let’s say you want a calendar for home appointments and tasks and another for business-related appointments or tasks. No matter why you need an additional calendar, you can create multiple calendars and simply click to manage them as needed. To create
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FIGURE 9-10
Create an appointment.
FIGURE 9-11
The new appointment appears on the calendar.
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FIGURE 9-12
Tasks appear in the Tasks section of the Navigation pane.
a new calendar, click File | New Calendar. The new calendar appears in the Calendars section on the Navigation pane. Type a name for the calendar and then choose a calendar color in the Details pane. As you can see in Figure 9-13, I now have two calendars. Simply click the calendar you want to select, and then add appointments and tasks as necessary. You can toggle between calendars easily, since each calendar can have a different color. You can also create calendar groups. If you have a number of calendars, a group can be used to organize them. For example, you might create a group for your personal calendars and another for your shared calendars. Just click File | New Group to create a calendar group. Then, just use your mouse to drag existing calendars into the group. FIGURE 9-13
You can create additional calendars.
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Configuring Calendar Options If you click File | Options, you can choose a few default features of your calendar, as shown in Figure 9-14. The following list gives you a few pointers: ■ By default, the first day of the week is Sunday and the start time for the day is
8 a.m. You can change these defaults to whatever you want using the dropdown menus.
■ By default, reminders appear in Windows Vista with sound, even if Windows
Calendar is not running. This is probably the best setting because you will not have to have Windows Calendar open for it to work with your appointments and tasks. ■ By default, the appointment length is one hour and there are no default
reminders. You can change this so that the default generally meets your needs (naturally, you can change it to whatever you want in the calendar interface every time you create a new appointment). ■ By default, completed tasks are never hidden, there is no default reminder
time, and overdue tasks are color-coded in red. You can change any or all of these options as desired.
FIGURE 9-14
Calendar options
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Sharing a Calendar Windows Calendar has a sharing feature that makes sharing your calendar or putting it on your Web site easy. If you click the Share menu option, you see that you can publish your calendar, subscribe to an existing Windows Calendar on a Web site, or send your calendar via e-mail. If you click the Publish option, you see a single window, shown in Figure 9-15, where you can choose a server location and choose to automatically publish changes to the calendar on the Internet. Naturally, the calendar doesn’t provide you with a Web site or permission to access the Web site; you’ll need to set this up or, in the case of a business Web site, get additional instructions and permissions from the Web site administrator. However, in the case of a small network, you can also publish your calendar to the Public folder in Windows Vista, which will enable users on the network to access the calendar in a secure manner. You may face an exam question that talks about a need to share a calendar with everyone on your workgroup, but you don’t want to give them any additional access to your computer. The answer is to simply publish the calendar to your public folder. You can also subscribe to other calendars that are published on the intranet or Internet. Click Publish | Subscribe and follow the steps by completing the
FIGURE 9-15
Publish options
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requested information. Additionally, in terms of calendars on the Internet, you can also subscribe to many of them by visiting their Web sites, choosing to download the calendar, and answering a prompt that appears from Windows Calendar.
You can’t publish a calendar that you have subscribed to. However, what if you subscribe to a calendar from your business’ Web site and now you need to publish the calendar in a different way? In this case, you need to
select the calendar, choose File | Export, delete the calendar, and then use File | Import. Now, you “own” the calendar and can publish it.This is a common exam scenario, so keep this solution in mind.
EXERCISE 9-2 CertCam
Creating and Configuring a Calendar You can easily create multiple calendars and add appointments and tasks when needed. The following exercise walks you through this process: 1. Click Start | All Programs | Windows Calendar. 2. Click File | New Calendar. In the Calendars pane, type a name for the new calendar and choose a desired calendar color in the Details pane. 3. Click New Appointment on the toolbar. 4. In Details pane, configure the appointment by populating the fields as desired. 5. Click New Task on the toolbar. 6. In the Details pane, configure the task by populating the fields as desired. 7. If you right-click tasks and appointments on the calendar, you can delete the calendar, rename it, make it an all-day appointment, or even send it to someone via e-mail.
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SCENARIO & SOLUTION I have several personal calendars and several department calendars from work I subscribe to. How can I better organize them?
You can create calendar groups, which are essentially folders that hold calendars you add to the group. Choose File | New Group. The group will appear in the Calendars pane. Just drag the desired calendars to the group.
How can I determine how often a subscribed calendar is updated?
When you subscribe to a calendar, the series of subscription steps will ask you about updates. You can make your decision here. Later, you can adjust this setting by selecting the calendar and changing the update information in the Details pane.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 9.03
Configure Windows Fax and Scan Windows Vista provides a new Windows Fax and Scan console that enables you to send and receive faxed documents on your computer without a fax machine. From the console, you can also print, e-mail, or save copies of your fax documents. In many ways, the Windows Fax and Scan works like an e-mail program where you can send and receive faxes and scans, and then organize and manage them in a folder structure, as you can see in Figure 9-16. Naturally, your computer will need a fax modem, and the fax modem will need to be connected to your phone line in order to send and receive faxes. You can find the Fax and Scan console in the Printers folder in Control Panel. To send a fax, click the New Fax button on the toolbar. The first time you do this, you’ll walk through a quick wizard where you choose the fax modem you’ll use for sending and receiving faxes and decide whether you’ll receive faxes automatically or not. This process then configures Windows Firewall to receive faxes according to your selections. Once you’re ready to send a new fax, you’ll see a New Fax dialog box that essentially looks like an e-mail message box (see Figure 9-17). Configure who the fax is to, type a subject, and enter the fax message. Notice that you can attach documents to be faxed from the toolbar, and you can also choose whether or not to include a cover page.
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FIGURE 9-16
Windows Fax and Scan
FIGURE 9-17
New Fax
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INSIDE THE EXAM As with an e-mail application, you can have multiple fax accounts. Click Tools | Accounts to see a simple Fax Accounts dialog box where you can add or remove accounts. Keep in mind that you can fax directly through your fax modem, but you can also fax through a fax server on your network (in which case your computer doesn’t need a modem - only
a network connection). Notice that when you create a new fax account, you have the option to connect to your fax modem, or a fax server on your network, as shown next. Just keep the concept of accounts in your mind as you take the exam and remember that faxes can be sent locally through your modem or a fax server.
In the same manner, you can scan documents by clicking Scan at the bottom of the left pane, and then clicking New Scan on the toolbar. If a scanner is connected to your computer, you can then scan the document as desired. Other than new faxes and scans, you can see that the interface is rather intuitive. You can receive faxes and scans, and then forward them as faxes, forward them as e-mail messages, save them, print them, and organize them using the folder structure provided.
Fax Settings If you click Tools | Fax Settings, there are few important setting options you should keep in mind on the dialog box. Everything you see here is self-explanatory, but there are a few possible exam items you need to remember. First, on the General tab, shown
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FIGURE 9-18
General tab
in Figure 9-18, you can allow the fax to automatically receive calls and answer after the desired number of rings (5 is the default). By default, the receive fax option is disabled, since most home users will send faxes but must share the same phone line with answering machines and other devices. Naturally, you may have set this up when you created the fax account, but keep in mind that you can adjust these settings here. On the Tracking tab, review the Notifications options. All the selections here are chosen by default, but you should remember where they are located. Under Notifications, you can show progress when faxes are sent or received, be notified of successes and failures for incoming faxes, and be notified of successes and failures for outgoing faxes. The Advanced tab has a few important settings to keep in mind, as shown in Figure 9-19. First, you can choose the number of redial attempts when sending a fax and the interval between the redial attempts. You can also configure start and end discount rates. Some telephone company services give you a better long-distance rate if you make calls during certain time periods of the day, such as late in the evening. You can choose start and end times for discount rates here. Then, when you send a fax, you click Tools | Options on the New Fax window and choose to send the fax when discount rates apply. Exercise 9-3 shows you an illustration of this option. This is the kind of configuration issue the exam loves to throw your way, so keep the discount rates option in mind as you move forward.
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FIGURE 9-19
Advanced tab
Fax and Scan Options The Fax and Scan Options are available on the Tools menu. For the most part, the options are few and rather unimportant. The only thing I want to call your attention to here is the Receipts tab, shown in Figure 9-20. Here, you can configure a delivery receipt for when you sent a fax, and the receipt can be e-mailed to you, along with a copy of the fax you sent as well. This is a great confirmation and record-keeping feature of this software, especially if you send a lot of faxes for business purposes. Keep the e-mail receipt option in mind for the exam.
You can include a cover page with any fax, but you can also create a custom cover page (or several of them) so that you can choose what cover page to use. Click Tools | Cover Pages and then click New. In the word processing window that appears,
you can create your cover page and save it. Then when you send a fax, you can choose the cover page you created by clicking the Cover Page drop-down menu on the New Fax dialog box (where you can also choose some generic fax cover pages if you like).
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FIGURE 9-20
Receipts tab
EXERCISE 9-3 Creating a Fax Account and Sending a Fax This exercise will show you how to create a fax account and send an initial fax. This exercise can only be completed if you have a fax modem installed. 1. Click Start | Control Panel | Printers | Faxes. 2. In the Windows Fax and Scan console, click New Fax on the toolbar. 3. In the New Fax dialog box, click Connect To A Fax Modem. Type a desired name for the fax modem and click Next, as shown in the following illustration.
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4. In the Choose How To Receive Faxes dialog box, choose whether you want automatic settings, a notification, or to choose later and move on. Click the desired option. 5. The New Fax dialog box appears. As you can see in the following illustration, the dialog box looks a lot like an e-mail message dialog box. On the toolbar, you can attach a document or a picture (or you can drag them to the dialog box as well). First, choose a cover page option from the Cover Page dropdown menu if you want to include a cover page. Include any cover page notes or information.
6. Click the To button to select a contact to send the fax to. If you have not created a contact with the appropriate phone information, you can create one in the Select Recipients dialog box by clicking New Contact. 7. Choose any necessary dialing rules by clicking the Dialing Rules drop-down menu. Once you’ve done this, all you need to do is type your message and your fax information. 8. There are some important options if you click Tools | Options. Here, you can have a receipt e-mailed to you, set a priority for the fax (which can help move your fax up in the sending order on a fax server), and schedule when
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the fax is sent, such as now, when discount rates apply, or at a specific time. Make a selection and click OK, and then click Send to send the fax.
SCENARIO & SOLUTION I have a phone plan that gives me a long-distance discount rate between the hours of 9 P.M. and midnight. How can I configure the fax console so that it knows about the discount hours?
In Fax and Scan, click Tools | Fax Settings | Advanced. Configure the discount rate time slots here. Then, when you are preparing a fax, click Tools | Options and choose to send the fax during discount hours.
I need to create a fax, but I don’t want to send it until 2 P.M. How can I configure the fax console to hold the fax until that time?
When you create the fax, click Tools | Options in the New Fax dialog box. You can click the radio button option and enter a desired time to send the fax. Then, click the Send button on the New Fax dialog box. Windows Fax and Scan will hold the fax in its Outbox until the appropriate send time.
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CERTIFICATION SUMMARY Windows Sidebar is a new feature that enables you to use gadgets, which are miniprograms, directly on your desktop. You can add and remove gadgets and download new ones from the Web as needed. You can adjust whether or not the Sidebar resides on top of or behind windows that are open on the Windows Sidebar properties dialog box. In some cases, gadgets are configurable. If they are, you can right-click the gadget and click Options to see what configuration features are available. You can also adjust the opacity of each gadget by right-clicking the gadget and choosing an opacity level. Windows Calendar is a new feature in Windows Vista. You can create multiple calendars and view them together using different colors to keep calendar data straight. You can add appointments and tasks, and you can publish your calendar on your local network or to the Internet so that others can access it. Additionally, you can also subscribe to calendars on the Internet and use those calendars within Windows Calendar as well. The new Windows Fax and Scan console provides flexibility and an easy way to manage faxes and scans. You can fax documents through your computer’s fax modem or through a network server, or you can configure both through different accounts. When you send a fax, you can have an e-mail receipt sent to you, and you can drag documents and photos to the New Fax dialog box, just as you would an e-mail message. When you send documents, you can also fax them or forward them as an e-mail message well. The Fax and Scan console can be configured to send faxes during discount periods of time to save on long-distance charges.
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✓
TWO-MINUTE DRILL Configure Windows Sidebar ❑ Windows Sidebar enables the user to display gadgets, or mini-programs, on
the desktop. ❑ You can configure the sidebar so that it always displays gadgets on top of
other windows that are open. ❑ You can add and remove gadgets at any time and download additional gadgets
from the Web. ❑ Some gadgets, such as the clock, have configurable options that can be
chosen from their properties pages. ❑ You can detach gadgets from the Sidebar and place them directly on the
desktop. ❑ You can adjust the opacity of each gadget by right-clicking the gadget and
choosing an opacity level.
Configure Windows Calendar ❑ You can use multiple calendars and view them at the same time. Calendar
tasks are color-coded. ❑ You can publish a calendar by choosing the option from the Share menu.
When you publish, you can publish to an intranet or Internet site. ❑ If a calendar is shared on an intranet or Internet site, you can subscribe to
the calendar and use it. Choose the option on the Share menu. ❑ If you subscribe to a calendar, you cannot publish it. However, you can
work around this issue by exporting the calendar, re-importing it, and then publishing it. ❑ Change default calendar features by clicking File | Options. ❑ You can share your calendar on your local network by publishing it to the
Public folder in Windows Vista.
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Configure Windows Fax and Scan ❑ To send and receive faxes, you must set up a fax account. When you set up
the account, you can determine if your modem will be allowed to receive faxes, and if so, whether you can receive them automatically. ❑ The Options dialog box, available from the Tools menu, enables you to
configure various features for faxing and scanning, including fax receipts. ❑ You can specify discount time periods where it may be more economical to
send and receive faxes in terms of your telephone plan. ❑ You can scan and forward documents to a fax or e-mail recipient.
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SELF TEST The following questions will help you measure your understanding of the material presented in this chapter. Read all the choices carefully because there might be more than one correct answer. Choose all correct answers for each question.
Configure Windows Sidebar 1. You have upgraded a Windows XP Professional computer to Windows Vista. When you start Windows Vista, you discover that Windows Sidebar always stays on top of other windows you open. This is preventing you from closing those windows. What can you do so that Windows Sidebar stays behind open windows? A. Right-click each gadget and adjust the opacity level. B. Right-click the Sidebar and click Send To back. C. Minimize the Sidebar. D. Open the Sidebar’s properties dialog box and clear the “Sidebar is always on top of other windows” check box. 2. You are using the weather gadget. You want to change the weather gadget so that it reports weather from a different city. How can you configure this? A. Download the gadget for the desired city. B. Double-click the gadget to open its Options dialog box. C. Right-click the gadget and click Options. D. Close the gadget and restart it. 3. You use a multiple monitor configuration. You want the Windows Sidebar to reside on Monitor 2. How can you configure this? A. Drag the Sidebar to the second monitor. B. Access the Sidebar properties dialog box and choose monitor 2. C. Drag each gadget to the second monitor. D. Windows Sidebar must always reside on monitor 1. 4. You use Windows Sidebar with several gadgets. In order to improve the appearance of Windows Vista, you would like these gadgets to appear virtually see-through on the desktop until they are needed. How can you configure this? A. Right-click each gadget and choose an opacity level. B. Right-click each gadget and choose an opaque level. C. Right-click the Sidebar and choose an opacity level. D. Right-click the Sidebar and choose an opaque level.
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Configure Windows Calendar 5. You have a small office for a home-based business. You use four Windows Vista Ultimate computers and you have one full-time employee. The employee uses Windows Calendar to maintain a listing of meetings and tasks for each week. You would like to be able to access this calendar at any time, but you only want your employee to manage it. How can you configure it? (Choose two answers.) A. On the employee’s computer, publish the calendar to the Public folder. B. On your computer, publish the calendar to the Public folder. C. On the employee’s computer, share the calendars folder with Read permission. D. On your computer, subscribe to the calendar. 6. On a Windows Vista computer, you use Windows Calendar to manage several employees’ schedules. You also have several personal calendars as well. You would like the option to view the employee’s schedules together without your personal calendar’s involvement. How can you configure this? A. Publish the employees’ calendars. B. Subscribe to the employees’ calendars. C. Create a group and place the employees’ calendars in this group. D. Start two instances of Windows Calendar. 7. You subscribed to a calendar on the Internet. When you subscribed, you did not configure the subscription so that the calendar will be updated. Now, you want the calendar updated every week. What do you need to do? A. Delete the calendar and re-subscribe to it. B. Return to the Web site and choose a recurrence option. C. Select the calendar in Windows Calendar and adjust the Update information. D. Choose the Refresh option on the toolbar in Windows Calendar. 8. You subscribed to a Calendar from a major news site. You want to publish this calendar so that other people on your local network can access it. However, when you select the calendar and click the Share menu, the Publish option is grayed out. You need to publish this calendar. What do you need to do? A. Share the calendar in a folder configured with full control for the Everyone group. B. Group the calendar and then publish the group. C. Export the calendar to your desktop, and then import the calendar back into Windows Calendar as a new calendar. Then, publish the calendar. D. Select the calendar. In the Details pane, choose to publish the calendar.
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9. You want to change your calendar so that the default first day of the week is Monday beginning at 8 A.M. How can you configure this? A. Monday at 8 A.M. is the default. No change is necessary. B. Recreate the calendar. C. Access calendar options and change the default. D. Access Calendar properties from the Share menu.
Configure Windows Fax and Scan 10. Before you can send a fax, what must you do? A. Log on with an administrator account. B. Add your user account to the Fax Users group. C. Connect your computer to a fax server. D. Set up a fax account. 11. Which statement is not true concerning the receiving of faxes? A. Your computer can receive faxes automatically. B. Your computer can be configured for manual fax reception. C. Once you create an account, you cannot change how faxes are received. D. Faxes can be received through your computer’s modem or a fax server. 12. You need to scan an important document, and you need to send the document to a user in a small remote office on the other side of your city. The user has a Windows Vista Business computer, but the computer does not have a modem. Also, there is no fax server on the network or fax machine in the office. The user is connected to the Internet. The user needs the document immediately. What can you do? A. Recreate the document in Word and e-mail it to the user. B. Scan the document and post it to the company’s Web site. C. Scan the document and click the E-mail button option in Windows Fax and Scan. D. The user’s computer must be configured to receive faxes. 13. Your Windows Vista computer is configured to receive faxes. You notice that when a fax is being sent, the computer allows the phone to ring five times before it is answered. You receive a lot of faxes, and you would like the computer to answer after only two rings. You open the Windows Fax and Scan console. How can you change this setting? A. Click Tools | Options. Click the Receive tab and change the default number of rings. B. Create a new fax account and configure it to answer after only two rings. C. Click Tools | Fax Settings and adjust the number of rings on the General tab. D. Click Tools | Fax Settings and adjust the number of rings on the Advanced tab.
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14. You send a number of important faxes to a client in Germany. You want to make sure that each fax is received at the client site. You would also like a copy of the fax e-mailed to you as well. How can you configure this? A. In the New Fax window, choose the e-mail receipt option. B. Click Tools | Options and configure the Receipts tab options. C. Configure Windows Mail to record outgoing faxes. D. Click Tools | Fax Settings and choose the e-mail receipt option. 15. You have configured Windows Fax and Scan with discount call settings so that faxes are sent between the hours of 7 and 10 P.M., when your company receives a better long-distance rate. However, you discover that when you send a fax, it is sent right away instead of waiting until the discount time period. What do you need to do? A. In the New Fax dialog box, click Tools | Options and choose the discount time option. B. Restart the Fax console. C. In the Fax and Scan console, click Tools | Fax Options. On the General tab, click “Always send faxes by schedule.” D. Faxes cannot be restricted to a certain time slot, but a specific time only.
LAB QUESTION You need to configure Windows Fax and Scan so that it meets the following requirements: ■
You need an account for your fax modem, but you also need an account so that you can use a fax server on your network.
■
You need to use discounted time options.
■
You want an e-mail receipt from every fax that is sent, along with an e-mail copy of the fax.
■
You need to use a custom cover sheet. What steps do you need to follow to configure Windows Fax and Scan to meet these requirements?
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SELF TEST ANSWERS Configure Windows Sidebar ✓ D. To make sure that the Sidebar resides behind other windows you open, right-click the 1. ® Sidebar and click Properties. On the properties dialog box, clear the “Sidebar is always on top of other windows” check box. ® ˚ A is incorrect because adjusting the opacity will not move the Sidebar behind open windows. B and C are both incorrect because these options do not exist. ✓ C. Configurable gadgets, such as the weather gadget, have an Options dialog box where 2. ® you can choose different features available for that gadget. Just right-click the gadget and click Options to open the dialog box. ® ˚ A is incorrect because you can’t download a weather gadget specific for different cities. B is also incorrect because double-clicking a gadget doesn’t do anything. D is also incorrect because closing and restarting the gadget will not cause it to change to a different weather reporting city. ✓ B. You can have the Sidebar appear on monitor 2 by choosing the monitor 2 option on the 3. ® Windows Sidebar properties dialog box. ® ˚ A is incorrect because you cannot drag the Sidebar to the second monitor. C is incorrect because although you can drag the gadgets, you can’t actually drag the Sidebar to the second monitor this way. D is incorrect because this is a configurable option. ✓ A. You can adjust the opaque value of each gadget by right-clicking the gadget and choosing 4. ® an opacity percentage level. ® ˚ B and D are incorrect because there is no “opaque” setting. C is also incorrect because you cannot adjust the overall opacity of the entire Sidebar; you must adjust the opacity of each gadget.
Configure Windows Calendar ✓ A and D. Since you’re on a local network, the employee needs to publish the calendar to 5. ® the Public folder on her computer. You can then subscribe to the calendar from your computer. This arrangement maintains security and enables the calendar to be updated on your computer as it changes. ® ˚ B is incorrect because you cannot configure this from your computer. C is also incorrect because you do not need to share an internal folder in order to publish the calendar. ✓ C. Use the File menu to create a new group, and then drag the desired calendars to this 6. ® group. Then you will be able to work with the calendars collectively. ® ˚ A and B are incorrect because publishing or subscribing will not resolve this issue. D is also incorrect because you cannot work with multiple instances of Windows Calendar in order to manage calendars.
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✓ C. Simply select the calendar. In the Details pane, you’ll see an Update option where you 7. ® can change the original update option you selected. ® ˚ A, B, and D are all incorrect because none of these options will update the calendar. ✓ C. You can’t publish a calendar that you have subscribed to. In a case where you need to 8. ® publish a calendar, you would need to export and then import it as a new calendar. Then, you can publish it. Of course, once you do this, it will not be updated any longer from the original source. ® ˚ A, B, and D are all incorrect because you cannot publish the calendar in any of these ways. ✓ C. Click File | Options and change the default day from Sunday to Monday. 9. ® ® ˚ A and B are incorrect because these actions will not change the setting. D is incorrect because there is no Calendar properties choice on the Share menu.
Configure Windows Fax and Scan ✓ D. Before you can fax anything, you must set up a fax account through your computer’s 10. ® modem or through a fax server on the network. ® ˚ A, B, and C are all incorrect because none of these actions are necessary. ✓ C. You can choose how you want to receive faxes when you create an account, but you also 11. ® choose what receiving option you want later, and you can also change it. ® ˚ A, B, and D are all incorrect because all of these options are true. ✓ C. In Windows Fax and Scan, you can scan a document and then fax it or e-mail it to a 12. ® recipient. ® ˚ A and B are both incorrect because you do not need to recreate the document or post it to a Web site. D is also incorrect because there is a simple solution to this problem that doesn’t require faxing. ✓ D. Click Tools | Fax Settings to adjust the number of times the phone rings before Fax and 13. ® Scan console answers the call to receive a fax. ® ˚ A, B, and C are incorrect because you cannot configure the number of rings in any of these locations. ✓ B. You can configure an e-mail receipt on the Receipts tab. You can also choose to have a 14. ® copy of the fax e-mailed to you along with the receipt. ® ˚ A, C, and D are all incorrect because you cannot configure receipts in these ways. ✓ A. Once you configure in Fax Options what the discount time is, you should decide which 15. ® faxes use the discount time. When you create a new fax, click Tools | Options in the New Fax dialog box and choose to send the fax during discount hours. ® ˚ B, C, and D are all incorrect. None of these actions will resolve the problem.
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LAB ANSWER To meet the desired configuration options, follow these steps: 1. Click Tools | Fax Accounts. On the Fax Accounts dialog box, click the Add button and follow the steps to create an account, shown in the following illustration. Then, click the Add button again to create a connection to the fax server on your network. When you’re done, you’ll have two fax accounts available—one for your local modem and one to a fax server.
2. Click Tools | Fax Settings. On the Advanced tab, configure the start and end times for the discount rate and click OK. 3. Click Tools | Options | Receipts. For a delivery receipt, click the E-Mail To option and enter an e-mail address. Then, click the Attach A Copy Of The Sent Fax check box option and click OK. 4. Click Tools | Cover Pages. In the Fax Cover Pages dialog box, when you click the New button, the cover pages editor appears. Here, you can use the editing tools, which essentially work like a mini word-processing application, to create your custom cover page. Once you’re done, you can choose to use this cover page when you send a fax. On the New Fax window, click the Cover Page drop-down menu and select the cover page you have created.
10 Troubleshoot Reliability and Performance Issues CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVES 10.01
Troubleshoot Performance Issues
10.02
Troubleshoot Reliability Issues with Diagnostic Tools
✓ Q&A
Two-Minute Drill Self Test
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W
indows Vista is a powerhouse operating system. The operating system alone places a lot of demand on your computer components, not to mention HDTV, photo editing, DVD creation, 3-D graphics and gaming, and the many other resource-intensive tasks you may tackle. The good news is Windows Vista provides more tools and information about performance than was available in previous versions of Windows. Using the built-in tools and features, you will be able to understand and troubleshoot performance problems and typically offer solutions to customers and users. In this chapter, we’ll explore the resolution of performance and reliability issues. You’ll see how to use various tools and information sources to identify those problems and solve them. Furthermore, I’ll be sure to keep you focused on the exam, which is likely to ask you several important questions about performance and reliability.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 10.01
Troubleshoot Performance Issues Windows Vista includes a few tools that can help you troubleshoot the general reliability and performance of your Windows Vista computer. Performance and reliability are naturally hot exam topics, so you should carefully work through this section and make sure you get some practice with these performance tools on Windows Vista—you can expect to see several questions concerning performance problems, and you’ll be expected to know how to troubleshoot those issues!
Troubleshoot with Performance Information and Tools Windows Vista includes a new console called Performance Information and Tools. The console essentially gives you performance information about your system and has links to other tools in Windows, such as Software Explorer in Windows Defender, Power Settings, and so forth. Click Start | Control Panel | Performance Information And Tools to access the console, shown in Figure 10-1. You’ll notice here that the main thrust of the console is to provide you with a Windows Experience Index base score. In the example in Figure 10-1, the score is 3.0. This score comes from subscores for other components of the system, as you can see in the figure. Your Windows Experience Index base score is determined by your lowest subscore, which in my case is a 3.0 for the graphics card’s performance. In other words,
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FIGURE 10-1
Performance Information and Tools
the lowest subscore gives you the index—not an average of the subscores. Essentially, the score is designed to give you information about your computer’s capacity both in terms of hardware and software configuration to be able to perform well when running resource-intensive tasks. Notice that you can click the Update My Score button and Windows Vista will run the Windows Experience Index again. You don’t need to do this unless you have changed some hardware on the system. Also notice that you can view software online that is compatible with your base score. The overall goal is for software developers to begin rating software according to the Windows Experience Index. This way, if you’re thinking about purchasing a software product, you can look on the package and find the base score. If the software requires a Windows Experience Index base score of 2.5 and your computer has a 3, then you know you can run the software with good performance. One helpful item with the console is the View And Print Details link. If you click this option, you get a printable page of the detail scores, but also a quick rundown of each component. This way, if you’re thinking of a hardware upgrade, you can quickly see what you have at the moment, as shown in Figure 10-2.
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FIGURE 10-2
Performance Information and Tools printable page
So, what can your computer do with its base score? For example, let’s say that you have several Windows Vista computers in your office. You check the base score of each, and now you want to use the computers in a way that their current base scores will meet your needs without hardware upgrades. The following sections give you a quick overview of what your computer can and can’t do in terms of performance based on the score.
Base Score of 1 or 2 If your computer has a base score of 1 or 2, it has enough power to do most basic tasks. You can run standard office programs, use the Internet and e-mail, and perform tasks such as this. However, in terms of multimedia, this computer will be very slow and not handle the demands at all. Also, Windows Aero may not work on this PC, because it lacks the system resources necessary to run this interface. So, a computer with a base score of 1 or 2 should be considered a low-performance computer and be used only for basic computing tasks.
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Base Score of 3 A base score of 3 is a midline score that many PCs are likely to fall under. With a base score of 3, you can do most things that you might want to do, such as use Windows Aero. However, you may find that the computer has some performance problems when running some games or HDTV content. You may find that a computer with a base score of 3 has problems running multiple monitors if Windows Aero is in use. Generally, a base score of 3 will work for most computing needs, but for higher-end applications and graphics demands, you may find that performance becomes a problem.
Base Score of 4 or 5 A base score of 4 or 5 means that your computer is able to run all features of Windows Vista without any limitations. This score will also support high-end applications and graphics-intensive programs, including 3-D graphics. At the time of this writing, a base score of 5 is the highest available base score.
Keep in mind that the Performance Information and Tools console only provides you with information. However, you can use the console to troubleshoot performance problems. For example, let’s say that you need a certain Windows Vista computer to run a 3-D application. You check the Performance Information and Tools console and find that your graphics card
only scores a 2.5. All other components score a 4 or 5. Since the graphics card only scores a 2.5, your base score is 2.5, but if you upgrade the graphics card so that it scores a 4 or 5, then your base score can be raised as well. The end result is you can use this console to find which system component scores the lowest and, therefore, is likely the bottleneck to better performance.
Gather Performance Information with Task Manager Task Manager is a tool that has been around since the stone age of Windows. It’s better now, with more information and features, and it remains one of the best tools in Windows for gathering real-time information about performance-related issues. If your computer is sluggish, Task Manager is a great resource that helps you see what is going on and what may be a potential performance problem.
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The quickest way to open Task Manager is to press CTRL-SHIFT-ESC This opens Task Manager, and you can see that it contains six individual tabs. The first four relate to performance, while the last two, Networking and Users, provide information about network traffic and current users logged on. The following sections show you what performance information is available on the first four tabs to help you understand what you need to know for the exam. .
Applications Tab The Applications tab, shown in Figure 10-3, gives you a list of applications that are currently running on your computer, and it will also tell you if a program is not responding. You can select an application and click End Task to abruptly stop it from running. This is the action you need to take if an application is not responding and you have lost control of the program using Windows Vista. You can also use the Switch To button to jump to the currently selected application. The New Task button simply allows you to start another application. In terms of performance, the main focus of this tab is whether applications are running or not. Most often, you access this tab to end an application that has stopped responding to keyboard strokes or mouse clicks. FIGURE 10-3
Applications tab
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Processes and Services Tab The Processes tab, shown in Figure 10-4, gives you a list of processes that are running. You see the executable name, the user running the process, the amount of CPU and memory usage, and a description. This tab is a good place to check for processes that are consuming an inordinate amount of CPU cycles or memory resources. One thing you may notice is a discrepancy between the number of processes listed as running and the processes shown to you. For example, in Figure 10-4, you can see that 44 processes are running, but only 15 are shown in the window. By default, only processes that are directly accessible by the user are shown. You can select the processes here and click End Process, but processes used by Windows Vista are not shown on the interface and you can’t end them. However, if you click Show Processes From All Users, you can see all processes that are running, including system processes, as shown in Figure 10-5. Also, you may want to turn on View | Select Columns in order to see PID, CPU Usage and Time, Username, Base Priority, and Thread.
FIGURE 10-4
Processes tab
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FIGURE 10-5
Processes from all users
The Services tab, shown in Figure 10-6, provides a listing of services that are currently running and those that are stopped. You can’t do anything on this tab except click the Services button, which will open the Services console, where you get a better look at currently running services and where you can manually stop and start them. However, you can right-click a service to start or stop it.
Performance tab The Performance tab, shown in Figure 10-7, gives you a quick overview of CPU and memory usage. The left bar graphs show you the current CPU usage and memory usage, while the graphs to the right report one minute’s worth of data, updating themselves every second. The numbers you see below a graph simply
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FIGURE 10-6
Services tab
FIGURE 10-7
Performance tab
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give you more information about the graph’s values at the moment. As you can see, the information changes as the graph changes. You can use the View menu to update the speed of the refresh rate on the graph, and you can also refresh the entire graph on the View menu as well. The Performance tab also gives you access to the Resource Monitor, which we’ll take a look at later in this chapter. Again, the purpose of this tab is to give you information about the CPU and memory usage. If the computer’s performance is slow, this is a quick way to determine if the bottleneck is the CPU or the memory.
Keep in mind for the exam that the Performance tab lists real-time data. Let’s say you are using an application and you notice a big performance drop. You need to find out what is causing the performance degradation, CPU or RAM,
quickly and with real-time data.The answer is the Performance tab.You can simply click CTRL-SHIFT-ESC and view the CPU and memory usage on the Performance tab, which can help you learn where the performance bottleneck is for the particular application.
Using Performance Tools to Improve Performance In addition to Windows Performance Index and Task Manager, Windows Vista includes some additional tools that can help you gather information about performance and make some configuration changes so that you can improve performance, at least on some levels. None of these tools are new in Windows Vista, but you might find some different options than you’ve seen in the past, and you certainly should know about these tools for the exam. The following sections take a look at them.
Event Log The Event Log is probably one of the oldest tools in Windows. Essentially, the Event Log records system events that occur, and you can use the information in the Event Log to solve problems and troubleshoot all kinds of system errors and events. In Windows Vista, the Event Log is labeled the Event Viewer, and you can find it in the Administrative Tools folder in Control Panel. The Event Viewer, as you can see in Figure 10-8, is a standard MMC where you can view different types of events, such as errors, warnings, information, audit success, and audit failure. Just expand a category and double-click an event to find out more about it.
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FIGURE 10-8
Event Viewer
Keep in mind that the Event Viewer simply provides you with information about events. Otherwise, you are unlikely to encounter any direct exam questions about it, but you need to know what it does in order to sift through answer options in troubleshooting questions.
System Information System Information is another tool that simply provides you information about your system’s hardware and configuration. It’s a handy tool because it gives you a lot of information about components and software, so if you really need to get the rundown about what the hardware and software configuration is on a computer, System Information is the place to go. You can access System Information by choosing Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Information, shown in Figure 10-9. System Information can be slow to start because it has to collect a lot of information, so be patient. If you take a look at the left pane, you see a list of information categories. If you click the plus (+) sign next to each category, you can select specific topics for which you want to gather information. It is important to note here that you cannot configure or actually do anything with System Information, but System Information is designed
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FIGURE 10-9
System Information
to give you…well, information. The more information you can gather about your computer, the more likely you are to solve problems with your computer. In terms of the exam, you should have a good understanding of what information you can gain here. This helps you know when you use System Information and to identify it or rule it out in answer choices. The next several sections tell you all about the information you can gain in each major category, and I’ll point out some tips for you along the way.
System Summary When you first open System Information, the default view is the System Summary. This view provides an overview of your computer. You see everything from the operating system to the total amount of RAM installed on your computer. This page is excellent to access if you want a quick report about the basics of your computer. You can print this page from the File menu. Hardware Resources The Hardware Resources category of System Information gives you a complete look at the hardware on your computer. This section is an excellent place to see exactly what’s installed, what’s working and what’s not, and whether any conflicts exist.
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Should conflicts be encountered, you’ll see warning messages in yellow and conflict or error messages in red. This helps you quickly identify problems. By expanding Hardware Resources in the left pane, you see the following categories you can select and view: ■ Conflicts/Sharing
This option tells whether any hardware conflicts are occurring between devices. In some cases, hardware devices share certain computer resources, and this section tells you about those as well.
■ DMA (direct memory access)
This option tells you what devices have direct access to memory resources.
■ Forced Hardware
If you have problems installing a device and it has been “forced” onto your system using manual settings, the device will be listed here.
■ I/O (input/output system)
This information gives a report about input/ output operation. Technical support personnel may find this information useful.
■ IRQs (interrupt request lines)
Each device uses an IRQ to access your computer’s processor. This option tells you which device is using which IRQ.
■ Memory
This option provides a list of memory resource assignments per device.
Components The Components category provides a list of components installed and used on your system. Some of these include additional submenus as well. System Information will display problems in yellow and red lettering so that you can easily identify them. You gain information about the following: ■ Multimedia
This option gives you information about your audio and video
configuration. ■ CD-ROM
Information is listed here about your CD-ROM drive.
■ Sound Device
Information about your sound card is listed here.
■ Display
Information about your display appears here.
■ Infrared
If you are using any infrared ports, they are listed here.
■ Input
Get information about your keyboard and mouse or other pointing device here.
■ Modem
Modem information is listed here.
■ Network
Network adapters, protocols, and WinSock information is provided here.
■ Ports
Get information about ports on your computer (such as serial and parallel ports) here.
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■ Storage
Get information about the drives on your computer here.
■ Printing
Find out about printers and print drivers here.
■ Problem Devices
If any devices are not working correctly, they are listed here. This is a very useful option to find troublesome devices.
■ USB (universal serial bus)
USB configuration and devices are listed here.
Software Environment The Software Environment category provides information about the software configuration of Windows Vista. If any errors occur, you’ll see them appear in red or yellow. This category can be very helpful to technical support personnel who are helping you solve a problem with Windows Vista. You see the following information in this category: ■ System Drivers
This section lists the drivers that manage your computer’s software environment.
■ Signed Drivers
This section provides a list of installed drivers that are certified by Microsoft, as well as any other drivers that are not signed or whose status is not available.
■ Environment Variables
This section lists items such as your TEMP file, which is used for temporary files, and other variables in the software environment.
■ Print Jobs
This option gives you the information found in your print queue.
■ Network Connections
All network connections currently held by your
computer are listed here. ■ Running Tasks
This option lists all of the tasks on your computer that are currently running.
■ Loaded Modules
This option lists all software modules currently loaded.
■ Services
This section lists the services, such as automatic updates, fax, and much more, that are currently installed on your computer.
■ Program Groups
This option lists all program groups currently configured
on your computer. ■ Startup Programs
This option lists all programs that are configured to run automatically when your computer starts up.
■ OLE Registration (object linking and embedding)
Windows Vista uses OLE to allow the various system components and programs to communicate with each other. OLE information is listed here.
■ Windows Error Reporting
reported by the system.
This section provides a listing of software errors
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Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter In terms of disk performance, Windows Vista includes two built-in tools that help you clean up old or unneeded items, thus improving the disk’s available storage space, and a disk defragmenter utility that can greatly reduce fragmentation, which can slow down the opening of files and, especially, applications. The following sections show you these tools.
Disk Cleanup Disk Cleanup is a utility that inspects your hard disk and looks for files that can be safely deleted. By deleting unused or unneeded files, you free up disk space that can be used for other purposes. You can open the disk cleanup by opening Performance Information and Tools in Control Panel and clicking the Open Disk Cleanup option in the left pane. To run the Disk Cleanup utility, just follow these steps: 1. On the Disk Cleanup Options window, choose to clean up My Files Only or Files From All Users On The Computer, and then choose which drive you want to clean up. 2. Disk Cleanup scans your disk and then provides you with a window, shown in Figure 10-10, that provides you with a listing of categories you can choose to clean up. FIGURE 10-10
Disk Cleanup
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3. To inspect a category, select it and click View Files. This feature enables you to specify which items within a category you want to delete. 4. When you are sure of what items/categories you want to delete, select the check boxes next to those categories, and then click OK. It is important that you remember that Disk Cleanup examines only certain areas of your computer, such as temporary files and downloaded Internet items. Disk Cleanup does not inspect every possible category of items that can be deleted—much of that work is left to you. So, how often should you use Disk Cleanup? A typical user should run this utility once every three months to see if any unused files can be deleted to free up disk space.
Disk Defragmenter Fragmentation is a normal part of disk usage, and it occurs at the file system level. Windows Vista is not able to use a disk of any kind unless the disk is formatted. Formatting logically divides the disk into sectors and regions—basically making a grid out of the disk so that blocks of data can be stored on the disk. The grid allows Windows Vista to keep up with which block of data is stored where; otherwise, the disk would become a big, confusing mess. To create this grid, Windows Vista uses a file system (FAT32 or NTFS). Once the file system is in place, Windows Vista can write and read data to and from the hard disk. In Windows Vista, data generally is stored on the disk in a contiguous manner. This just means that data is stored in order. For example, let’s say you’re working again on that Great American Novel. When you save the document, it is divided into pieces—or blocks of data—and stored in a “row” on the disk. Later, when you make changes to the document, those changes are stored at the end of the row. Over time, as you save, edit, and delete different files, changes to those files are moved to available, but noncontiguous, storage blocks on the disk, so that files become fragmented—in other words, they are not stored in a contiguous manner. When you want to open a file, Windows Vista must gather the fragmented pieces together from your hard disk. Because the pieces are in different places, this can take longer than it should. The short of it is simply that heavily fragmented drives can cause Windows Vista to run slower than it should. The Disk Defragmenter utility takes all of the data on your hard disk and reorganizes it so that it is stored in a contiguous format—or at least close to it. The Disk Defragmenter utility enables you to create a schedule for the tool to run, or you can run the tool manually by opening it from the Administrative Tools folder in Control Panel, shown in Figure 10-11. Here, you can choose to create or modify a schedule or to run the tool now by clicking Defragment Now.
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FIGURE 10-11
Disk Defragmenter
Once defragmentation is complete, you can click View Report to find out more information about the condition of the disk. The report will give you overall information about the number of fragments, disk size, free space, used space, and other related information.
Performance Options If you open the Performance Information and Tools in Control Panel, you can click the Adjust Visual Effects option in the left pane. This will open the Performance Options dialog box, where you can adjust a few items that may improve your computer’s performance. You should know about these options for the exam, so be sure to check out the Performance Options dialog box on your PC as well.
Visual Effects As a part of desktop performance and configuration, Windows Vista gives you a simple interface that allows you to adjust the graphical nature of Windows Vista in order to conserve RAM and processor cycles. If a system seems sluggish, this may be your first line of defense. As you can see on the Visual Effects tab, shown in Figure 10-12, Windows Vista attempts to choose its own settings by default. However, you can choose alternative settings that adjust Windows Vista’s visual effects for best appearance or best performance. You can also click Custom and clear the desired visual effects check boxes in order to reduce RAM and processor usage on certain items. For example, you might remove the shadows and fading features of Windows Vista.
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FIGURE 10-12
Visual Effects
Advanced Tab If you click the Advanced tab, you can also manage a few additional memory and processor settings, shown in Figure 10-13. First, Windows Vista is set to provide more processor cycles to applications than to Windows Vista background processes. As a general rule, you should keep this setting to ensure that performance
SCENARIO & SOLUTION If I use a Custom configuration on the Visual Effects tab, which settings have the most system performance impact?
Any settings that have animated features, such as shading, tend to have an impact on performance. You can also clear the “Use visual styles on windows and buttons” option to help reduce some of the visual hits.
What does Windows Vista do when the “Adjust for performance” option is used?
When this option is used, the system will look more like Windows XP. You’ll lose the basic Vista interface appearance.
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FIGURE 10-13
Advanced settings
is optimized for applications, but you can change it so that the processor is used more efficiently for background services by simply clicking the radio button. You also see the Page File (Virtual Memory) Change button. If you click Change, you see the Virtual Memory window, shown in Figure 10-14. Virtual memory allows Windows Vista to use a portion of the computer’s hard disk as a memory storage area. As data is loaded into memory and memory becomes low, pages of data are written to the hard disk and recalled as they are needed. This feature allows Windows Vista to keep more frequently accessed information readily accessible in physical memory, even when physical memory begins to run low. As you can see, Windows Vista is set to manage its own virtual memory settings, and it does a good job of this. However, you can manually input minimum and maximum sizes for the page file, if you like. The commonly recommended amount is 1.5 times the amount of physical RAM installed on the computer. So, if you have 1GB of RAM, the recommended initial paging file size is 1.5GB.
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FIGURE 10-14
Virtual Memory
Another good piece of advice is to move the page file off of the drive that holds the system and boot partitions. In this case, you need a second physical disk, but you tend to get better performance this way. It is important to note here, however, that Windows Vista does a good job of managing its own memory settings, and as a general rule, you should allow Windows Vista to handle those settings on its own. Incorrectly setting the virtual memory or choosing the “No paging file” setting option is likely to have adverse effects on system performance. Also, providing more paging file room is not a replacement for physical RAM. If the computer is running too slowly because there is not enough physical RAM installed on the system, then the paging file will not provide a cheap solution. In short, the paging file is used to help Windows Vista’s physical memory— not replace it.
Windows ReadyBoost Windows ReadyBoost is a new feature in Windows Vista that is designed to help speed up your computer. Since ReadyBoost is a new feature, you’re likely to see an exam question or two on this topic alone. Fortunately, it is simple and straightforward, but you need to remember everything in this section to be ready for the exam.
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Windows ReadyBoost enables your computer to use removable storage space, such as USB flash drives, to speed up your computer. Essentially, the USB flash drive works as additional flash memory for the system so that some data in memory can be written to the flash drive for use. This frees up memory in RAM; however, it is not a replacement for the page file. However, flash drives often contain both fast and slow flash memory, and Windows Vista can only use the fast flash memory to speed up the computer. If you have a flash drive with a certain amount of storage space, but Windows Vista is only using a portion of it, then this is likely the reason. Microsoft recommends that the amount of memory used for ReadyBoost be one to three times the amount of RAM installed in the computer. For example, if your computer has 1GB of RAM and you use a 4GB flash drive, you can set aside 1GB to 3GB of RAM for ReadyBoost with the best performance. In order to use ReadyBoost, simply plug your USB flash drive into a USB port on the computer. The AutoPlay dialog box will appear and offer you the option to speed up your system using Windows ReadyBoost. Simply select the option on the AutoPlay dialog box to use the feature. If AutoPlay is not enabled, right-click the drive in Explorer and select Properties. Then, go to the ReadyBoost tab and manually configure the settings.
Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool Another new tool in Windows Vista is the Memory Diagnostics Tool. Typically, Windows Vista will detect problems with the computer’s memory and display a
INSIDE THE EXAM Advanced Settings When you choose to run the diagnostic tool, you can also select a few advanced settings, which you should keep in mind for the exam. When the computer restarts and you see the Windows Diagnostics Tool, press f1. Here, you can choose a few setting options: ■
Test Mix Choose what type of test you want to run. The options are basic, standard, and extended, which
run different tests on different areas of memory. When you select an option, you can see that tests are run for the selection. ■ ■
Cache Choose the cache setting you want for each test.
Pass Count Enter the number of times you want to repeat each test. Then press f10 to restart the test.
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FIGURE 10-15
Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool
notification to you to run the Memory Diagnostics Tool. You can also run it yourself if you are suspicious that there might be memory problems—you’ll find the tool in the Administrative Tools folder in Control Panel. When you run the tool, you’ll see a simple dialog box, shown in Figure 10-15, asking if you want to restart the computer and check for problems or if you want to check the next time Windows starts. Regardless, the tool will check the computer’s memory and tell you after the scan is complete if any problems were found. If problems were found, this means there is something wrong with the physical RAM on the computer, which may need to be replaced.
Using Performance Monitor Performance Monitor is an old Windows tool that has been redesigned a bit and is now included in Windows Reliability and Performance console, which you can find in the Administrative Tools in Control Panel. We’ll consider the reliability portion of the console, but for now, let’s take a look at Performance Monitor. Using Performance Monitor, you can gain real-time data about the performance of different system components and identify potential bottlenecks. Performance Monitor can provide you with information in a chart, report, or histogram format. You can also log data to a log file and configure administrative alerts, which can
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alert you when performance falls below a preconfigured baseline. This data, now called Collector Sets, can help you gather troubleshooting information so that you can resolve performance problems with your system.
Understanding Performance Monitoring Before getting into the use of the Performance Monitor, let’s spend a moment considering the idea of performance monitoring. The purpose of performance monitoring is to gain information about the performance of various system components and hardware, such as memory and processor utilization. Typically, performance monitoring is best used with a baseline of performance. You determine a baseline by monitoring performance over a period of time during peak and non-peak times. Your results should include high and low peaks of performance so that you can effectively determine what is the “normal” and satisfactory operation for a particular component. With the baseline, you can later use Performance Monitor to see if the component is functioning within normal parameters. If it is not, then you know that a problem exists with the component or that the load placed on the component has increased. Either way, you can effectively identify what component is not keeping up with the demand placed on it, thus creating a condition that is commonly called a bottleneck. Let’s consider an example. A computer running Windows Vista Ultimate has 1GB of RAM. During initial testing, the 1GB was enough to meet the demands placed on it by the operating system and applications. With a baseline established, you are aware of what the memory can handle on a daily basis. However, several custom applications have recently been added to the system, which are used extensively throughout the workday. Now, the user complains that the system is running slowly. You use Performance Monitor to check the performance of memory and see that it is consistently running high. This simply means that the 1GB of RAM is now not enough to keep up with operating system and application demands. The memory has become a bottleneck because it cannot handle the demands placed on it by the operating system and applications in a timely manner. Your action: install more RAM so that your system can handle the load better. This example may not seem that complicated, but you’ll certainly run into performance problems that are not so easily identifiable. The trick is to have baselines of performance established. With those baselines, you can begin using Performance Monitor to find bottlenecks that need to be corrected. Though extensive use of Performance Monitor is beyond the scope of the exam, and therefore this book, you’ll need to know the basics of how to use it and to have a
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general understanding of Performance objects and counters. In Performance Monitor, “objects” represent certain performance categories, such as memory, the physical disk, the processor, and related categories of system components and hardware that can be monitored by the Performance tool. Under each object, there are specific counters that you can monitor. Counters represent what you are actually monitoring under a particular object, such as “bytes per second.” Some objects have only a few counters, while others may have ten or more. The idea is to provide you with specific counters so that you can monitor specific actions of the object. For example, you can monitor the “memory” object, or you could monitor the “available bytes” counter and the “pages/sec” counter to gain information about memory availability and current usage, or you could use a combination of a number of other memory counters. Performance Monitor typically requires four selections: Computer (this computer, or it can do remote monitoring), Objects (what resource do you want to monitor), Counter (the type of load you are looking for), and finally Instance (monitor CPU 1 vs. CPU 2).
Using Performance Monitor In this section, we’ll take a look at a few lab exercises that show you how to use Performance Monitor. From this point on, you should spend some time working with it and getting to understand all of its capabilities. Before getting into the exercises, let’s first take a quick look at the basic Performance Monitor interface, which you can see if you click Start | Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Reliability And Performance Monitor, as shown in Figure 10-16. Expand the Monitoring Tools node in the left console pane and select Performance Monitor. There are three basic divisions of the Performance Monitor, starting at the top, which are as follows: ■ Toolbar
The toolbar contains icons you will use regularly to generate the types of charts and information that you want. The toolbar contains the following button options, which are seen from left to right here. They are View Current Activity, View Log Data, Change Graph Type, Add, Delete, Highlight, Copy Properties, Paste Counter List, Properties, Zoom, Freeze Display, Update Data, and Help.
■ Information Area
The information area contains the chart, histogram, or report that you want to view. Just click the Change Graph Type on the toolbar to toggle between views.
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FIGURE 10-16
Performance Monitor
■ Counter List
The bottom portion of the window contains a counter list, shown here. All of the counters displayed in the list are currently being reported in the information area. You can easily remove or add counters to the list using the toolbar. Each counter in the counter list is given a different color for charting and histogram purposes.
The primary functionality of Performance Monitor rests in objects and counters. You choose the counters that you want to monitor and then view those counters in either a chart, histogram, or report format. The following exercise shows you how to add counters to the Performance Monitor interface.
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EXERCISE 10-1 CertCam
Creating a New Chart To create a new Performance Monitor chart, just follow these steps: 1. Click Start | Control Panel | Administrative Tools. Open the Reliability and Performance Monitor console and select Performance Monitor. 2. In the Performance Monitor, click the Add button on the toolbar. 3. In the Add Counters window, use the drop-down menu to choose a performance object. For this exercise, you can see that I have chosen the % Disk Time counter, PhysicalDisk object.
4. Next, you can choose to monitor all counters under the object you selected, or you can choose desired counters. To select individual counters, simply select the counter and click Add. Notice that there may be instances of the object to be counted, depending on your selection. The Instances Of Selected Object box allows you to choose from among instances of the object, if multiple ones
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are available. For example, as you can see in the preceding illustration, I have three physical disks on the computer. I can monitor all disks or a selected one if I choose. 5. Continue adding counters until you have added all desired counters, and then simply click OK. You can see that the counters you are adding are being monitored. You can change the chart/histogram/report view by simply clicking a different option button on the toolbar. As you can see here, I am currently using the Report feature:
As you monitor various counters, you can gain information about the performance of the system processes and components that you selected. Generally, consistently high readings mean that the component or hardware is not able to meet the burden placed on it by the operating system’s processes. Although high spikes are normal, consistently high readings on counters usually mean that a problem exists. This is, of course, where your baseline data is important. Using the baseline, you can tell if a component has higher readings than normal and what those readings might mean for system performance. While the chart view helps you see readings in a graphical format, be sure to experiment with the report view—you can often gain more specific data from the report view.
Administrators have the permission by default to use Performance Monitor, but standard users do not. However, if you have a case where you need to give a user permission to use
Performance Monitor, but you don’t want the user to have more permission than necessary, you can add the user to the Performance Monitor Users group. Keep this in mind for the exam!
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Creating a Data Collector Set So, if baseline performance is important to establish, how can you gain that data without sitting in front of a screen all day; or if a particular object seems to be causing problems, how can you monitor that object during an entire day’s operations without physically watching the screen? Performance Monitor gives you the ability to log data over a period of time without physically sitting at the machine. To collect this data, you create a Data Collector Set. A Data Collector Set organizes data so that it can be reviewed or logged. You can group collector sets together to create alerts when thresholds are reached, and you can configure Data Collector Sets for data collection at specific times. In terms of the exam, you don’t need to know all of the details about Data Collector Sets, but you should know when you would want to create one, and you should walk through Exercise 10-2 so that you can see how to create a collector set.
EXERCISE 10-2 CertCam
Creating a Data Collector Set To create a Data Collector Set, just follow these steps: 1. In the Reliability and Performance Monitor, expand Data Collector Sets in the left console pane. 2. Right-click the User Defined container, point to New, and then click Data Collector Set. This action begins the Data Collector Set Wizard. 3. Give the collector set a recognizable name and click Create Manually, and then click Next. 4. On the next wizard screen, note that you can create data logs or performance counter alerts. Under log data, you can select from performance counter, event trace data, and system configuration information, as shown next. Make your selections and click Next.
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5. On the next screen, click Add to add the counters you would like to log and choose a sampling interval. 15 seconds is selected by default. Make your selection and click Next.
6. Choose a location to save your data collector set and click Next. Then click Finish to save and close the wizard.
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INSIDE THE EXAM Counters and More Counters One of the frustrations you’re likely to face on any kind of IT certification exam is memorization. After all, it is impossible to memorize everything about Windows Vista that you feel may show up on the exam. This issue is especially true with tools like Performance Monitor that have so many options and so many counters. You can’t possibly memorize every counter that you can select to monitor, but you do need to know about the most important counters you can use to monitor primary system components. After all, that’s where you are likely to have performance problems anyway. The following counters are commonly used and may show up as answer options on the Windows Vista exam. Be sure to study these. ■
■
% Interrupt Time The amount of time the processor spends receiving and servicing hardware interrupts. This counter can help you see if the processor can handle the hardware needs of the system. % Processor Time The percentages of time the processor spends to execute a non-idle thread. This counter tells you how much time the processor requires to meet system and application threads.
■
Interrupts/Sec The average rate at which the processor receives and services interrupts.
■
% Idle Time The amount of time that the processor is idle during a sampling period. If there seems to be no idle time, this may indicate that the processor cannot keep up with system, application, and hardware demands. For the memory object, keep these counters in mind: ■
Page Reads/Sec The amount of pages read in a monitored second.
■
Page Writes/Sec The amount of pages written in a monitored second.
■
Pages/Sec The rate at which pages are written to or read from a disk. For the paging file object, keep these counters in mind (which are the only two): ■
% Usage The amount of page file instances in use.
■
% Usage Peak The peak usage of the paging file as a percentage. A high percentage is an indicator that more RAM may be needed on the system because the paging file is being used excessively.
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CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 10.02
Troubleshoot Reliability Issues with Diagnostic Tools Windows Vista now uses the term “reliability” to refer to administration and troubleshooting concerning performance and a system’s ability to be reliable. Naturally, reliability and performance go hand in hand, and in this section, we just have one tool left to explore, and that is the Reliability Monitor, which is a part of the Reliability and Performance Monitor console that you find in Administrative Tools in Control Panel. The good news is this tool is easy to use, but also understand that this is a new tool and you can expect the exam to put in a few situations where you need to use the Reliability Monitor in order to troubleshoot problems.
Resource Overview Tool When you first open the Reliability and Performance Monitor tool, you’ll see the Resource Overview, which appears if Reliability and Performance is selected in the left pane, shown in Figure 10-17. You can’t do anything with the Resource Overview in terms of configuration—it simply provides real-time usage of the CPU, disk, network, and memory. What is helpful about the tool is that you can take a look at the graphic display and actually understand which system component is being taxed if the computer seems slow or unresponsive. The display uses a color scheme to give you information, as follows: ■ CPU
The CPU label displays the total percentage of CPU capacity currently in use in green, and the CPU Maximum Frequency in blue.
■ Disk
The Disk label displays the total current I/O in green and the highest active time percentage in blue.
■ Network
The Network label displays the current total network traffic in green and the percentage of network capacity in use in blue.
■ Memory
The Memory label displays the current Hard Faults per second in green and the percentage of physical memory currently in use in blue.
You can view the graph data or see the percentage information on each label on the interface. A very nice feature of the Resource Overview is you can expand each category label by clicking the down arrow to the right. Then, you can see what applications or
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FIGURE 10-17
Resource Overview
processes are using the resource at any given moment, shown in Figure 10-18. In the end, you can think of this tool as a graphical Task Manager applications and processes tabs. It’s a quick way to gather information about how resources are in use on your system.
Reliability Monitor The Reliability Monitor is a new tool in Windows Vista, and you need to know how to use Reliability Monitor to gather information about a computer. The Reliability Monitor uses a System Stability Index, which is based on data that is collected over the lifetime of the system. If you click Reliability Monitor in the Reliability and Performance Monitor console, shown in Figure 10-19, you see that there is a graph point by date showing the day’s System Stability Index rating. The ratings range from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) and is a weighted measurement based on the number of failures seen over a “rolling” historical period. As you can see in Figure 10-19, you can use the drop-down menu in the right-hand corner, select a date, and see what the index was for that date. The rating is also reflected on the chart by the small black squares corresponding to the dates on the chart.
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FIGURE 10-18
Usage information
FIGURE 10-19
Reliability and Performance Monitor
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There are a few things you should understand about how the system determines the System Stability Index: ■ Days when the system is powered off or in sleep state are not used when
calculating the System Stability Index. ■ Recent failures are weighted more heavily than past failures. This allows an
improvement over time to be reflected in an ascending index rating once the problem has been resolved. ■ If there is not enough data to calculate an index value, the graph will show a
dotted line. ■ If there is a significant change to the system time, an icon will appear on the
graph noting the day when the time was significantly adjusted.
INSIDE THE EXAM Gathering Data The exam is likely to give you some information that the Reliability Monitor reports and have you troubleshoot a situation. Naturally, if problems begin occurring with one application or one component, you can easily figure out that the application needs to be updated or reinstalled or that a component, such as memory or CPU, needs some hardware troubleshooting. However, what if there are multiple problems that begin at the same time? For example, if the exam gives you a situation where on a particular date memory problems are reported in the reliability monitor, but also on the same date, application failures begin, what is the problem? Always look to any hardware problems first. In this case, if stability shows a decline due to memory and applications, it is most likely that something wrong with a memory chip is causing the
applications to randomly fail. In terms of troubleshooting, repairing the memory problem is likely to resolve the random application failures as well. So, in terms of interpreting the data you find the Reliability Monitor, be sure to look at the details, but don’t forget about the big picture as well. The Reliability Monitor uses the RACAgent scheduled task. Once a system is installed, the Reliability Monitor will start to populate the database, and you’ll have information available for display in 24 hours. The RACAgent runs automatically by default on a new installation, however, if for some reason it becomes disabled, System Reliability will stop reporting data. In this case, you need to manually enable the RACAgent from the Task Scheduler console. Exercise 10-3 shows you how.
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EXERCISE 10-3 CertCam
Enabling the RACAgent To manually enable the RACAgent, follow these steps: 1. Log on as an administrator. Click Start and right-click Computer. Click Manage. 2. In the Computer Management console, shown next, expand Task Scheduler Library / Microsoft / Windows. Right-click RAC and click View | Show Hidden Tasks.
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3. In the console pane, select the RACAgent. Then, click Action | Enable, shown here:
4. Close the Computer Management console.
SCENARIO & SOLUTION What is the most useful way to use the Resource Overview?
Keep in mind that the Resource Overview is a realtime look at the CPU, Disk, Network, and Memory usage on the computer. If you’re having performance problems, take a look at the console and see what component is taking the hit. Then you can expand the component category and see what application or process is causing the problem.
My Reliability has a bunch of red X’s over the course of a few days in the Application Failure category. What does this mean?
A red X shows that some kind of failure has occurred. Since the X’s are in the application category, you know that at least one application has failed over the past several days.
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CERTIFICATION SUMMARY In this chapter, you explored several important reliability and performance tools and features that can give you information as well as help you troubleshoot performance problems. You can use the Windows Experience Index to see where your computer rates in terms of performance with Windows Aero graphics and higher-end applications. This tool can help you determine what system components should be upgraded in order to get a higher experience index rating. Task Manager, Event Log, and System Information are all excellent tools that can help you gather performance information or at least information about your computer’s current configuration. Use the Event Log to see failure events, and remember that the Performance tab on Task Manager can give you a quick, real-time look at memory and processor cycles. Use Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter to improve disk performance. You can also make minor adjustments to performance on the Visual Effects tab of the Performance Options dialog box. Windows ReadyBoost can use fast memory on a flash drive to improve performance of the computer’s physical memory. You can use fast memory on a USB flash drive up to three times the amount of physical RAM. Use the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool to run a diagnostic test on physical RAM. When you run the tool, you can press f1 at reboot and choose some testing options. Use Performance Monitor to gather baseline performance information or monitor system components over time. You can configure performance of those components in a chart, histogram, or report format. You can create a Data Collector Set to log data over time and configure alerts. Finally, the Reliability and Performance Monitor console also contains a Resource Overview that gives you real-time information about CPU, Disk, Network, and Memory usage. Use the Reliability Monitor to see the system’s reliability index over time and troubleshoot problems that you find there.
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✓
TWO-MINUTE DRILL Troubleshoot Performance Issues ❑ You find your computer’s Windows Vista Experience base score by opening
Performance Information and Tools. The base score is the lowest subscore— not the average of all subscores. ❑ Use Task Manager to gather information about applications, processes, and
services as well as real-time performance of CPU and memory usage. ❑ Event Viewer and System Information are both good tools to gain informa-
tion about system events and the current configuration of the system. ❑ Use Disk Cleanup to clean up disk clutter and unneeded files and disk defrag-
menter to reduce the amount of fragmentation on the disk. ❑ Use Performance Options to reduce visual effects and manage virtual memory. ❑ Windows ReadyBoost enables you to use a flash drive to increase memory
performance. Windows Vista can only use fast flash memory, and Microsoft recommends that you use between one and three times the amount of physical RAM from the flash drive for best performance. ❑ Windows Memory Diagnostics tool runs a variety of tests on the physical
RAM on your computer. You can launch the tool from the Administrative Tools folder in Control Panel and press f1 at reboot to choose test options. ❑ Performance Monitor is a part of the Windows Reliability and Performance
console. You can use Performance Monitor to monitor counters representing different system components. ❑ You can view the Performance Monitor results in a graph, histogram, or
report format. ❑ If you want to log data that Performance Monitor collects or configure alerts,
you can create a Data Collector Set. The Data Collector Set Wizard will walk you through the options.
Troubleshoot Reliability Issues with Diagnostic Tools ❑ You can use the Resource Overview to gather real-time performance information. ❑ The Resource Overview provides information for the CPU, Disk, Network,
and Memory. Expand the categories to look at applications and processes using these resources.
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❑ The Reliability Monitor provides a System Stability Index gathered from
information over time. You view the System Stability Index in a chart format so that you can see performance trends over time. ❑ Recent failures are weighted more heavily than past failures. This allows an
improvement over time to be reflected in an ascending index rating once the problem has been resolved. ❑ The Reliability Monitor gathers information through the RACAgent task.
This task is started automatically by default, but if you have problems, you can restart it in the Computer Management console.
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SELF TEST The following questions will help you measure your understanding of the material presented in this chapter. Read all the choices carefully because there might be more than one correct answer. Choose all correct answers for each question.
Troubleshoot Performance Issues 1. You are considering a hardware upgrade on a Windows Vista Business PC. The computer’s current Windows Experience Index subscore is 2.5. You need the computer to be able to run Windows Aero and basic business applications. You use a 3-D business application on occasion. You don’t want to spend more on the hardware upgrade than necessary. What is the minimum subscore you should try to achieve? A. No hardware upgrade is necessary B. 3 C. 4 D. 5 2. You have a Windows Vista Ultimate computer that seems to lose performance from time to time. You would like a real-time look at memory and CPU usage during these times of performance loss so you can determine which component is the likely problem. What is the easiest way to gain this information? A. Task Manager B. Event Viewer C. System Information D. Performance Monitor 3. You have a Windows Vista Ultimate computer that seems to have performance problems. You believe the problem may lie with a failing application that starts in the background. You would like to view information about system warnings or errors that have occurred. What is the best to use in order to gain this information? A. Task Manager B. Event Viewer C. System Information D. Performance Monitor
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4. On a certain Windows Vista Ultimate computer, you need to find out detailed information about the hardware installed on the computer, such as processor manufacturer, speed, and other such items. Where is the best place to gain this information? A. Task Manager B. Event Viewer C. MSCONFIG D. System Information 5. You use Windows Vista Business to create many Word and Excel documents for your company. Over the past few months, you have noticed that your computer seems to be slower and slower when opening Word and Excel documents. What can you do to resolve this performance problem? A. Create a performance monitor counter. B. Run Disk Defragmenter. C. Use System Restore. D. Configure a secondary drive partition. 6. A user in your company uses several applications at the same time on Windows Vista Ultimate. However, the user also prints many documents as well. It is important that printing not be slowed down. In other words, the speed of printing is just as important as the applications. How can you configure this? A. Open System in Control Panel. On the Advanced tab, set the scheduling for background services. B. Open System in Control Panel. On the Advanced tab, set the scheduling for applications. C. Open System in Control Panel. On the Advanced tab, set the scheduling for balanced services. D. Open System in Control Panel. On the Advanced tab, set the scheduling for equal distribution. 7. What is the recommend page file size for all Windows Vista computers? A. 2GB B. 1.5 times amount of physical RAM on the system C. 2 times the amount of physical RAM on the system D. 2.5 times the amount of physical RAM on the system 8. You want to use Windows ReadyBoost with a flash drive that has 1GB of space. You notice, however, that Windows Vista is unable to use all of the space on the flash drive with Windows ReadyBoost. What is the explanation for this problem? A. Flash drives must be 2GB in order to use all of the available space. B. The flash drive does not support slow memory.
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C. The flash drive only has fast memory. D. The flash drive has both slow and fast memory. 9. You have a 3GB flash drive. You want to use the flash drive with Windows ReadyBoost. Assuming all of the flash drive is fast memory, what is the Microsoft recommended amount of memory you can gain if your computer’s physical RAM is 1GB? A. 1GB B. 2GB C. 3GB D. Flash drives cannot be over 2GB to work with ReadyBoost 10. You have a Windows Vista computer that seems to have a lot of problems with application crashes and corrupt files. You believe that there may be something wrong with the physical RAM. You want to run the Windows Memory Diagnostics tool, but you want to make certain that the tool will run all of the available memory tests. What do you need to do? A. Create a Data Collector Set. B. Use Windows ReadyBoost. C. Start the tool and press f1 at reboot. D. Start the tool and press f10 at reboot. 11. You are running Windows Memory Diagnostics tool. You want to perform advanced tests. Which of the following is not a configurable option when you choose the advanced option? A. Parameters B. Test Mix C. Cache D. Pass Count 12. Which answer option is not a reporting feature that is available in Performance Monitor? A. Graph B. Scale C. Histogram D. Report 13. On a Windows Vista Business computer, you need to give a certain user permission to create Performance Monitor counters and monitor activity. You want to give this user permission to perform these actions, but you don’t want the user to have more permission than necessary. What do you need to do? A. Add the user to the Administrators group. B. Add the user to the Power Users group.
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C. Add the user to the Performance Monitor Users group. D. Add the User to the Performance Administrators group. 14. You are supporting several Windows Vista Ultimate computers in your organization. As new computers are purchased, you would like to establish a baseline of performance on those systems. Then, if performance problems arise, you can use the baseline to determine where the problem may reside. How can you determine this baseline? (Choose all that apply.) A. Add the Counters to the chart. B. Create a Data Collector Set. C. Configure an alert level. D. Turn off Event Log. E. Capture the baseline performance.
Troubleshoot Reliability Issues with Diagnostic Tools 15. Which system component is not measured by the Resource Overview tool? A. CPU B. Disk C. Network D. Memory E. Services 16. You notice that your Windows Vista Ultimate computer seems to be running more slowly. You want to use the Resource Overview console to determine what is causing the problem. You open the Resource meter and see that the CPU counter is at 100%. How can you determine what application or service is causing this problem? A. Double-click the graphic to see a report. B. Expand the CPU component and inspect the CPU percentages. C. Use Event Viewer to see what application or process is writing to the log. D. You can only gain this information via Performance Monitor. 17. After a week of vacation, you notice that your Windows Vista Ultimate computer is running more slowly. You open the Reliability Monitor in order to inspect the System Stability Index. However, there are no entries for the past several days. Why? A. You are not logged on as an administrator. B. You need to restart the RACAgent. C. There were no events to report during that time period. D. Days when the system is powered off or in sleep state are not used to calculate the index.
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18. On a certain Windows Vista computer, you need to enable the RACAgent after several automatic services were turned off during a maintenance task. What console do you need to use to turn the RACAgent back on? A. Computer Management B. Reliability and Performance Monitor C. Windows Experience Index D. Group Policy console
LAB QUESTION You use a Windows Vista Ultimate computer. You run Windows Aero and several business applications. Your computer’s Windows Experience Index score is 3. Over time, you have noticed that your computer has become erratic in its behavior and performance. You open the Reliability Monitor and find that every day for the past two weeks, there are errors with memory. You also notice that beginning on the same day, there are multiple application failures every day. What do you need to do now to troubleshoot this problem?
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SELF TEST ANSWERS Troubleshoot Performance Issues ✓ B. The Windows Experience Index subscore should be at least 3. This will enable you to 1. ® run Windows Aero, use business applications, and run 3-D graphics from time to time with little performance problems. ® ˚ A is incorrect because the 2.5 score is not recommended for Aero, even though you may be able to run it at this score. C and D are incorrect because you do not need a 4 or 5 rating to meet the needed requirements. ✓ A. Use the Performance tab of Task Manager to get real-time information about memory 2. ® and CPU usage. ® ˚ B, C, and D are all incorrect because none of these options will give you real-time information as needed. ✓ B. Event Viewer will allow you to view errors, warnings, information, audit success, and 3. ® audit failures. In this case, it is the best tool to use. ® ˚ A, C, and D are all incorrect answers because none of these tools will provide you with the desired information. ✓ D. System Information provides extensive information about the hardware on a system. 4. ® In this case, System Information provides the most information. ® ˚ A, B, and C are incorrect because none of these options will provide you with the desired information. ✓ B. The drive is likely fragmented from heavy use, which will result in slower read and write 5. ® times to the disk. Run Disk Defragmenter to resolve the problem. ® ˚ A, C, and D are all incorrect because these actions will not resolve the problem. ✓ A. If you access System in Control Panel and click the Advanced tab, you have two options 6. ® for processor allocation—applications and background services. Typically, the applications option is selected to give more processing power to applications. However, this configuration may slow background services. In this scenario, you need printing, which is a background service, to get as much processor attention as applications. So, in this case, background services is the correct answer. ® ˚ B is incorrect because this selection will give more processing time to applications. C and D are incorrect because these are not options that are available to you. ✓ B. Microsoft recommends that the page file be no larger than 1.5 times the amount of 7. ® physical RAM. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because these values do not reflect the Microsoft recommendation.
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✓ D. USB flash drives often have both slow and fast memory. Windows ReadyBoost can only 8. ® use fast memory. So, if you have a flash drive that is 1GB in size, but Windows Vista can only use part of the drive with ReadyBoost, then you know the unused portion must be slow memory. ® ˚ A, B, and C are incorrect because none of these statements are true. ✓ C. Microsoft recommends a flash drive of one to three times the size of the computer’s 9. ® physical RAM. So, if the computer has 1GB of RAM, you can use up to 3GB on the flash drive. ® ˚ A and B are incorrect because these values are incorrect. D is incorrect because there are no flash drive size restrictions. ✓ C. You can start the Memory Diagnostics tool from the Administrative tools folder in 10. ® Control Panel. When the computer reboots, press f1 and you’ll see a menu of options. Under Test mix, choose Extended, then press f10 to restart the computer and run the test. ® ˚ A and B are incorrect because these options have nothing to do with the Memory Diagnostics tool. D is incorrect because you can’t press f10 on the first reboot and see the menu options. ✓ A. There is no Parameters option when you choose Advanced options. 11. ® ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect because these are all valid options. ✓ B. There is no “scale” option as a reporting feature. 12. ® ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because all of these options exist. ✓ C. You can add the user to the Performance Monitor Users group without giving the user 13. ® any additional permissions. ® ˚ A and B are incorrect because these groups would give the user more permission than desired. D is incorrect because this is not a real group. ✓ B and E. Create a Data Collector Set, and then capture the baseline performance. Then, 14. ® should there be performance problems in the future, you can capture a new data set and compare it with the initial data set. ® ˚ A, C, and D are all incorrect because none of these answer options are a part of the solution.
Troubleshoot Reliability Issues with Diagnostic Tools ✓ E. Services are not measured by the Resource Overview console. 15. ® ® ˚ A, B, C, and D are incorrect because the Resource Overview console measures all of these items. ✓ B. If you expand the CPU component, you’ll see a listing of services and applications that 16. ® are running. Look in the CPU column for the service or application that is using the greatest percentage of the CPU. ® ˚ A, C, and D are all incorrect because none of these options provide the desired information.
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✓ D. Whenever the computer is powered off or in sleep state, no data is collected and those 17. ® days do not impact the System Stability Index. ® ˚ A, B, and C are incorrect. None of these answers account for the data. ✓ A. Use the Computer Management console to access the Task Scheduler, where you can 18. ® enable RACAgent. ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect because you cannot enable the RACAgent from any of these locations.
LAB ANSWER Follow these steps to achieve the desired configuration: When you encounter problems like this, always think from the outside in. First, ask what is most likely the cause of the problem. Considering the erratic behavior and the fact that the Reliability Monitor reports that memory and application problems began at the same time, the best conclusion based on the evidence is that there is something wrong with the physical RAM on the computer. The application problems are likely because of the problem with the RAM. So, your next step is to run the Windows Memory Diagnostics tool to see if any errors are reported. You might consider pressing f1 at reboot and running the extended Test Mix to make sure all tests are run. If errors are reported, then you know that the physical RAM needs to be replaced.
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11 Configure Windows Update, Data Protection, and Power Options CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVES 11.01
Configure Windows Update
11.02
Configure Windows Data Protection
11.03
Configure Power Options
✓ Q&A
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T
he Windows operating system has come a long way over the past several years with management tools. If you look closely at Windows Vista, you’ll find all kinds of tools that help you manage the operating system and your data—they even help you get out of operating system problems when they come your way. These tools are important, and it’s no surprise that the exam will expect you to be proficient in many of them. This chapter explores three tools and the certification issues you should be aware of. First, you’ll find out about configuring Windows Update, a tool that enables you to automatically manage operating system updates from Microsoft—it’s much better in Windows Vista than in previous versions of the OS. Next, this chapter explores data protection. You’ll see how the revamped backup tool works and learn about shadow copies. Finally, this chapter explores power options and how to configure Windows Vista for a variety of scenarios where power management is of utmost importance. As with all chapters, let me remind you that there is no substitute for hands-on practice. Your best learning tool is to use Windows Vista and configure it as you work through this chapter. Hands-on experience will help you bring your skills together and remember configuration options and steps for the exam.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 11.01
Configure Windows Update In Windows Vista, Windows Update is designed to work automatically. You can still configure and manage it, and you can manage which updates are installed and which updates are not, but for the most part, Windows Update should not be something you spend your time worrying about. Once you configure it to meet your needs, you’re all set. Windows Update is found in the Security Center in Control Panel. Once you open the Security Center, click the Windows Update link in the left console pane. This takes you to the Windows Update window, shown in Figure 11-1. The window tells you if Windows Vista is up to date and if there are optional updates and Windows Vista Extras that you can download and install if you like. Click the View Available Updates link to see what optional and extra updates are available.
Configure Windows Update
FIGURE 11-1
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Windows Update
From the window that appears, you can select any optional and extra updates that you want and install them by clicking Install, as you can see in Figure 11-2. Toward the bottom of the Windows Update window (see Figure 11-1), notice that you are told when the last update check was performed, when the last updates were installed, what your current settings are, and what you receive updates for. In the left pane, you have an option to run a manual update check and view update history. The Update History, as you can see in Figure 11-3, simply tells you the status of the updates, the type, and the date they were installed. There is nothing you can configure on this window.
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FIGURE 11-2
Optional and extra updates
Update History doesn’t give you any options you can select or configure, so it’s easy to forget about it. However, let’s say you encounter an exam scenario where you are concerned that an update didn’t install for a certain Windows Vista computer. You need to ensure that the update installed successfully, and
you want to know when it was installed. The answer, of course, is simply check the Update History. Since the Update History tells you not only what updates have been installed and when, but also whether the update was successful or not, it serves as a quick and easy tool to get the information you need.
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FIGURE 11-3
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Update History
Back on the Windows Update window, notice that you have a Change Settings link in the left console pane. If you click the link, you see a Change Settings window, shown in Figure 11-4, where you can choose one of four options. The following list explains the options, and you should know the issues with each for the exam. ■ Install Updates Automatically (Recommended)
This feature is the recommended setting and the one that is selected by default when you install Windows Vista. With this option selected, you don’t have to go through the trouble to choose updates, search for them, or worry if critical updates are installed. Choose the time of day that you want new updates installed and Windows Vista will automatically check for and install updates at this time
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FIGURE 11-4
Change Settings
(typically a time when the computer is not busy is best). Since Windows Update only installs the critical updates automatically, maintaining a list of options or extras you can pick from, the automatic setting is typically always best. ■ Download Updates But Let Me Choose Whether To Install Them
With this setting all critical updates are downloaded, but they are not automatically installed. You’ll be able to review a list of updates and determine if you want to install them or not. Naturally, this setting gives you more control, but it also requires more work and management on your part. Generally, you would choose not to install an update if there are known conflicts with the update and applications or device drivers on your system. If you choose not to install
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a recommended update, then the update is called a “hidden update.” You can still install it later by clicking the Restore Hidden Updates option on the left pane of the Windows Update window. ■ Check For Updates But Let Me Choose Whether To Download And
Install Them This option is similar to the preceding one, but the updates are not even downloaded unless you choose to install them first. This option may be a good selection with a computer that has limited or slow Internet connectivity because you can select what you want before the updates are even downloaded. ■ Never Check For Updates
This option never checks for updates. If you want to update the computer, you’ll need to manually check for updates and download them. Naturally, this setting is not recommended.
Removing an Installed Update You can remove some updates once they are installed, but updates that affect the Windows operating system cannot be removed. Yet, let’s say there is an optional update that was installed by accident. You don’t want this update, so how can you get rid of it? First, open Update History and click the Installed Updates link you see in the introductory text. This takes you to the Installed Updates window, shown in Figure 11-5. You can select an update and you’ll see an Uninstall or Change button on the toolbar where you can choose to uninstall the update (if available). You need to remember this for the exam.
Hiding an Update If Windows Update displays an available update to you, but you don’t want to install the update, you can hide the update. Otherwise, Windows Update will keep prompting you to install the update. To hide an update, click View Available Updates on the Windows Update window. Right-click the update you want to hide and click Hide from the context menu that appears. If you later want to install the hidden update, you can simply choose to view hidden updates and start the installation. Although simple, the issue of hiding an update and then choosing to install it later is a common exam scenario—just keep it in mind.
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FIGURE 11-5
Installed Updates
Troubleshooting Common Update Problems There are a few common problems and update errors you may encounter. The good news is most of these problems are easy to resolve. Naturally, you should be familiar with these issues for the exam, and Table 11-1 gives you a quick way to study the problems and solutions you may face in an IT environment and in exam scenarios.
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TABLE 11-1
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Windows Update error 8024401B
This error occurs when you are connected to Windows Update through a proxy server on your network. You’ll need to provide your credentials in order to download and install the updates. Open Windows Update and click Check For Updates. Then, when you are prompted, provide your network credentials.
One or more updates did not get installed
This problem may occur if there is an issue with license terms. Open Windows Update and see if an install or download error is reported, and then follow the instructions. If you see an error message about license terms or canceled updates, click Try Again and wait for a prompt to accept the license terms.
An update I don’t want or I removed keeps appearing
Windows will keep prompting you to install updates unless you hide the update. Once you hide the update, it will not appear again unless you choose to install it from Hidden Updates.
Windows Update error 80070002 or 80070003
This error occurs if the temporary files used to update Windows cause problems with this update process. In this case, open Services in Control Panel and stop the Windows Update service. Then, open Windows\SoftwareDistribution\ DataStore. Delete all of the files and folders and restart the Windows Update Service.
Windows Update error 80072ee2 or 80072efd
This error occurs when Windows Firewall settings block access to the Windows Update Web Site. Try adding the following URLs to the exceptions list in Windows Firewall: http://*.update.microsoft.com https://*.update.microsoft.com http://download.windowsupdate.com
Windows Update error 8024402c
This problem occurs if Internet Explorer is not set to automatically detect LAN settings so that Windows Update can go online and check for updates. Open Internet Options, Connections tab, and click LAN Settings. Under Automatic Configuration, click Automatically Detect Settings and click OK.
Windows Update error 8024001F
This error occurs if your computer is not connected to the Internet. Ensure that you have a connection and try checking for updates again.
Common Update Problems
EXERCISE 11-1 Hiding and Restoring an Update Updates that you don’t want to install can be hidden so that you no longer see them as an available option. However, if you want to install the hidden update
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at some point in the future, you can restore the update and install it. Follow these steps: 1. Open the Security Center in Control Panel. 2. Click the Windows Update option in the right pane. 3. In Windows Update, click View Available Updates from Windows Update or Windows Extra. 4. In the Choose The Updates You Want To Install window, right-click the update you no longer want to see and click Hide Update, as shown here:
5. If you later want to install a hidden update, click the Restore Hidden Updates option in Windows Update (left pane). In the Restore Hidden Updates window, select the update you want and click Restore, as shown here:
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SCENARIO & SOLUTION My Windows Vista computer is configured to prompt me to download and install updates. One particular update keeps appearing that I do not want to install. What can I do?
Hide the update. When you hide an update, it no longer appears as an installation prompt, but you can still install it later by restoring the hidden update.
I want to verify that a certain update was installed, and I want to see when the update was installed. How can I find this information?
Access Update History. Here you can see a list of updates installed, the date, and whether the update was successful or not.
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CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 11.02
Configure Windows Data Protection Data protection is critically important these days. From family photos and documents at home to office and corporate data, data protection is necessary part of computing. For this reason, your understanding of Windows backup and restore options and configuration is critical for any IT career as well as the MCTS exam for Windows Vista. Fortunately, Windows Vista provides built-in backup and restore features that are easier to use and more flexible than ever before. Windows Vista also provides a new feature that enables you to protect data from prying eyes by encrypting the entire drive. In the following sections, you’ll learn all about backing up and restoring data on your computer as well as BitLocker Drive Encryption.
Backing Up and Restoring Data You can back up data in a number of ways: You can save data to a CD, a DVD, a removable disk drive, an external disk drive, or even another computer on a local network. You can manually save the files you want; should a problem ever occur, you would still have your data. However, backing up important information this way is time consuming and heavily dependent on you. A better data protection method is Windows Vista Backup and Restore Center, which provides a number of different options.
Backing Up Data Windows Vista’s Backup and Restore Center will allow you to back up any data on your PC to a CD/DVD, a file, or a network location. You can back up all data at one time, or you can choose to back up desired folders and files. The process is very simple and straightforward. The best way to get your feet wet and understand the available backup features is to walk through the backup process on Windows Vista. Perform the following exercise on your PC.
EXERCISE 11-2 CertCam
Backing Up Data Using Windows Vista Backup and Restore Center You can easily use the Windows Vista Backup and Restore Center to backup files and restore them in case of loss. The following exercise shows you how to use the Backup and Restore Center.
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1. Choose Start | Control Panel | Backup And Restore Center. You can also access backup from the Tools tab of the disk’s properties dialog box. 2. The Backup and Restore Center appears, shown in Figure 11-6. You have two basic sections of this interface. First, you can create a backup of files and folders of your choice, or you can use Complete PC Backup to copy the entire hard drive. This gives you an “image” you can use to restore your computer fully in the event of a hardware failure, such as a disk drive crash. Choose the File and Folder Backup Wizard to make copies of your files and folders by clicking the Back Up Files button. On the Backup Or Restore window, choose the location where you want to save your backup, such as your local computer, DVDs, or even the network, as shown in Figure 11-7. Make your selection and click Next. FIGURE 11-6
Backup and Restore Center
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FIGURE 11-7
Choose a backup location
In the next window, you can choose the kind of files that you want to back up. Simply select the kind of files you want by clicking the check boxes or de-selecting them, as shown in Figure 11-8. Click Next. 3. In the next window, choose how often you want to back up these files by clicking the drop-down menu for each category. How often you back up data depends on your computer use. The more you create and edit files, the more often you should back up. When you’re done, click the Save Settings And Start Backup button, shown in Figure 11-9. If you want to back up everything on your computer so that your operating system and all data can be restored in the event of hardware failure, you’ll use the Complete
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FIGURE 11-8
Choose the kind of files you want to back up
PC option. This feature is not available on either Windows Vista Home Basic or Windows Vista Home Premium editions. Follow these steps: 1. In the Backup and Restore Center, click Back Up Computer. 2. In the next window, you can choose to back up the image to your computer or to one or more DVDs. If you choose the hard disk option, your disk must be formatted with NTFS but cannot be a dynamic disk. Click Next. 3. In the next window, confirm which disks you want to include in the complete backup, as shown in Figure 11-10. Click Next. 4. Confirm your settings and click the Save Settings And Start Backup button.
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FIGURE 11-9
Back Up Files.
The Backup and Restore Center only gives you the option to back up files to a local hard disk, a CD or DVD drive, or a shared network folder. You cannot directly back up data to a tape
drive, flash drive, or other such drive. Watch out for exam questions that put you in a scenario where you are trying to back up to removable drives that are not supported by Windows Backup and Restore.
Restoring Data Just as you can back up your data, you can use the Backup and Restore Center to restore data to your computer. You can choose to use the File and Folder Restore Wizard to restore lost files and folders from a backup.
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FIGURE 11-10
Back up disks
You can also use shadow copies to restore previous versions of files that have been accidentally deleted or modified. For example, let’s say that you’re working on the great American novel, and you accidentally delete some sections you didn’t intend to delete. Windows Vista keeps previous versions of files and folders, which are saved as a “restore point.” Any file or folder that was modified since the last restore point was made, which is typically 24 hours earlier, is saved and made available as a previous version. You can then restore the file from the previous version that was saved, which is called a “shadow copy.” You can restore shadow copies by rightclicking the file and clicking the Previous Versions tab. In the case of a lost file that you have backed up with Windows Backup and Restore Center, you can use the restore feature to restore. Just follow Exercise 11-3.
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EXERCISE 11-3 Restoring Items Using Windows Vista Backup and Restore Center In order to restore items that were previously backed up, you can use the Windows Vista Backup and Restore Center. The following exercise shows you how. 1. Choose Start | Control Panel | Backup And Restore Center. 2. Click Restore Files. 3. In the Restore Wizard, choose the restore files from the latest backup and click Next. 4. In the next window, you can choose to restore everything in the backup, or you can restore certain files or folders by simply browsing for them, as shown in Figure 11-11. Click Next. 5. You can choose to restore files and folders in the original locations, or you can specify a new location. Make your selection and click Start Restore. In the event that your computer is greatly damaged and you want to do a complete restore, assuming you backed up your computer using the Complete PC Backup, just click the Windows Complete PC Restore option. This process will completely reformat your disks and overwrite all existing data on your computer, so you only want to use this option when absolutely necessary. When you choose this option, you’ll see a warning message and also instructions (see the following illustration) telling you to shut down the computer and restart it using the Windows Recovery Environment by holding down the f8 key during startup. Once you access the Recovery Environment, choose the “Windows Complete PC Backup” option and follow the instructions that appear.
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FIGURE 11-11
Choose what you want to restore
Configuring BitLocker Drive Encryption Windows Vista includes a new feature called BitLocker Drive Encryption. When you turn on this feature, all files on the Windows installed drive are encrypted and protected from unauthorized access. You can still use Windows normally, but the encryption feature can help prevent hackers from accessing system files and other data. When new files are added, BitLocker encrypts them automatically, and if you copy files to a different drive on your PC or a network share, they are automatically decrypted. As you can see, once BitLocker is turned on, it encrypts or decrypts files as necessary without any intervention from the user. BitLocker drive encryption has some specific hardware requirements that must be met before it can be used. Keep these requirements in mind for the exam: ■ You must have at least two partitions. BitLocker will encrypt the drive that
Windows is installed on. The other partition is the active partition, which must be left unencrypted so that the computer can be started. To find out more information about how to create partitions in Windows Vista, access http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/aa905089.aspx.
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■ The partitions must be formatted with NTFS. ■ For the best security, your computer should have a BIOS that is compatible
with the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) that supports USB devices during startup. TPM is a special microchip that some newer computers have and that supports advanced security features. When BitLocker is turned on, it must store its encryption key in the TPM or a removable USB memory device, such as a USB flash drive. If the computer does not have TPM 1.2 or higher, then the encryption key will be stored in the USB flash drive.
When BitLocker drive encryption is turned on, it will check your system at startup. If BitLocker detects a system condition that could be a possible security risk, such as a change to the BIOS or startup files, it will lock the drive and
require a BitLocker recovery password to unlock it. Make sure you create and securely store this password when you turn on BitLocker for the first time. Without it, you could permanently lose access to the operating system, and thus, your data.
Once you are certain that your computer meets the hardware requirements, you can open BitLocker Drive Encryption in Control Panel and enable it. You’ll also be able to create a password at this time, and you’ll see messages if your computer does not meet the required hardware configuration. However, what if there is a scenario where you really need to enable BitLocker on a computer that doesn’t support TPM? You can work around this requirement, provided that your computer’s BIOS will read USB drives during bootup. If this is the case, you can use a USB flash drive to store the startup key that BitLocker requires to authenticate and start the computer. To configure this option, you’ll need to configure a Group Policy Object (GPO) that allows the computer to display advanced startup options where you can access the BitLocker Startup Preferences page. Then, you would choose to require a startup USB key at every startup. You should be familiar with this scenario for the exam, and Exercise 11-4 shows you how to configure this option. Look over Exercise 11-4, but naturally, you probably do not want to implement the solution unless you really want to use encryption without a TPM. Keep in mind that if you lose the USB, you will not be able to access the computer again without a complete reformat. However, you can duplicate the USB key and keep multiple copies of the key in different, secure locations.
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EXERCISE 11-4 Configuring a GPO for USB Flash Drive Usage with BitLocker Drive Encryption To configure the necessary Group Policy Object for USB flash drive usage with BitLocker Drive Encryption, follow these steps: 1. Log on with an administrator account. 2. Click Start. Type gpedit.msc in the Start Search box and press ENTER. 3. Navigate to Local Computer Policy | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | BitLocker Drive Encryption. 4. In the right console, double-click the Control Panel Setup: Enable Advanced Startup Options GPO. 5. In the dialog box shown next, click Enabled and then select the Allow Bitlocker Without A Compatible TPM check box. Click OK and close the Group Policy Editor.
6. Next, you need to force the Group Policy to apply immediately. Click Start, type gpupdate.exe /force in the Start Search box, and press ENTER.
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7. When the update process finishes, open BitLocker Drive Encryption in Control Panel. Turn on the BitLocker on the operating system volume. 8. On the Set BitLocker Startup Preferences page, select the Require Startup USB Key At Every Start option. Insert your USB flash drive. 9. On the Save Your Startup Key page, choose the location of your USB flash drive and click Save. 10. On the Save The Recovery Password page, choose a desired option to save your password in a safe place. 11. On the Encrypt The Selected Disk Volume page, confirm that the Run BitLocker System check box is selected and click Continue; then restart the computer. The drive is encrypted. The next time you start the computer, you must have the USB flash drive inserted so that BitLocker can read the key.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 11.03
Configure Power Options With mobile computing becoming the norm (I only buy laptop computers at this point), the need for effective power management is always a concern. Windows Vista
SCENARIO & SOLUTION I want to make sure that I can perform a complete recovery of my Windows Vista computer including the operating system in the event of a catastrophic failure. What do I need to do?
Use the Backup and Restore Center and choose to Back Up The Computer. This action will create a complete image of the computer and your files. Note that this option is not available on Windows Vista Home Basic or Premium operating systems.
How can I get a previous version of a file restored?
Windows Vista keeps previous versions of files, called shadow copies. You can restore these using Backup and Restore Center, and in some cases, you can access the file’s properties and use the Previous Versions tab to restore the file that way. The Previous Versions feature must be enabled for volumes other than the system volume. Access System Properties | System Protection to enable the feature.
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provides a more intuitive Power Options interface than you saw in previous versions. Rather than a bunch of different power configuration options, you now find three primary options; you can adjust the settings of each or simply create a custom power scheme. The options you’ll see here are straightforward, and any exam questions you encounter are likely to be straightforward as well. You simply need to know what options are available to you and how to configure them, as you’ll see in this section. If you click Start | Control Panel | Power Options, you see the new Power Options interface, shown in Figure 11-12. Here, you see three preferred plans you can choose from as well as some additional and custom configuration options on the left pane. You can simply select a plan, but you can also edit the plan as well.
FIGURE 11-12
Power Options
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The three default plans are: ■ Balanced
This plan seeks to balance energy savings and performance. With this plan, the display is turned off after 20 minutes of inactivity and the computer goes to sleep after one hour of inactivity.
■ Power Saver
This plan provides greater energy savings at the expense of performance. With this plan, you see the same settings as the balanced plan, but the overall performance of the computer is reduced in order to get extra battery life.
■ High Performance
This plan provides greater performance at the expense of energy savings. Under this plan, the display is turned off after 20 minutes but the computer is never put to sleep. This plan maximizes system performance and battery users will notice that battery life is not as long.
You can choose a default plan, or you can click Change Plan Settings under any plan and see the Edit Plan Settings window, shown in Figure 11-13. FIGURE 11-13
Edit Plan Settings
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Here you can use the drop-down menus to adjust the display and sleep settings for a particular plan. However, you can also change advanced power settings by clicking the link (see Figure 11-13) and making further adjustments as desired. This action opens the Advanced Settings dialog box, shown in Figure 11-14. You can expand the list of power saving options and simply choose features as desired.
Configure the Power Button Using the Power Options window, you can click the Choose What The Power Button Does link and configure what happens when you press the power button. This configuration, though simple, is important for laptop computing, and you certainly should be familiar with the options for the exam. If you click the link option in the left pane, you see a System Settings window, shown in Figure 11-15.
FIGURE 11-14
Advanced Settings
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FIGURE 11-15
System Settings
Click the drop-down menu to choose if the computer shuts down, sleeps, hibernates, or does nothing when the power button is pressed. You can also use the System Settings window to require a password when the computer comes out of sleep or hibernation. When you’re done here, just click Save Changes.
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INSIDE THE EXAM Understanding Sleep and Hibernation The exam loves to focus on minute details of an issue, and the difference between sleep and hibernation modes is likely to be one of them. The exam may put you in a situation where a laptop user has certain power needs, and then ask you to choose which power option would be best. The two possible right answers will typically come down to sleep and hibernation. Sleep and hibernation are the only two power-saving states available. Standby is no longer available as it was in previous versions of Windows, but sleep combines the standby and hibernation features. When you put the computer to sleep, all of your work, including information about programs you were using, is written to the hard disk and saved. When the computer wakes, Windows restores everything that was open in your previous session in a
matter of seconds. A small amount of power still runs to the computer during a sleep state, but the quick waking time is much faster than having to restart your computer and reopen applications and documents. Hybrid sleep is an option available on some PCs that uses less power than regular sleep (it’s a hybrid between sleep and hibernation). Hibernation, on the other hand, does the same thing as sleep, but it doesn’t require any power to maintain hibernation. However, hibernation typically takes longer to recover from, than sleep. So, for tricky exam questions, the issue here is power. If you need to put your laptop in a state that it remembers what you were doing but doesn’t use any power at all to do so, hibernation is the way to go.
In addition to these settings, you can also create a custom power plan. This process is rather straightforward, and Exercise 11-5 shows you how.
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EXERCISE 11-5 CertCam
Creating a Custom Power Plan To create a custom power plan, follow these steps. 1. Log on to Windows Vista with an Administrator account. 2. Open Control Panel | Power Options. 3. In the left console pane, click Create A Power Plan.
4. In the Create A Power Plan window, shown next, choose a default plan that most closely resembles the plan you want to create and give your plan a name. The default plan you choose will serve as a base plan for you to customize. Click Next.
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5. Choose the display and sleep settings for your plan and click Create. 6. Now your custom plan appears on the Power Plan portion of the Power Options window. Click the Change Plan Settings link to further customize it as desired.
SCENARIO & SOLUTION I need to make sure that when I press the power button, the computer resumes to the state I left it as quickly as possible. What power button configuration should I choose?
Sleep. The sleep option is faster in recovery time than hibernation, but it does require that the computer use a small amount of power to maintain sleep, whereas hibernation does not.
I have a user that travels and uses her laptop battery for extended periods of time. Which power plan is best?
Power Saver. This plan maximizes energy savings rather than performance.
I want my wireless network connection to turn off after a period of inactivity on my laptop. How can I configure this?
Under your power plan, click Change Plan Settings and then click Change Advanced Power Settings. In the Advanced Settings dialog box, expand the Wireless Adapter Settings category and configure it as desired.
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CERTIFICATION SUMMARY In this chapter, we explored three important tools. First, Windows Vista provides Windows Update as a way to update your computer’s operating system as Microsoft releases updates. Windows Update has some automatic settings, but you can also choose to see updates and install them. Additionally, you can choose to hide updates that you do not want to install and restore those updates later if necessary. You can protect data on your computer using the Backup and Restore Center. Here you can back up your computer’s files or the entire computer, creating an image that can be used in a full recovery. You can also recover backed up files using the Backup and Restore Center or shadow copies. For additional protection, BitLocker Drive Encryption can be used to encrypt the entire computer, but the computer must meet partition and TPM hardware requirements. Power Options continue to be an important part of Windows Vista in today’s mobile computing world. The new Power Options provide three default plans, balanced, power saver, and high performance. You can change the plan settings, adjust advanced options, create your own plan, and choose what the power button does on your computer. Windows Vista supports two power-saving states, which are sleep and hibernation. Sleep recovers your computer more quickly, but it requires power to maintain, while hibernation does not.
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TWO-MINUTE DRILL Configure Windows Update ❑ Windows Update downloads and updates operating system and security updates
for Windows Vista. ❑ You can use the Services console to start and stop the Windows Update Service. ❑ You can configure automatic updating using four available options: “Auto-
matically download and install updates,” “Download updates but allow the user to choose whether to install them,” “Check for updates and allow the user to download and install them,” or “Never check for updates.” ❑ You can hide updates that you do not want to install and restore those updates
if you later wish to install them. ❑ View Update History to see a listing of updates that have been installed. You
can also uninstall some updates.
Configure Windows Data Protection ❑ You can back up and restore data using the Windows Backup and Restore
Center. ❑ You can back up the entire computer using the PC Backup option, which cre-
ates an image of your entire computer. This feature is not available in Windows Vista Home Basic or Premium. ❑ Windows Vista maintains previous versions of files called shadow copies,
which enable you to revert to a previous version of the file. ❑ Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption can encrypt the entire drive where
Windows resides in order to provide greater security. ❑ BitLocker Drive Encryption requires two NTFS partitions and a BIOS that
supports TPM 1.2. An alternative method can be configured through a GPO to use a USB flash drive for the encryption key rather than the TPM.
Configure Power Options ❑ Windows Vista provides three default power plans: balanced, power saver,
and high performance. ❑ You can customize each plan to suit your needs.
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❑ You can create a custom plan using one of the default plans as your base. ❑ You can use the Advanced Settings option to further customize your power
needs. ❑ You can configure what your computer does when you press the power button,
typically either sleep or hibernate. ❑ Sleep requires a small amount of power to maintain the sleep state, while
hibernate does not.
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SELF TEST The following questions will help you measure your understanding of the material presented in this chapter. Read all the choices carefully because there might be more than one correct answer. Choose all correct answers for each question.
Configure Windows Update 1. On a Windows Vista computer, you receive a Windows Update error message 80072efd. You know this probably has something to do with Windows Firewall. What do you need to do to enable Windows Update to function properly? A. Change the setting in Windows Update so that automatic updates are turned off. B. Configure Windows Firewall to open port 80. C. Configure exceptions in Windows Firewall allowing Windows Update URLs. D. Remove Windows Update from the Startup program group. 2. You have a user on your network who works from different locations and often has a slow Internet connection. You want to minimize bandwidth and control what updates are installed on this computer. Considering the following graphic, which option do you need to select?
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Install Updates Automatically. Download Updates But Let Me Choose Whether To Install Them. Check For Updates But Let Me Choose Whether To Download Them And Install Them. Never Check For Updates.
3. Windows Update has installed an update that you do not want. How can you remove the update? A. Updates cannot be removed. B. Access Programs in Control Panel. C. Open Update History and click Installed Updates. D. Use System Restore. 4. You have a user on your network who has configured Windows Update to let him choose what updates to install on Windows Vista. The user reports that one update keeps appearing. How can he remove this update without installing it? A. Hide the update. B. Right-click the update and click Remove. C. Run System Restore. D. Select the Do Not Report radio button in Windows Update. 5. You receive a Windows Update error, 8024401B. You need to resolve the problem, which is preventing Windows Update from working properly. What do you need to do? A. Configure Windows Firewall exceptions allowing access to the Windows Update sites. B. Stop the Windows Update service and restart it. C. Enter your network credentials when prompted by the proxy server. D. Allow Windows Update to start when Windows starts.
Configure Windows Data Protection 6. You would like to configure a complete backup on some Windows Vista computers at your office. You want to be able to recover the entire operating system and files in the event of a catastrophic failure. On which two operating systems can you perform this option? (Choose two.) A. Windows Vista Home B. Windows Vista Home Premium C. Windows Vista Business D. Windows Vista Ultimate 7. A modification was made to an important file. This modification was wrong, and you would like to restore yesterday’s version of the file. You have not performed a backup of this file. How can you get the previous version back?
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A. B. C. D.
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Restore the computer. Choose the Restore files option in the Backup and Restore Center. Access the Previous Versions tab of the file’s properties dialog box. The previous version cannot be restored.
8. On which drive can you not create a backup file using Windows Backup and Restore Center? A. A USB flash drive B. A CD or DVD drive C. A local drive on your PC D. A network drive 9. You have a Windows Vista Ultimate computer. You want to create a file backup to a drive on your local computer. Concerning this backup, which statement is true? A. You can only back up to a FAT32 drive. B. You can only back up to an NTFS basic drive. C. You can only back up to an NTFS dynamic drive. D. You can back up to either an NTFS basic or dynamic drive. 10. You need to restore your entire computer, which you backed up previously using the Complete PC backup feature in Windows Backup and Restore Center. How do you start the Recovery Center? A. Click Restore in the Backup and Restore Center. B. Restart the computer and press the F8 key. C. Start System Restore. D. Enter Safe mode. 11. Which options are not requirements of Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption? (Choose two.) A. Two partitions B. Dynamic disk configuration C. BIOS that supports TPM 1.2 D. Dual-boot configuration 12. You have a user on your network who has a Windows Vista Ultimate computer. This computer contains sensitive data, and you want to ensure that the laptop’s data is protected if the computer is lost or stolen. What do you need to implement this kind of protection? A. EFS B. BitLocker C. NTFS D. FAT32
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13. You have a laptop computer. The computer does not support TPM 1.2, but you need to enable BitLocker Drive Encryption. How can you configure this? A. Turn off the TPM setting in BitLocker Properties. B. Edit the necessary GPO so that the computer can use a flash drive to store the encryption key. C. Store the encryption key on a network server in order to bypass the TPM requirement. D. You cannot use BitLocker without TPM.
Configure Power Options 14. You need to configure your laptop computer so that when you work on battery power, you do not lose any performance. However, you want the battery to last as long as possible. Considering the following illustration, what do you need to do?
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A. B. C. D.
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Choose Balanced. Choose Power Saver. Choose High Performance. Create a power plan.
15. You need to use a power option that saves your data and open applications in such a way that they can be resumed when you switch on the computer again. You do not want your computer to use any power during this state. Which option is best? A. Shut Down B. Sleep C. Hibernate D. Standby 16. You have a laptop computer that uses the balanced plan. You notice that your monitor turns itself off after 20 minutes or so. Although you want to continue using the balanced plan, you want your monitor to stay on for 1 hour before turning off. How can you configure this? A. Create a custom plan. B. Access Advanced power settings. C. Restore the default settings for the balanced plan. D. Open Edit Plan Settings and change the display option to 1 hour. 17. You have a laptop computer configured with the balanced power option. You want to configure the power option so that when you close the lid to the laptop, the laptop sleeps. How can you do this? A. Create a custom plan. B. Access Advanced power settings. C. Choose the Sleep option for the power button. D. Open Edit Plan Settings and adjust the setting. 18. You use a Windows Vista Ultimate computer. What want to choose a power option when you press the power button. You need to make sure your settings are restored as quickly as possible, including open files and applications. What should you choose? A. Shut Down B. Sleep C. Hibernate D. Standby
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LAB QUESTION A user on your network has a Windows Vista Ultimate computer. The user travels a lot and often uses the battery while flying. You need to configure Power Options to meet the user’s needs. Specifically: ■
You need to conserve as much energy as possible.
■
You want the monitor to turn off after 10 minutes of inactivity.
■
You want to enable hybrid sleep.
■
You want the wireless adapter to be configured for maximum power saving.
How can you configure these options?
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SELF TEST ANSWERS Configuring Windows Update ✓ C. Error code 80072efd or 80072ee2 reports that Windows Firewall is not allowing access to 1. ® the Windows Update Web site. You need to configure exceptions in Windows Firewall allowing access to these sites. ® ˚ A is incorrect because you do not want to turn off automatic updates. B is incorrect because opening port 80 is likely to create a serious security hole in the firewall’s defense. D is incorrect as well. Windows Update is not a startup program that can be turned off, and even if it were, you would not want to do so. ✓ C. Since you want to minimize bandwidth and control what updates are installed, C is your 2. ® only viable answer. ® ˚ A, B, and D are all incorrect because none of these options will produce the required configuration. ✓ C. Some updates can be uninstalled, and you can check to see if uninstallation is available by 3. ® opening Update History and clicking the Installed Updates link. ® ˚ A, B, and D are all incorrect answers because none of these options will uninstall an update. ✓ A. In this case, just right-click the update and click Hide from the context menu that 4. ® appears. You can always install hidden updates later if desired. ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect because none of these options will remove the suggested update. ✓ C. This error message occurs due to a proxy server problem requiring you to enter your 5. ® network credentials. ® ˚ A, B, and D are all incorrect because these actions will not resolve the problem.
Configure Windows Data Protection ✓ C and D. Windows Vista Business and Ultimate editions support the Complete PC Back 6. ® Up feature. ® ˚ A and B are incorrect because the home editions do not support the Complete PC Back Up feature. ✓ C. Windows Vista maintains copies of previous versions of files and folders called shadow 7. ® copies. You can restore the previous version by clicking the Previous Versions tab of the file or folder’s properties dialog box. ® ˚ A and B are incorrect because you cannot restore the file using Windows Backup and Restore Center, since the file was never backed up. D is incorrect because the file can be restored using shadow copy.
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✓ A. You cannot create a backup file to a USB flash drive or any other external drive using 8. ® Windows Backup and Restore Center. ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect because you can create a backup file to these drives. ✓ B. The drive you back up to must be formatted with NTFS, but it cannot be a dynamic disk. 9. ® ® ˚ A is incorrect because FAT32 is not supported as a backup drive option. C and D are incorrect because you cannot back up to a dynamic disk. ✓ B. At startup, press the f8 key to access the Windows Recovery Environment. 10. ® ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because none of these options will invoke the Windows Recovery Environment. ✓ B and D. You do not need a dynamic disk configuration or dual-boot configuration for 11. ® BitLocker Drive Encryption. ® ˚ A and C are incorrect because you need two partitions. You should also use a BIOS that supports TPM 1.2. ✓ B. BitLocker Drive Encryption is the only option that can provide effective protection 12. ® against hacker attempts. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because none of these options will prevent hacker attacks. ✓ B. For this solution, you’ll need to edit the GPO to allow startup options, where you can 13. ® then configure a required startup using a USB flash drive where the key is stored. ® ˚ A and C are incorrect because you cannot work around the TPM requirement this way. D is incorrect because you can work around the TPM requirement.
Configure Power Options ✓ A. In this situation, the Balanced option will give you the best balance of performance and 14. ® energy savings. ® ˚ B and C are incorrect because these options do not provide a balance of performance and energy savings. D is incorrect because although you can configure a custom plan, it is not necessary in this scenario. ✓ C. Hibernation will save your open files and applications but will not use any power during 15. ® the hibernation state. ® ˚ A is incorrect because shutting down the computer will not save your open applications and files. B is incorrect because Sleep uses a small amount of power to maintain your settings during sleep mode. D is incorrect because standby is not available in Windows Vista. ✓ D. Simply click Change Plan Settings under the Balanced option to open the Edit Plan 16. ® Settings window. Then, use the drop-down menu to change the display option to 1 hour. ® ˚ A, B, and C are all incorrect because none of these options will help you change the display settings.
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✓ B. You can open the Advanced Settings and choose setting options for Power Buttons 17. ® and Lid. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because none of these items will enable you to configure what happens when you close the laptop’s lid. ✓ B. Sleep is the fastest option to recover your open files and settings. 18. ® ® ˚ A is incorrect because shutting down will not automatically recover open files and applications when you restart. C is incorrect because hibernation has a slower recovery time than sleep. D is incorrect because standby is not available in Windows Vista.
LAB ANSWER Follow these steps to achieve the desired configuration: 1. Click Start | Control Panel | Power Options. 2. On the Power Options window, choose Power Saver, and then click Change Plan Settings. 3. In the Change Plan Settings window, change the display setting to 10 minutes. 4. Click the Change Advanced Power Settings option. 5. Expand Sleep | Allow Hybrid Sleep and make sure the setting is turned on, as shown in the following illustration.
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6. Click Wireless Adapter Settings | Power Saving Mode | Maximum Power Saving, as shown in the following illustration. Click OK.
12 Configure and Troubleshoot Mobile Computing CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVES 12.01
Configure Mobile Display Settings
12.02
Configure Mobile Devices
12.03
Configure Tablet PC Software
✓ Q&A
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I
t’s no surprise that a portion of the Windows Vista client exam focuses on mobile computing. I use three laptop computers and a few aging desktops at this point, and I honestly don’t know that I will ever buy another desktop system. Mobile computers today are just as powerful, have great screen resolution, and, with the simplicity of wireless technology, are just too convenient to pass up. That sentiment is true for home users, but it is especially true for business networks. As mobile computers have become the norm, America’s workforce has grown more mobile as well. Accordingly, part of your job as an IT specialist will be the configuration of Windows Vista for mobile computing purposes. In this chapter, I’ll drill down on the exam objectives and show you what you need to know for the real world as well as the questions the exam will likely send your way.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 12.01
Conf igure Mobile Display Settings Mobile display settings are not individualized settings that appear on laptop computers. You can configure display settings in the same way on a mobile computer or a desktop. However, mobile display settings are different because mobile computers are used under different circumstances. In this section, we’ll look at mobile display settings that you need to know how to configure for the exam.
Configuring Video Adapters The essential configuration of a video adapter is the Monitor tab of the Display Settings dialog box. You’ve encountered this standard dialog box in this book before because you probably accessed it to check some settings before using Aero. Nevertheless, there are a few things you should know.
Accessing Monitor Settings Click Control Panel | Appearance And Personalization | Personalization | Display Settings. You can also just right-click the desktop and click Personalize for easier access. The Monitor tab, shown in Figure 12-1, provides you with a few settings.
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FIGURE 12-1
Monitor Tab
The Colors drop-down menu sets the color quality of the video adapter. Typically, you can choose between medium (16-bit quality) and highest (32-bit quality). The 16-bit setting is often called High Color, while 32-bit is often called True Color. With 32 bits, you are getting a more natural color resolution, which is typically best considering the multimedia nature of computers these days. Naturally, the highest setting gives you the best appearance, so use it. You can also adjust the resolution using the slider bar.
Advanced Settings If you click Advanced Settings, you see four tabs you can use to configure the video adapter or possibly solve problems, as shown in Figure 12-2. The tabs are ■ Adapter
This tab allows you to view information about your adapter, and it gives you access to the properties dialog box for the adapter, which is the same as any other hardware device. You also see a List All Modes feature that
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FIGURE 12-2
Advanced Settings
allows you to select the resolution and refresh combination. Essentially, the dialog box you see is simply a listing of all valid modes available. You can also click the Properties button on the Adapter tab to access standard device properties, such as driver details and resources. ■ Monitor
This tab shows you the screen refresh rate for the adapter. The default setting you see here will vary based on your hardware. The refresh rate basically determines how fast the screen is redrawn. A lower setting can cause your screen to flicker, but a setting that is too high can be damaging to your hardware. A typical setting is often between 50 and 85 hertz.
■ Troubleshoot
This tab may give you the ability to change some hardware acceleration settings if you’re having problems with your performance, but not all display drivers allow this configuration, in which case the Change Settings button here will be grayed out.
■ Color Management
This tab gives you access to Color Management, which allows you to select the color profiles that are displayed on your monitor. As with most of these settings, the default settings are typically all you need.
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Using Multiple Monitors Multiple Monitor support is nothing new in Windows Vista. The ability to extend your Windows desktop onto a secondary monitor was available back in the days of Windows 98, but with mobile computing, this configuration option is often one that is desired. You need to know how to configure multiple monitors using Windows Vista for the exam, and fortunately, the task is rather easy.
Setting Up Multiple Monitors A multiple monitor display requires a video adapter that supports the feature, or you must have a separate video card installed for each monitor. Newer laptop PCs typically ship with a video adapter that can support multiple monitors. You can check for this feature on the Monitor tab as shown in Figure 12-1, which shows support for multiple monitors. If your video card only supports a single monitor, it will only show one monitor on the tab, as you can see in Figure 12-3.
FIGURE 12-3
Single monitor adapter
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In order to set up your mobile computer for multiple monitor support, there are only a few things you need to do. Exercise 12-1 walks you through the steps.
EXERCISE 12-1 Conf iguring Multiple Monitors To create multiple monitors, follow these steps: 1. Shut down your laptop, and then plug in the cable for the secondary monitor to the port on your video card (typically located on the back or side of your laptop). Then, restart Windows. Typically, a New Display Detected dialog box appears where you can choose to mirror (show the desktop on each monitor) or extend (stretch the desktop across the monitors so that it appears as one desktop), as shown here:
2. Open the Display Settings dialog box (access Personalize) and you’ll see both monitors on tab.
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3. Select the monitor that acts as your secondary display, and then click the Extend The Desktop Onto This Monitor check box (refer to Figure 12-1). You can repeat this process for additional monitors as well. 4. If you need to re-order the monitors, simply drag them around. For example, if you need the secondary display to become the primary display, drag it to the first position and click This Is My Main Monitor. 5. Click OK to close the dialog box when you’re done.
Solving Common Problems As with any configuration, there are a few troubleshooting or problem-solving actions you should be aware of for the exam as well as the real world.
Nothing Appears on the Secondary Monitor This problem occurs because multiple monitors are not supported by your video card or Windows Vista hasn’t detected the secondary monitor. Make sure the secondary monitor is turned on and restart Windows Vista so that a normal detection will take place. You can also try switching the order of the monitors to see if Windows will then recognize it. On some mobile PCs, you may need to turn on additional display support, which you can typically do by pressing fn plus the f4 or f5 key. I Need to See the Start Button on the Secondary Display Let’s say you’re using a secondary monitor that is projecting an image on a screen for a trade show. You need to see the Start menu on the secondary monitor to show clients some features. In this case, all you need to do is make the secondary monitor the primary monitor by dragging the secondary monitor into the first position and choosing the This Is My Main Monitor check box. Generally speaking, the displays on the dialog box should match the relative physical positions of the displays. If you want to keep the position on the screen the same as the physical positions of the monitors, you don’t even have to drag the primary monitor into the first position; you can just flag it as the main monitor. I Need to Stretch an Application Between Monitors, but It Is Not Properly Displayed If you’re using a typical Windows application, maximize the application. This will typically solve the problem. If you’re using an older MS-DOS
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application, run the application in full-screen mode. You may also need to change the resolution to 256 color (8 bit), as required by most DOS applications.
When I Drag Windows Around, They Don’t Appear on My Monitors in the Correct Order Keep in mind that the monitor alignment and order on the Monitor tab are virtual arrangements of your physical monitors. In this case, you don’t have the actual monitors arranged in the same way you have them arranged on the Monitor tab. Simply move the arrangement around on the Monitor tab until the virtual arrangement is the same as the physical arrangement. I’m Using a Multiple Monitor Configuration, but the Monitor Screens Are Not Bright Enough /Are Too Bright Open Windows Mobility Center in Control Panel, shown in Figure 12-4. Adjust the brightness control as desired.
FIGURE 12-4
Windows Mobility Center
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INSIDE THE EXAM Presentation Settings If you take a look at the Windows Mobility Center in Control Panel, you notice an option to turn on Presentation Settings. Since mobile computers are often used in presentations at remote sites, Windows Vista makes it easy to configure your laptop for presentations, avoiding some typical interruptions that might appear. If you click the option to turn on Presentation Settings, you can stop Windows notifications, the screen saver, sleep mode, and other settings that might interrupt a presentation. To configure these options, click the projector icon in Windows Mobility Center. Also, if you connect a network projector,
presentation settings automatically appear. To adjust the settings that are automatically applied, click the projector icon in Windows Mobility Center. As you can see in the following illustration, you can make some rudimentary adjustments to such items as volume and desktop background for the presentation. When you’re done with your presentation, just return to the Windows Mobility Center to turn these settings off. As you can imagine, a scenario where you need to mute the sound on your computer while giving a presentation or some related setting would make a great exam question, so keep these options in mind!
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SCENARIO & SOLUTION Do I have to restart the computer if a secondary monitor is not detected?
In many cases, you can simply open the Mobility Center and click the option to detect the secondary monitor. Of course, make sure the monitor is turned on so that it can be detected. In some cases, a restart is necessary, though.
Can I make the secondary monitor display my desktop while the primary monitor on my laptop is blank?
Yes, you can choose this option when the New Display Detected dialog box appears. You may find this configuration helpful when watching DVD content on a secondary monitor.
CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 12.02
Configure Mobile Devices Mobile devices and a mobile PC go hand-in-hand of course, but as business productivity has started to rely more and more on PDAs, cell phones, and other related devices that can physically and wirelessly connect to a laptop, the need to establish these connections and configure them as necessary has become an important skill for IT professionals. In this section, we’ll explore these issues together.
Managing USB Devices USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices have become so commonplace that the odds are good that most devices you physically connect are to your computer USB devices. From mice, to scanners, to printers, to cameras, USB is the standard for peripheral connections these days—and with good reason. USB is easy, consistently works well, and is very flexible. The USB bus standard allows you to connect up to 127 devices via a single USB port with data transfer rates up to 480 Mbps. All PCs that support USB (which is virtually all of them) have a USB controller listed in Device Manager. If you right-click the USB controller and click Properties, you see typical General, Driver, Details, and Resource tabs, as you do with other hardware devices. However, you also see an Advanced tab, shown in Figure 12-5, that gives you information about connected devices and available bandwidth for the controller. Since connected devices must share bandwidth, this information
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FIGURE 12-5
Advanced tab
can help you resolve performance problems, should you experience them. Typical devices consume little bandwidth, but some devices, such as USB external drives, can consume a lot.
One issue to keep in mind for the exam concerns the use of buspowered or self-powered hubs. You can connect USB hubs to USB ports on your computer so that you can extend the number of devices connected to your laptop. However, some USB devices cannot draw enough power from a bus-powered hub through a USB cable, and this is especially
true for external USB drives. In this case, all you need to do is purchase an externally powered USB hub that must be plugged into an AC wall outlet so that the additional power can be provided for the device. You can also resolve this problem by removing the device from the hub and directly connecting it to the USB port on the PC, instead of through an external hub device.
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Managing Wireless Devices Windows Vista supports the IEEE 802.11 standard for wireless connectivity, but it also supports Bluetooth, which is a short-range radio technology designed to simplify connectivity between wireless devices and PCs. Wireless transmission can occur via RF (Radio Frequency), which is an industry standard, as well as IrDA, which allows for device connectivity via infrared light waves. As wireless technology has matured, you can connect all kinds of wireless devices to your computer, including wireless mice, keyboards, printers, and many others. You can configure these devices as you would any other device connected to your PC. Additionally, you can connect cell phones, PDAs, and other Bluetooth-enabled devices, assuming your PC supports Bluetooth connections. Exercise 12-2 shows you how to connect a Bluetooth-enabled device to Windows Vista.
EXERCISE 12-2 Setting Up a Bluetooth-Enabled Device To set up a Bluetooth-enabled device, follow these steps: 1. Make sure that your Bluetooth device is turned on, has a name, and is discoverable, which means that other Bluetooth devices can see your device. See the device’s instructions to turn on Bluetooth and ready the device for discovery. 2. Click Start | Control Panel. In the Home view of Control Panel, click Hardware And Sound | Bluetooth Devices | Set Up A Bluetooth Enabled Device, shown next:
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3. On the Bluetooth dialog box, view the Options tab and ensure that the Connections | Allow Bluetooth Devices To Connect To This Computer option is enabled.
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4. On the Devices tab, click Add. This begins the Add Bluetooth Device Wizard. Click Next.
5. The wizard searches for, locates, and adds your device as a Bluetooth device.
Using the Sync Center A new feature in Windows Vista that is particularly helpful to mobile computing is the Sync Center, which allows you to keep information synchronized between your computer and mobile devices, files stored on a network server, and even programs that support Sync. Keep in mind for the exam that the ability to sync with network folders is not included in the Windows Vista Starter, Home Basic, or Home Premium editions. The Sync Center uses a comparison method between files. Every time you sync something with the Sync Center, it compares the files between the two locations to see if they have changed. If they have changed, Sync Center determines which version of the file to keep and overwrites the older file. If the Sync Center is unsure of which file to keep, it will prompt you to choose a version. This sync conflict happens when a file has changed in both locations since the last sync. Sync will also report a conflict if one copy is deleted and the other has been changed since the last sync.
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You can create sync partnerships, view sync results, and spot conflicts in the Sync Center. Click Start | All Programs | Accessories | Sync Center to open the Sync Center.
Setting Up a Sync Partnership Sync partnerships are sets of rules that tell the Sync Center how and even when to sync with information between locations or devices. You can create individual sync partnerships with different devices and network folders. For example, you might create a sync relationship with your digital camera that tells the Sync Center to copy every new photo from the camera every time it is connected. In a network, you might have a Sync Partnership with a network folder that syncs network files that are modified by different people. You can configure the action you want to happen with Sync Partnership. To set up a Sync Partnership, make sure you are connected to the network for a network location, or make sure the device you want to sync with is connected. Exercise 12-2 shows you how to set up a Sync Partnership.
EXERCISE 12-3 CertCam
Creating a New Sync Partnership To create a new Sync Partnership, follow these steps: 1. In the Sync Center, click the Set Up New Sync Partnerships link. The Sync Center will scan for available partnerships. As you can see in the following illustration, I have a camera connected and I can also use offline files as well. I’m going to use my camera for this exercise.
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2. Click the device or folder that you want to set up the partnership with. You’ll then see a Set Up button appear on the little toolbar area. Click it as well. 3. Depending on what you are setting up, additional dialog boxes will appear. For example, Windows Media Player will manage the photos on the camera, so I walk through a wizard that enables me to set up the parameters of how I want the device synchronized. Complete the remaining steps as directed. Once you set up a sync partnership with a device or network folder, there isn’t much you need to do if you have allowed the sync partnership to be an automatic one. You can sync manually by selecting the device and clicking Sync on the toolbar. You can also look under Tasks in the left pane of the Sync Center and view sync partnerships, conflicts, and results. These are especially helpful if you believe there may be some problem with the sync center in terms of a sync partnership.
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If you believe there may be a sync problem, or if you at least want to view the contents of the device before you start syncing, you may be able to right-click the device’s listing in Sync Center and click Explore to see the current contents. However, not all devices support the Explore feature, so you can access those devices directly through Computer or Network to see their current contents.
Resolving a Sync Conflict From time to time, a Sync conflict may occur, which you can see if you click View Sync Conflicts in the left console pane. A sync conflict occurs when the file Vista is trying to sync with has changed in two different locations. In this case, Vista doesn’t know which file is the most current and will need your assistance to choose. In this case, you get to determine how the sync conflict should be resolved. In the Sync Center, click the View Sync Conflicts option and you’ll see the conflict listed. Select the conflict and click the Resolve button on the toolbar. The Sync Center will give you the details of the conflict so that you can choose how to resolve it. Just follow the instructions that appear.
Resolving a Sync Error In some cases, a sync error will occur. The error can be caused by incompatibility with devices or in the case of network folders, a network problem, a server problem, or an access problem. Whatever the case, you can click View Sync Results in the Tasks pane and see a listing of errors, warnings, or other sync information that may be available. As you can see in Figure 12-6, I have a listing of errors. All of these errors occurred because I attempted to sync with a network folder for which I do not have access. I can select any warning, error, or other problem and click Properties to learn more about the nature of the problem, in which case I can try to troubleshoot the problem after gaining some information. Note that the Sync Center will not solve these problems for you, but it will give you information.
Establishing a Sync Schedule Once you establish a sync partnership (and deal with any problems or errors), you can establish a sync schedule so that the device or network folder is synchronized as often as you like. In the Sync Center, select the sync partnership you want to schedule and click the Schedule button that appears on the toolbar. On the Items window that appears, shown in Figure 12-7, choose which item you want to schedule and click Next.
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FIGURE 12-6
Sync Errors
FIGURE 12-7
Items
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Next, choose when you want the sync to begin. You have the ability to create a scheduled time, or you can trigger the sync when an event or action occurs, such as every time you log on to your computer or the network. If you choose a scheduled time, you see a schedule window where you can choose when you want the sync to occur and how often the sync should repeat, as shown in Figure 12-8. The options here are self-explanatory. If you choose the action or event option, you can choose different sync starting options, such as when you log on, when the computer is idle, or when you lock or unlock Windows. Just make your selection and click Next, as you can see in Figure 12-9. If at any time you want to change the sync schedule that you have created, just select the sync partnership in the Sync Center and click the Schedule button on the toolbar again. You’ll see the option to create a different schedule, view or edit the existing one, or delete the existing schedule, shown in Figure 12-10.
One of the issues that the Sync Center isn’t good about pointing out is how to stop a sync. Let’s say that you set up a sync partnership, but you want to stop this partnership so that synchronization no longer occurs.There doesn’t appear to be a way to do this based on the
interface. However, all you need to do is right-click the device in the Sync Center and choose Delete from the contextual menu that appears.This deletes the sync partnership, and the device will no longer be synchronized.
Using Windows SideShow Windows SideShow is a new feature in Windows Vista, and one that looks promising from a computer junkie’s point of view. Windows SideShow enables you to view information from your computer using alternate display devices. For example, you could have a laptop computer with an integrated LC display on the lid, enabling you to view information from the computer even when the computer is shut down. Think of Windows SideShow as a way to use add-in programs, called gadgets, to extend information from your computer to mobile devices. You could, for example, view your e-mail and news stories from the Internet on the device even when your computer is turned off. Naturally, you must use Windows SideShow–compatible devices for this feature to work. At the time of this writing, Windows Vista has only been released for a few months, so these devices are mostly still in development. You can get the latest, however, at microsoft.com/windowsvista.
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FIGURE 12-8
Sync schedule options
FIGURE 12-9
Choose sync starting options
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FIGURE 12-10
Use the Schedule button to create a different schedule
You can manage Windows SideShow devices from Control Panel | Windows SideShow, as shown in Figure 12-11. Here, you can manage gadgets that are installed and even download additional gadgets that are SideShow compatible.
Don’t be alarmed if you get some long, convoluted question on the exam about trying to stop a PDA from displaying information via Windows SideShow. All you need to do is open
Windows SideShow from Control Panel and turn off the gadget in question.This will control the “information flow” to the mobile device.
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FIGURE 12-11
Windows SideShow
SCENARIO & SOLUTION My laptop doesn’t have a Bluetooth adapter. How can I use Bluetooth devices with the PC?
You can purchase a USB Bluetooth adapter that you can simply plug into a USB port. These devices are typically under $40 and are available at any computer store.
Can you configure sync partnerships so that synchronization is only a one-way process?
Yes. Let’s say you have a Pocket PC that you want to keep updated with the content from a folder on Windows Vista that you frequently change the content of. In this case, you can choose a one-way sync when you set up the partnership. Data then is always synchronized via the folder to the device and not vice versa.
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CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVE 12.03
Configure Tablet PC Software Windows Vista includes built-in options that support features of Tablet PC software. As an exam objective, you may wonder how you can possibly answer questions about a hardware product you may not own. The good news is that the exam questions related to tablet PC software tend to focus on some basic configuration issues and input devices, both of which you can configure from Control Panel. The following sections show you what you need to know for the exam.
Configuring Tablet PC Settings If you open Control Panel, you’ll see a Tablet PC Settings applet, which provides you with a four-tabbed dialog box. The options you’ll find here are easy and straightforward, but you should keep them in mind for the exam. The following sections review the setting options available to you on each tab.
General On the General tab, you can choose where your menus appear on the screen based on right- or left-handed configuration. Just select the desired radio button. Under Calibration, you can calibrate your tablet pen to improve how accurately it targets information you see on the screen. Use the drop-down menu to choose an orientation and click Calibrate to have Windows Vista run a calibration routine on your tablet pen, as shown in Figure 12-12.
Handwriting Recognition Tablet PCs include a Tablet PC Input Panel where you can enter text onto a writing pad using a stylus. That handwritten script is then converted into typed text. However, there are cases when the handwriting recognizer doesn’t understand your handwriting script. In this case you need to use the Handwriting Recognition Personalization tool, where you can enter samples of your writing and train the software to recognize your handwriting. You can access this feature by opening the Tablet PC Input Panel, tapping Tools, and then tapping Handwriting Recognition. Follow the instructions that appear to enter samples of your handwriting and train the recognizer to recognize your handwriting.
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FIGURE 12-12
General tab
On the Handwriting Recognition tab, you can simply choose to use the personalized recognizer and use automatic learning. These are the recommended settings. Note that if you are not using a Tablet PC, you can still see this tab, but the options are grayed out because these settings only apply to Tablet PCs.
Display Use the Display tab, shown in Figure 12-13, to select a screen orientation to use, such as primary landscape, secondary portrait, and so forth. You can also click Sequence to adjust the order in which your screen rotates. This sequence will then occur when you use the tablet button to change the orientation of the screen.
Other The Other tab simply gives you access to the Pen and Input Devices applet, which is explored in the next section.
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FIGURE 12-13
Display
Configuring Pen and Input Devices Along with basic Tablet PC Settings, you’ll need to configure pen and input devices, an applet for which is available in Control Panel. The following sections review the options available to you.
Pen Options The Pen Options tab gives you the ability to adjust what happens with pen actions. Generally, you want the pen to mimic the behavior of a mouse, and by default, certain actions occur. For example, as you can see in Figure 12-14, when you singletap the pen, this is the equivalent of a single mouse click. For some of the options you see here, you can click Settings to adjust speed and spatial relationships, duration settings, and so forth, shown in Figure 12-15. These settings are similar to the adjustment of basic mouse settings.
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FIGURE 12-14
Pen Options
FIGURE 12-15
Settings Options
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Pointer Options The Pointer Options tab, shown in Figure 12-16, enables you to provide visual feedback for several actions that are selected by default. For example, when you single-tap, you’ll see a visual feedback of a basic circle. If you don’t want to see these visual feedback options (or at least not all of them), just clear the check box. You can also choose to see a pen cursor instead of a mouse cursor when you use the pen.
Flicks Pen flicks are gestures you can make with your tablet pen that enable you to quickly navigate and perform shortcuts. There are two kinds of pen flicks: navigational and editing. A navigational flick includes drag up and down, move back, and move forward. Editing flicks include copy, paste, undo, and delete. If you look at the Flicks tab, shown in Figure 12-17, you can see the default action for pen flicks and you can adjust the sensitivity of the flicks. If you click the Navigational Flicks And Editing Flicks radio button, you can also click Customize and adjust the behavior of different flicks, as you can see in Figure 12-18. Just use the drop-down menus to change the behavior of the default flicks.
FIGURE 12-16
Pointer Options
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FIGURE 12-17
Pen Flicks
Interestingly, flicks have a strong possibility of showing up on the exam.The questions you’ll face are not particularly difficult, but you need to know what is available on the tabs we
have just explored. Make sure you spend some time with Windows Vista and review the configuration options on the Pointer Options dialog box, especially the Flicks tab.
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FIGURE 12-18
Customize Flicks
CERTIFICATION SUMMARY Windows Vista includes several important features for mobile computing. As with previous versions of Windows, you can configure multiple display support on Windows Vista. A display device dialog box appears and gives you some configuration options when you connect a secondary monitor. You can also manage your monitors from the Monitors tab of Display properties as well. Windows Vista also provides presentation settings for mobile PCs.
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Windows Vista supports USB and wireless devices. You can also configure Bluetooth devices to connect with Windows Vista via the Bluetooth Device Wizard. The Sync Center allows you to connect devices as well as network folders to Windows Vista so that they remain synchronized according to a one-way or two-way sync configuration. If you have devices that support the feature, you can also use Windows SideShow to configure devices to display information, such as e-mail messages and Internet content from Windows Vista, even when the computer is turned off. You can manage these devices via the Windows SideShow applet in Control Panel. Windows Vista Tablet PCs provide support for screen orientation, handwriting recognition, and input devices. You can configure general settings via the Tablet PC Settings in Control Panel, and you can also configure pen and input devices via the Pen and Input Devices applet in Control Panel. Keep in mind that pen flicks are configured here as well.
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TWO-MINUTE DRILL Configure Mobile Display Settings ❑ Configure adapter card properties via the Monitor tab of Display properties. ❑ Multiple monitor support can be configured via the Monitor tab. A New
Display dialog box also appears when you connect a secondary monitor. ❑ Windows Vista features presentation settings for mobile PCs that will turn off
notifications and other settings that interfere with a live presentation.
Configure Mobile Devices ❑ Windows Vista supports up to 127 USB devices via a single bus. Self-powered
(externally powered) hubs are often necessary to support USB drives. ❑ Windows Vista also supports Bluetooth connectivity, which can be
configured via the Bluetooth DeviceWizard. The Bluetooth device must be discoverable. ❑ Use the Sync Center to configure sync partnerships between the PC and
devices or network folders. ❑ Windows SideShow enables you to see Windows content via external
devices, even when Windows is turned off.
Configure Tablet PC Software ❑ Use the Tablet PC Settings applet in Control Panel to manage general tablet
PC settings. ❑ Use the Pen and Input Devices applet in Control Panel to manage the
behavior of pen and input devices. Flicks can be configured here as well.
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SELF TEST The following questions will help you measure your understanding of the material presented in this chapter. Read all the choices carefully because there might be more than one correct answer. Choose all correct answers for each question.
Configure Mobile Display Settings 1. You notice on your mobile computer, the screen seems to flicker from time to time. You would like to check the screen refresh rate setting. Where can you do this? A. Monitor tab B. Monitor tab | Advanced Settings C. Windows Mobility Center D. The refresh rate cannot be adjusted due to the hardware 2. You want to connect three additional monitors to your Windows Vista Ultimate laptop. You want each monitor to display your desktop rather than extend your desktop to these monitors. How can you configure this? A. Choose the option on the New Monitor dialog box. B. Make each monitor a primary monitor. C. Make each monitor a secondary monitor. D. You cannot configure multiple monitors this way. 3. You need to use a multiple monitor configuration at a trade show using Windows Vista. You have installed a custom MS-DOS application that is used in your network environment. Although the MS-DOS application works on Windows Vista, it does not display correctly in the multiple monitor configuration. What can you do? A. Use Safe Mode. B. Configure the secondary monitor as a primary monitor. C. Configure the primary monitor as the secondary monitor. D. Run the MS-DOS program in full-screen mode.
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4. You need to give a presentation at a trade show. You will connect to a projector. You want to ensure that your presentation is not interrupted by Windows Notifications, sounds, and other typical system events such as these. How can you easily resolve this problem? A. Use Safe Mode with Networking. B. Turn on Presentation Settings. C. Turn on Windows Mobility Center. D. Set the projector connection as the primary display.
Configure Mobile Devices 5. How many devices can be connected to a single USB port? A. 56 B. 79 C. 127 D. 167 6. You have an external USB hard drive that you have connected to a bus-powered USB hub on the PC. However, the hard drive does not work. What do you need to do to make the hard drive work? (Choose all that apply.) A. Use a self-powered USB hub. B. Change the resource allotment options. C. Unplug devices from other USB ports. D. Plug the hard drive directly into a USB port. 7. You need to connect a Bluetooth device to Windows Vista. You have a Bluetooth adapter configured on your PC, and the device has a name and is configured for discovery. However, you cannot connect the device. Out of the four options listed, which is a valid troubleshooting issue you should investigate? A. Ensure you are using the correct SSID. B. Access the Bluetooth Options and enable Bluetooth connections. C. Ensure that the device is turned off. D. Ensure that Windows Vista is configured for multiple connections.
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8. You have a digital camera configured with a one-way sync partnership. However, you need to stop this camera from automatically synchronizing with Windows Vista. Considering the Sync Center in the illustration, what do you need to do?
A. B. C. D.
Remove the device from the USB connection. Create a new sync partnership that is a two-way partnership. Right-click the camera icon and click Delete. Right-click the camera icon and click Remove Partnership.
9. Your network consists of 30 Windows Vista Ultimate and Windows Vista Home Premium computers. You have several network folders, and you want to create a sync partnership to a network folder using a Windows Vista Home Premium computer. The network folder resides on another Windows Vista Home Premium computer. You cannot establish the sync partnership. Why? A. Windows Vista Home Premium computers cannot establish sync partnerships with network folders. B. Windows Vista Home Premium computers cannot establish sync partnerships with network folders on Windows Vista Ultimate computers. C. Windows Vista Home Premium does not support the Sync Center. D. Windows Firewall is blocking the connection.
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10. You have a PDA that you use to see e-mail and access online information through Windows Vista when your mobile PC is turned off. However, you are leaving on a business trip and you do not want the PDA displaying information. How can you stop this behavior? A. Turn off the gadget in Windows Sidebar. B. Turn off the gadget in Windows SideShow. C. Stop sharing the gadget. D. Configure the gadget with an SSID.
Configure Tablet PC Software 11. On a tablet PC, you need to change the configuration of the PC so that menus are found on the left-hand side instead of the right. How can you configure this? A. Tablet PC Settings | Display B. Tablet PC Settings | Flicks C. Tablet PC Settings | Handwriting Recognition D. Tablet PC Settings | General 12. On a Windows Vista Tablet PC, you need to change the screen orientation from landscape to secondary portrait. Where can you configure this option? A. Tablet PC Settings | Display B. Tablet PC Settings | Flicks C. Tablet PC Settings | Handwriting Recognition D. Tablet PC Settings | General 13. On a Windows Vista Tablet PC, you want to change the action when you double-tap on the screen with a pen. How can you change the default behavior? A. Pen and Input Devices | Pen Options B. Pen and Input Devices | Pointer Options C. Pen and Input Devices | Flicks D. Pen and Input Devices | General 14. On a Windows Vista Tablet PC, you notice that visual feedback appears on the screen when you take certain actions with your pen. For example, when you tap on the screen, a circle appears momentarily. You want to stop this visual feedback. Where can you do this? A. Pen and Input Devices | Flicks B. Pen and Input Devices | Pointer Options C. Pen and Input Devices | Pen Options D. Pen and Input Devices | General
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15. On a Windows Vista Tablet PC, you notice that the behavior of your pen seems a bit odd. You can’t seem to drag and drop items as you should be able to. You want to check the configuration of the pen for dragging and dropping. Where can you do this? A. Pen and Input Devices | General B. Pen and Input Devices | Pointer Options C. Pen and Input Devices | Pen Options D. Pen and Input Devices | Flicks
LAB QUESTION You need to configure Bluetooth access from a PDA to Windows Vista. You take the necessary configuration steps, but the Windows Vista computer is unable to see the PDA. From a troubleshooting point of view, what is the most likely cause of this problem?
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SELF TEST ANSWERS Configure Mobile Display Settings ✓ B. Access Advanced properties to adjust the screen refresh rate. 1. ® ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect. You cannot configure the screen refresh rate in any of these ways. ✓ A. When you plug a new monitor into a Vista laptop, a New Monitor dialog box appears 2. ® and you can choose an option to display your primary monitor on all other connected monitors. ® ˚ B and C are incorrect because you cannot configure the new monitor in these ways. D is incorrect because you can configure it as described in A. ✓ D. In many cases, you can run an MS-DOS program in full-screen mode and correct the 3. ® multiple monitor problems. ® ˚ A, B, and C are incorrect because these actions will not resolve the problem. ✓ B. Windows Vista includes presentation settings that turn off system notifications and 4. ® other items that might interrupt a presentation. You can turn on this feature via the Windows Mobility Center. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because none of these options will enable you to configure your computer for a presentation.
Configure Mobile Devices ✓ C. The correct answer is 127. 5. ® ® ˚ A, B, and D are all incorrect because the correct number is 127. ✓ A and D. You can use a self-powered hub or plug the device directly into a USB port. 6. ® ® ˚ B and C are incorrect. These actions will not resolve the problem. ✓ B. You should check to see if Bluetooth connections are allowed via the Options tab of 7. ® Bluetooth properties. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because none of these actions are valid troubleshooting issues. ✓ C. Simply right-click the camera icon and click Delete. This action will remove the sync 8. ® partnership. ® ˚ A, B, and D are incorrect because none of these options will enable you to remove the sync partnership.
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✓ A. Windows Vista Home Premium computers can have sync partnerships with mobile 9. ® devices, but not network folders. ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect because none of these options are true of Windows Vista Home Premium computers and sync partnerships with network folders. ✓ B. You can manage Windows SideShow gadgets and devices via the Windows SideShow 10. ® applet in Control Panel. ® ˚ A, C, and D are incorrect because you cannot manage Windows SideShow devices and gadgets in these ways.
Configure Tablet PC Software ✓ D. Use the General tab of Tablet PC Settings to configure right- or left-hand orientation. 11. ® ® ˚ A, B, and C are incorrect because none of these options will enable you to configure orientation. ✓ A. Use the Display tab of Tablet PC Settings to configure screen orientation. 12. ® ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect because none of these options will enable you to configure screen orientation. ✓ A. Use the Pen Options tab of Pen and Input Devices to change the mouse-like behavior 13. ® regarding taps. ® ˚ B, C, and D are incorrect because none of these options will enable you to change tapping behavior. ✓ B. Use the Pointer Options tab of Pen and Input Devices to stop visual feedback. 14. ® ® ˚ A, C, and D are all incorrect because you cannot stop visual feedback in these locations. ✓ D. Flicks refer to the behavior of pens enabling both navigation and editing. You can use 15. ® the Flicks tab of Pen and Input Devices to configure these options. ® ˚ A, B, and C are incorrect because you cannot configure flicks on these tabs.
LAB ANSWER Bluetooth devices and Widows Vista must be able to “see” each other, which means they are discoverable. As such, the device must be discoverable and have a name in order to connect with Windows Vista. In many cases, a passkey will be required as well (see the device’s documentation for details). In the same way, Windows Vista must be enabled for discovery for Bluetooth devices as well. Check the
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Bluetooth Devices | Options tab to make sure that Windows Vista is discoverable, as shown in the following illustration.
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Appendix About the CD
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Appendix: About the CD
T
he CD-ROM included with this book comes complete with MasterExam, MasterSim, CertCam movie clips, the electronic version of the book, and Session #1 of LearnKey’s online training. The software is easy to install on any Windows 98/NT/2000/XP/Vista computer and must be installed to access the MasterExam and MasterSim features. You may, however, browse the electronic book and CertCams directly from the CD without installation. To register for LearnKey’s online training and a second bonus MasterExam, simply click the Online Training link on the Main page and follow the directions to the free online registration.
System Requirements Software requires Windows 98 or higher and Internet Explorer 5.0 or above and 20MB of hard disk space for full installation. The electronic book requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. To access the Online Training from LearnKey, you must have RealPlayer Basic 8 or the Real1 plug-in, which will be automatically installed when you launch the online training.
LearnKey Online Training The LearnKey Online Training link will allow you to access online training from Osborne. Onlineexpert.com. The first session of this course is provided at no charge. Additional Session for this course and other courses may be purchased directly from www.LearnKey.com or by calling (800) 865-0165. The first time that you run the Training, you will be required to register with the online product. Follow the instructions for a first-time user. Please make sure to use a valid e-mail address. Prior to running the Online Training, you will need to add the Real plug-in and the RealCBT plug-in to your system. This will automatically be adapted to your system when you run the training the first time.
Installing and Running MasterExam and MasterSim If your computer CD-ROM drive is configured to autorun, the CD-ROM will automatically start up upon inserting the disk. From the opening screen you may install MasterExam or MasterSim by pressing the MasterExam or MasterSim button. This will begin the installation process and create a program group named “LearnKey.” To run MasterExam or MasterSim, use Start | Programs | LearnKey. If the autorun feature did not launch your CD, browse to the CD and click the LaunchTraining.exe icon.
CertCam
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MasterExam MasterExam provides you with a simulation of the actual exam. The number of questions, the type of questions, and the time allowed are intended to be an accurate representation of the exam environment. You have the option to take an open book exam, including hints, references, and answers; a closed book exam; or the timed MasterExam simulation. When you launch MasterExam, a digital clock display will appear in the upper left-hand corner of your screen. The clock will continue to count down to zero unless you choose to end the exam before the time expires.
MasterSim The MasterSim is a set of interactive labs that will provide you with a wide variety of tasks, enabling you to experience the software environment even if the software is not installed. Once you have installed the MasterSim, you may access it quickly through this CD launch page or you may also access it through Start | Programs | LearnKey.
Electronic Book The entire contents of the Study Guide are provided in PDF. Adobe’s Acrobat Reader has been included on the CD.
CertCam CertCam .AVI clips provide detailed examples of key certification objectives. These clips walk you step-by-step through various system configurations. You can access the clips directly from the CertCam table of contents by pressing the CertCam button on the Main page. The CertCam .AVI clips are recorded and produced using TechSmith’s Camtasia Producer. Since .AVI clips can be very large, ExamSim uses TechSmith’s special AVI codec to compress the clips. The file named tsccvid.dll is copied to your Windows\ System folder during the first autorun. If the .AVI clip runs with audio but no video, you may need to reinstall the file from the CD-ROM. Browse to the Programs | Certcams folder, and run TSCC.
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Help A help file is provided through the Help button on the main page in the lower left-hand corner. Individual help features are also available through MasterExam, MasterSim, and LearnKey’s Online Training.
Removing Installation(s) MasterExam and MasterSim are installed to your hard drive. For best results for removal of programs, use the Start | Programs | LearnKey | Uninstall option to remove MasterExam or MasterSim. If you desire to remove the Real Player, use the Add/Remove Programs icon from your Control Panel. You may also remove the LearnKey training program from this location.
Technical Support For questions regarding the technical content of the electronic book, MasterExam, or CertCams, please visit www.osborne.com or e-mail
[email protected]. For customers outside the 50 United States, e-mail
[email protected].
LearnKey Technical Support For technical problems with the software (installation, operation, removal installations), and for questions regarding LearnKey Online Training and MasterSim content, please visit www.learnkey.com or e-mail
[email protected].
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Glossary
Accessibility Options Windows Vista supports a number of accessibility options that provide a way for people with disabilities to more easily use Windows Vista. Options include StickyKeys, ToggleKeys, and FilterKeys. ACPI See Advanced Configuration and Power Interface. Active Directory The Active Directory is the Windows 2000 and Windows 2003 network directory service. It’s a tree-like, hierarchical structure that is used by administrators to store information about sites, domains, and organizational units, as well as about users, services, and resources. The Active Directory serves as a central repository for information about the network and provides a single location for resources on the network. The Active Directory is highly scalable and can hold millions of objects. It is a highly efficient system and resolves many of the complex domain problems that were found in Windows NT networks. Activation Activation is the process that uses the unique product code and unique computer hardware information to create an “installation ID” that is submitted to Microsoft as a way to “activate” your software and prevent software piracy. Once activated, that copy of the operating system can only be installed on that one computer. Once Windows Vista is installed, users can activate the product during the initial boot of Windows Vista, or at a later time during the 30-day grace period. If the grace period expires prior to activation, many services are shut down until activation is successfully completed. Activation can be performed automatically over the Internet or manually by calling Microsoft customer service. Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) ACPI is an industry standard for power management and is supported in Windows Vista. ACPI works with plug and play to manage system hardware devices and services so that power can be reduced to those devices and services when they are not needed. The operating system retains control of ACPI and provides the power saving features we enjoy, such as hibernation and system standby. ACPI must be supported in the BIOS of the computer where it is to be used, and it is automatically set up if supported in the BIOS during the installation of Windows Vista. Alert Performance Monitor in Windows Vista enables you to configure performance alerts that trigger when certain components fall below a performance baseline established by the administrator. The alert can trigger a number of events, including sending a network message and writing the event to the application event log.
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519
Answer File A file that answers the Windows Vista setup routine prompts. The answer file enables you to perform an unattended installation (see Unattended Installation). Answer files can be created with Setup Manager, which has a helpful and easy-to-use wizard interface. The use of answer files in unattended installations is a common method for large rollouts of Windows Vista in network environments. APIPA See Automatic Private IP Addressing. Auditing In Windows Vista, you can audit security events, as well as specific files and folders. This feature is particularly useful in a network environment, where it enables you to see what resources users are accessing and how those resources are being utilized. You can use auditing to detect unsuccessful or successful accesses, and you can view a security log where the data is generated. Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) Windows Vista has the capability to auto-configure an IP address via the APIPA feature when a DHCP server is not available. Designed primarily for home and small office networks, APIPA enables a workgroup to use TCP/IP without the configuration issues or overhead found in a large IP network. When APIPA is used, a client computer first looks for a DHCP server. If no server is found, the client then assigns itself an IP address in the reserved 169.254.x.x range. This allows all clients to have a valid IP address on the same subnet, with no interaction or configuration from the user. Backup Windows Vista provides a backup utility. Using the backup utility, you can create a backup job that backs up the file types you specify. In the event of a catastrophic failure, the backup job can be used to restore data on Windows Vista. The Backup utility provides a wizard to help you create and use backup jobs, or you can configure them directly using the Backup console. Basic Disks A basic disk in Windows Vista is a standard disk type that supports partitions and extended partitions. Basic disks do not have the management features of dynamic disks and are limited to four primary partitions or three primary partitions and one extended partition. Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) A computer’s BIOS is a set of instructions that are burned on the ROM of a PC. The BIOS handles hardware setup and management, as well as the Power On Self Test (POST).
520
Glossary
BIOS See Basic Input/Output System. Bottleneck In terms of performance, a bottleneck is any hardware device or service that cannot handle the load placed on it. The result is that the system slows down while different processes or network requests have to wait for their turn. You can locate bottlenecks on a computer using the Performance program to monitor specific hardware devices and system processes. CA See Certificate Authority (CA). Certificate Authority (CA) A CA is a server that is capable of issuing, storing, and managing digital certificates. A certificate authority server’s digital certificate can be purchased from a recognized CA root, such as VeriSign, and used for authentication or encryption. Change Permission The Change permission is a standard Windows Vista permission that allows a user to change permissions on files and folders. However, the user holding the Change permission does not have full control to the file or folder. It provides effectively the Read, Write, and Delete permissions at the share point and will not allow the modifying of permissions. NTFS permissions must also be granted to allow access to users. The approximately equivalent NTFS permission is the Modify permission. Compressed (Zipped) Folders Windows Vista provides folder compression based on Zip technology. You can compress folders on any drive and even save them on the network or the Internet or send them via e-mail. These compressed folders retain their compression regardless of their location. Computer Account A computer account is a security principal object created in the Active Directory that identifies a specific computer on a network by a friendly name. The security principal object is identified by a unique Security Identifier or SID. The computer name is the user-friendly name that can be changed but is always tied to the SID. Computer accounts are used with Group Policy so that specific configurations can be applied to computers within a site, domain, or organizational unit. Cookie A cookie is a text file that is used with Internet Explorer in order to store and exchange information with Web sites. You can manage cookie behavior on the
Glossary
521
Privacy tab of Internet Options. Cookies can be either persistent, meaning they remain as a file on the computer, or they can be temporary, meaning that they are used only during the browser session. The Privacy tab of Internet Options enables you to control cookies.
Cooperative Multitasking Cooperative multitasking is when two or more applications share processor threads so that both applications can, seemingly, function at the same time. This was used in Windows 3.x days by 16-bit applications. The programmer would write into his or her code a statement that would declare that when this point in the code is reached, the program will cooperatively relinquish its turn in the processor and await its next turn to be processed. This was replaced with preemptive multitasking on 32-bit apps, where the kernel of the OS declares when an apps turn in the processor is done. Counter Logs In Performance Monitor, you can configure counter logs that sample data at predetermined intervals. That data is then recorded to a log file so that you can view it at a later time. Counter logs are a helpful feature if you want to see the performance of some process in Windows Vista over a period of time without having to physically view Performance Monitor as data is sampled. Debugging Mode Windows Vista provides several boot menu options that you can use in the event that you are having problems starting Windows Vista normally. Debugging mode requires that your computer be connected to another computer with a serial cable. Debugging information is read from the problem computer and is recorded on the connected computer. You can then use the debugging information to troubleshoot the system. Default Gateway A default gateway is an IP address on a router that can then carry frames off a particular subnet. If a default gateway is used on a segment, the default gateway entry can be added to the TCP/IP address properties of client computers. DHCP can handle default gateway assignments automatically so that client computers always know the correct default gateway address. Defragmentation Defragmentation is the process of reorganizing files on a hard disk so that they are stored in a contiguous manner, providing improved performance. Windows Vista includes a Disk Defragmenter utility that can defragment hard disks.
522
Glossary
Deny Permission This standard Windows Vista permission denies access to files, folders, or printers. Deny permissions override all other permissions. For example, if a user is a member of the Marketing group and has Full Control permission of a folder, but is also a member of the Production group that has the Deny – Full Control permission, then the user has no permissions to the folder. DHCP See Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. Disk Defragmenter Disk Defragmenter is a Windows Vista utility that can defragment hard disks so that files are stored in a contiguous format. See also Defragmentation. DNS See Domain Name System. Domain In a Windows 200x or .NET environment, a domain is logical grouping of computers and users for management purposes. Domains function as naming, security, and replication boundaries as well. Networks are often divided into domains so that users, computers, and resources in that domain can be controlled and secured. Different domains in the same environment can have different security and administrative needs, and the domain structure allows diversity and flexibility of administrative control and management in the same network. Domain Name System (DNS) DNS is a network service that maps Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs) to IP addresses, such as www.osborne.com to a TCP/IP address. DNS is used on the Internet for all name resolutions and is now the standard for Windows 200x and .NET networks as well. DNS is highly scalable and provides a logical structure for network naming and name resolution. Driver A driver is a piece of software that allows a hardware device to communicate with an operating system such as Windows Vista. Manufacturers produce drivers for their hardware products that make them compatible with Windows Vista. However, Windows Vista also contains an extensive database of drivers so that devices can be automatically installed and configured via plug and play. Driver Signing Windows Vista supports driver signing, which allows Windows Vista to check the digital signature of a device to ensure that it is compatible with Windows Vista. Driver signing is extremely helpful when downloading drivers from
Glossary
523
the Internet, because Windows Vista can inspect them for a digital signature before you install them on your system to allow, warn of, or block the installation of the driver.
Dynamic Disks Dynamic disks are Windows 200x/Vista hard disks that support a number of additional disk management features. Dynamic disks in Windows Vista support volume management, which does not limit you with four primary partitions per disk. Volumes can be managed and reformatted using the Disk Management console without rebooting the computer. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) DHCP is an industry standard that is used to dynamically assign IP addresses and additional optional IP configuration details to network clients. The DHCP server is a network service that runs on a Windows 2000 server and dynamically leases IP addresses to client computers. DHCP administrators determine the period of time and the scope of IP addresses that can be used by clients for leasing. In order to enable Windows Vista to use a DHCP server, simply click the Obtain IP Address Automatically radio button in TCP/IP properties. EAP See Extensible Authentication Protocol. Encryption Encryption is the process of scrambling data so that it cannot be read or decrypted without the encryption key. The NTFS file system included in Windows Vista supports the Encrypting File System, allowing data stored locally to be encrypted. Encrypting File System (EFS) The Encrypting File System enables you to encrypt files and folders while they are stored on NTFS partitions seamlessly so that data remains private. Other users of the computer cannot open and read files that have been encrypted by a user, unless the encrypted item is configured for multiuser access. EFS is not compatible with Microsoft’s NTFS compression under Windows Vista. FAT See File Allocation Table. Fault Tolerance Fault tolerance is the ability of a computer system to tolerate disks’ faults or failures. In a fault-tolerant system, multiple disks are used. If a single disk fails, the data can still be accessed from another disk or can be regenerated from the other disks. Windows 200x/.NET Server supports RAID 1 and 5, but no faulttolerant methods are supported under Windows Vista.
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File Allocation Table (FAT) FAT is an older file system that divides a disk into sectors for data management purposes. FAT16 and FAT32 are both supported in Windows Vista, but FAT does not contain all of the file management features found in the NTFS file system, specifically encryption and file-level permissions. However, FAT can be used with Windows Vista in the case of dual-boot operating systems. FAT16 is the early version of FAT implemented for MS-DOS. FAT16 cannot support partitions larger than 4GB. FAT32 became the default file system for Windows 95 OSR2 and was used on Windows 98 and Windows Me as well. It can support up to 2TB partitions, but for practical and performance purposes, its limit is about 32GB per partition. FQDN See Fully Qualified Domain Name. Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) An FQDN is the complete DNS name of a domain or site. In other words, the domains making up the name can be completely resolved through DNS. For example, “east.trition.com” is an FQDN. Graphical User Interface (GUI) GUI is an acronym for “graphical user interface,” which is descriptive of the Windows Vista/user interface. The desktop, Start menu, folders, and so on are all considered part of the GUI. Command-line and scripted functions (ASCII text) are not considered to be GUI. Group Policy Group Policy is a Windows 200x/.NET implementation that enables administrators to finely control computers and users in a Windows network. However, Group Policy can also be implemented at the local computer level on a single computer so that a local computer administrator can control and manage other users who access the local computer. Group Policy is always implemented at the Site, Domain, OU, and computer levels, with lower levels inheriting settings from higher levels. Because of this structure, the local Group Policy level is the weakest form of Group Policy. GUI See Graphical User Interface. Handheld Device Windows Vista supports a number of handheld devices, otherwise called personal digital assistants or pocket computers. Examples of such handheld devices are Palm and BlackBerry and devices using Windows CE.
Glossary
525
Hardware Profile A hardware profile is a collection of hardware settings (enabled/ disabled) that are used on a computer system. A default profile exists for each computer, but you can create additional hardware profiles that define how the computer is used. Hardware profiles are typically used on laptop computers. The laptop computer may have docked and undocked hardware profiles that define what hardware is used, when the computer is at a docking station, and when the computer is mobile. HTML See Hypertext Markup Language. HTTP See Hypertext Transfer Protocol. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) HTML is the default language used to create Web content documents on the Internet. A Web page is made up of HTML data. Web browsers, such as Internet Explorer, interpret the HTML and display it graphically to the user. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) HTTP is the Internet standard for transferring HTML documents from one place to another. Each time a document is downloaded from the Internet to a Web browser, HTTP is used. IEEE 1394 IEEE 1394, otherwise called “Firewire,” is a standard for a high-speed bus that can support up to 63 devices. Commonly used for high-speed multimedia transfers, IEEE 1394 is supported in Windows Vista. Image In installation scenarios, an image is a copy of a disk that has an operating system and, possibly, applications installed. This image can then be transferred to another disk on another computer so that an exact replica is made. Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) ICS is a Windows Vista service that allows a computer to share an Internet connection with users on the local network. Designed for home and small office networks with no domain controllers or DHCP servers, the ICS host acts as a DHCP allocator for the network clients, and all clients can access the Internet through the ICS host. Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) IPsec is a security feature available in Windows Vista that encrypts data before it travels between two points. Because that data is encrypted, IPsec guarantees that it is safe as it travels along any public or private IP network.
526
Glossary
Interrupt Request (IRQ) An IRQ is signal sent to the computer’s processor in order to get the computer processor to perform some function. Different devices use different IRQ numbers so that conflicts do not occur, and in Windows Vista, IRQ assignments to hardware are managed automatically by Windows Vista Plug and Play. IPSec See Internet Protocol Security (IPsec). Last Known Good Configuration Last Known Good Configuration is an option on the Windows Vista Advanced Boot menu that you can use when you are having problems starting Windows Vista normally. The Last Known Good Configuration option reads data from the registry about the last known good boot. When you make a configuration change that leaves the system unbootable, you can use the Last Known Good option to boot the computer. Any changes made since the Last Known Good Configuration, however, are lost. Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) L2TP is used to create VPN tunnels over a public network. Like PPTP, L2TP provides the functionality needed for VPN communication, but L2TP can also be used over ATM and X.25 networks. L2TP can also use IP Security for data encryption. MMC See Microsoft Management Console (MMC). Microsoft Management Console (MMC) The Microsoft Management Console is a standard, Explorer-based interface into which you can load various tools known as “snap-ins.” The MMC is used extensively in Windows Vista and houses such as preconfigured tools as Computer Management. You can also create your own custom MMCs and load various snap-ins that you want to use. NetBEUI NetBEUI (NetBIOS Extended User Interface) is a simple, lightweight network protocol that was frequently used in Windows networks. NetBEUI does not support routing, however, and has been widely replaced with TCP/IP, which is the default protocol in Windows 200x/.NET networks. Network A network is a collection of computers that are configured to communicate with each other through some means, such as through physical wired connections or even through wireless connections. The purpose of a network is to share resources and manage users and security. A network can contain as few as two
Glossary
527
computers, as in a simple home network, or it can contain thousands of computers and servers in global networks, such as the Internet.
NTFS NTFS is the file system of choice for Windows Vista. First used in Windows NT and later revised in Windows 2000 and 2003, NTFS supports advanced features, such as compression and encryption, and offers granular access control over system and shared resources through file-level permissions. NTFS uses a Btrieve database (versus a linked list as in FAT) to index files and folders for indexing and faster access, and it can store basic (like those in FAT) and extended attributes on the objects in the database. Extended attributes supported by NTFS include Encryption, Compression, Ownership, Permissions (DACL), and Auditing (SACL). NTFS Compression Windows Vista provides native compression capabilities on NTFS drives. You can compress files, folders, and entire drives using NTFS compression while they are stored on the NTFS partition, but NTFS compression does not work with FAT drives. The purpose of compression is to reduce file and folder sizes so that more data can be stored on a physical disk. Compression is transparent to the user, who opens folders and accesses files as he or she normally would. Compression is not compatible with encryption in Windows Vista. NTFS Permissions Windows Vista provides NTFS permissions that can be assigned to users and groups so that you can finely control user access to resources. You can also configure advanced NTFS permissions to individually select special NTFS permissions. Offline Files Offline Files is a feature that enables users to keep a local copy of a network file on their computer and then synchronize it with the network copy. Offline Files is great in collaborative situations, but it is not compatible with Windows Vista’s fast-user switching feature. The idea with Offline Files is that a user can make a network file available locally on his or her computer so that the file can be used when the user is offline (not connected to the network or file server). When the user is reconnected, his or her locally stored copy of the offline file can be synchronized with the network copy. Organizational Units (OUs) An OU is a container used in the Active Directory to further segment and organize a domain. OUs are often created to hold divisions of users or different kinds of resources, or they may be created on the basis of various other organizational models. An OU can be delegated so that a certain
528
Glossary
administrator(s) controls and manages it, and Group Policy can be applied to an OU as well. OUs are a highly effective way to manage very large Windows 200x/.NET domains, but they also serve useful functions in smaller domains.
OU See Organizational Units. Paging Like previous versions of Windows, Windows Vista supports paging. Paging enables Windows Vista to write data that is normally held in RAM to a paging file on the hard disk when RAM begins to run low. When the data written to the paging file is needed again, it is read back into RAM. The purpose of paging is to allow Windows Vista to hold more data in RAM and on the paging file than could be physically held in RAM alone. However, the paging file should never be used as a replacement for physical RAM. You can manually configure the paging file, but Windows Vista does a good job of handling the configuration automatically. Paging File Windows Vista uses a paging file called pagefile.sys, which is a portion of the computer’s hard disk that holds data normally held in RAM. The page file is the same thing as “virtual memory.” See also Paging. Password Authentication Protocol (PAP) PAP uses plain text passwords, which can be captured in transit. PAP is a very low form of authentication security. Peer-to-Peer Network A peer-to-peer network, also called a workgroup, contains a collection of computers networked together without any centralized management. Each computer user is responsible for managing resources and access to the network. Performance Logging Windows Vista Performance Monitor provides a logging feature that enables you to log any desired objects/counters into a number of different file formats. You can determine what you want to log and how often the Performance Monitor should sample the data. Then, you can examine the performance issues as they happen over a period of time. Plug and Play (PnP) Plug and Play is a standard that enables Windows Vista to detect and manage hardware changes on the computer automatically. For example, if a new device is added to the system, Windows Vista can automatically install the device and assign the necessary resources, such as generic drivers and IRQ settings,
Glossary
529
for the resource to function properly. Under most circumstances, no intervention from the user is required.
Point to Point Protocol (PPP) PPP is a serial communication protocol that is typically used to make dial-up connections to the Internet. PPP is an Internet standard protocol used for information exchange. Point to Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) PPTP is used in VPN connections in which a VPN tunnel is created over a public network, such as the Internet. PPTP supports encryption, but it can only be used on IP networks. See also Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol. Port (Hardware) Generally, a port can be defined as an entry point for a piece of hardware for some kind of communication. For example, a mouse might be connected to a USB port, while TCP/IP communication uses logical ports. Pre-Execution Environment (PXE) Boot ROM PXE-enabled network adapter cards can boot from the network by contacting a DHCP server using the BootP protocol. Once a lease for an IP address has occurred, the boot process can continue, as in the case of contacting a RIS server for installation files. Print Device A print device refers to the physical device that actually prints words on paper. Print Driver The print driver is a software that enables Windows Vista to communicate with the print device so that print commands can be communicated with the device. Print Queue The print queue refers to a feature on Windows Vista computers that allows you to manage documents that are waiting to be printed. With proper permissions, you can pause documents and delete specific or all documents in the queue. Printer In Microsoft terms, a printer refers to the software that is used to communicate with and manage the print device. You can have multiple printers with different configuration options for a single print device, enabling you to control how the printer is used by different groups on the network.
530
Glossary
Protocol A protocol is a standard for behavior. In computing terms, a protocol refers to networking standards that must be adhered to for two computers to communicate with each other. Computers must use the same protocol(s) for communication to work. TCP/IP is the most popular protocol today. PPP See Point to Point Protocol. PXE See Pre-Execution Environment Boot ROM. Remote Access Remote Access refers to the ability to access a network and the network’s resources remotely. Windows Vista provides the necessary software and protocols so that you can connect to a Remote Access Server on a Windows 200x/ .NET network. Remote Assistance Remote Assistance is a Windows Vista feature that enables one Vista computer to communicate with another over the Internet. With the user’s permission, you can see the user’s computer and even configure it remotely. Remote Assistance works via an invitation using Windows Messenger or a MAPI e-mail application and a password. Remote Desktop Remote Desktop enables a Windows Vista computer and another computer with the Remote Desktop client software installed (Windows 9x, Me, 2000, 2003, and NT) to connect with each other for a remote desktop session. Remote Desktop functions via terminal services and user accounts. Remote Installation Services (RIS) This is an imaging and deployment method for installing Windows Vista. Using a Windows 200x Server, DHCP Server, and the Active Directory, RIS clients can boot from the network and begin automatic installations of Windows Vista. RIS clients must support the PXE ROM, or their network adapter cards must be on the list of supported network adapters to use an RIS boot disk. RIPrep.exe (Remote Installation Preparation) This program creates an image from an existing Windows Vista installation for an RIS installation. All settings and applications are included in the RIPrep image.
Glossary
531
RISetup.exe (Remote Installation Setup) This program sets up the RIS Server once the service has been installed on the Windows 2000 Server from Add/ Remove Windows components. RIS See Remote Installation Services. Roaming User Profile A roaming user profile enables a user to log on to various workstations and still receive the same desktop configuration settings and documents. The profile is stored centrally on a network server and copied to the local computer when the user logs on. See also User Profile. Safe Mode Safe Mode refers collectively to a number of Windows Vista startup features that enable you to troubleshoot and repair Windows Vista. Safe Mode can be accessed by holding down the f8 key at bootup. Safe Mode With Command Prompt Safe Mode With Command Prompt is a Safe Mode boot option that starts Windows Vista with very few files executed. The GUI interface does not load; only the command prompt appears. From the command prompt, you can then run utilities and tools as needed. Safe Mode With Networking Safe Mode With Networking provides a Safe Mode boot but also loads networking components. This feature is helpful if you need to boot into Safe Mode but still access the network. Under the standard Safe Mode option, networking components are not loaded. Scripted Installation A scripted installation typically refers to an unattended installation method in which a script is followed. The script answers the prompts that are provided to the user during installation so that no user interaction is necessary. Installation scripts can be easily created with Setup Manager. Security Group Security groups are used to assign permissions to groups of users. Once security groups are established, the group can be granted appropriate permissions to network resources. With this process, you manage user access to resources through groups rather than on an individual basis. Share An item that is shared and available for network access. Commonly shared items are folders, drives, printers, and even Internet connections.
532
Glossary
Simple Volume A simple volume can be created on a dynamic disk from unallocated space. Simple volumes can be of any size and can be formatted with FAT32 or NTFS. A simple volume can only reside on a single hard disk and can be assigned a drive letter or mounted to an empty NTFS folder if desired. Spanned Volume Spanned volumes use two or more unallocated areas of free space on two or more dynamic disks. The unallocated areas are logically combined to create one volume, which is an excellent storage solution, especially when you have several smaller areas of free space on different disks. A spanned volume does not provide any fault tolerance but enables you to actively use any additional portions of unused disk space for storage purposes. From the user’s perspective, the spanned volume functions like any other volume. Striped Volume A striped volume uses two or more unallocated areas of free space on two or more dynamic disks (up to 32GB). The areas must be the same size. Once created, the volume stripes data across the disks, creating a storage solution with excellent read and write performance. Striped volumes do not provide fault tolerance. Subnet A subnet is a logical division of an IP network, designed to segment the network into more manageable pieces and to control traffic. An IP address always includes a subnet mask. The subnet of a host computer is defined by combining the IP address with the subnet mask. System Preparation System preparation is the task of a Windows Vista deployment tool (sysprep.exe) that is used to image a Windows Vista computer. The image created has no SID, but one is assigned to the new computer once the installation is burned to the hard drive. A third-party disk imaging utility is required to deploy System Preparation images. Sysprep.exe See System Preparation. TCP/IP See Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) TCP/IP is the de facto standard for communication between computers on the Internet, and is now used for most network environments. TCP/IP is a protocol suite that is made up of over 100 different protocols, all providing different kinds of service.
Glossary
533
Unattended Installation Unattended installations, using Winnt32.exe, are run with an answer file that answers Setup’s prompts. The answer file allows the installation to be completely hands-off, enabling administrators to install hundreds of computers with Windows Vista quickly and easily. See also Scripted Installation. Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) A UPS is a device that can be attached to a computer in order to supply battery power in the case of an unexpected power failure. The UPS device typically provides enough battery power to disconnect network sessions, close applications, and power down the computer safely. Often used on server systems, the UPS option is also supported on Windows Vista. Universal Serial Bus (USB) The Universal Serial Bus is a low-speed hardware interface that enables multiple USB devices to be connected to the same USB root hub. You can connect up to 127 USB devices to a single USB root hub. UPS See Uninterruptible Power Supply. USB See Universal Serial Bus. User Profile User Profiles enable several different users to log on to and use the same computer while keeping their individual settings and documents when logged on. By default, user profiles are stored in C:\Users\username in Windows Vista when a clean install is performed. Virtual Private Network (VPN) A virtual private network is a secured link established between two computers over a public network, such as the Internet, or even over an intranet. The VPN connection uses the PPTP, L2TP, or IPsec protocol in order to establish the link. Data transmitted over the link is encapsulated in a PPP packet so that it appears as normal traffic on the public network. VPN See Virtual Private Network. Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) WINS provides NetBIOS nameto-IP address resolution that is required by Windows 9x, Me, and NT clients and many applications. Although WINS is still supported in the Windows 200x, XP, and Vista operating systems, it is provided for backward compatibility, since DNS is the name resolution method used in Windows 200x and .NET networks.
534
Glossary
Workgroup A workgroup is a collection of networked computers that are not centrally managed. See also Peer-to-Peer Network. Windows Firewall Windows Vista provides a personal firewall that protects Internet connections from hackers and malicious attacks. Windows Firewall is designed for the home computer or the small office computer and can work in conjunction with ICS. Windows Firewall uses a table mechanism that keeps track of Internet documents that have been requested by IE. If any communication arrives that has not been requested, the information is dropped before entering the computer.
INDEX
% Idle Time, 412 % Interrupt Time, 412 % Processor Time, 412 % Usage counter, 412 % Usage Peak counter, 412 + (plus sign), 352
A Accept All Cookies privacy setting option, 135 Access option, 202 accessibility options, 518 ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface), 518 Acrobat Reader, 514 activation, defined, 518 Active Directory, 21, 22, 518 ActiveX controls, 132 Activity Reporting, 72 Activity Reports, Parental Controls page, 78, 81 ad hoc wireless network, 332 Adapter tab, 475 Add Bluetooth Device Wizard, 486 Add Favorites button, 109 Add Gadgets option, 352 Add Hardware Wizard, 87 Add Items button, Windows DVD Maker, 270 add-ons, Internet Explorer 7, 115, 128–129 Add Port button, 174 Add Program button, 174 Add/Remove Programs icon, 516
Add Sender To Blocked Senders List, 315 Add Tags option, 281 Address field, 117 Adjust Color option, 279 Adjust Exposure option, 279 Adjust Visual Effects option, 399 Admin Approval mode, 67–69 Administrative Tools, 176, 392, 398, 413 administrator access tokens, 70 administrator accounts, 72 Administrator Options, Windows Defender, 166 administrators, 409 Adobe Acrobat Reader, 514 Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI), 518 Advanced Privacy Settings dialog box, 135 Advanced Security interface, Windows Firewall, 176–181 Advanced Security MMC, 179, 182, 195 Advanced Security on Local Computer properties dialog box, 177 Advanced Settings dialog box, 455 Advanced Settings, Display Settings dialog box, 475–476 Advanced System Settings link, 46, 229 Advanced tab Internet Explorer 7 Internet Options, 123–124 Performance Options dialog box, 400–402 Windows Firewall Settings, 175–176
536
MCTS Windows Vista Client Configuration Study Guide
Aero. See Windows Aero alerts defined, 518 User Account Control, 67–71 Allow Or Block Specific Programs option, parental controls, 77, 80 Allowed Items, Windows Defender, 168 ALT-ENTER key, 111 Always Allow option, 162 answer files, 519 anti-spyware program, 158 Anytime Upgrade, 50–51, 52 APIPA (Automatic Private IP Addressing), 213, 216, 217–218, 236, 519 applications. See also media applications; Windows Mail; Windows Meeting Space compatibility issues, 93–95 new in Windows Vista, 8 overview, 12 stretching between monitors, 479–480 and User Account Control, 70 Applications tab, Task Manager, 388 appointments, Windows Calendar, 359 Approved Sites tab, 120 attachments, Windows Mail, 311–312 audience profile, Exam 70-620, 8–9 audio, Windows Movie Maker, 267–268 auditing, 519 Auto Adjust option, 279 AutoComplete section, 121 Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA), 213, 216, 217–218, 236, 519 automatic scanning, 163, 169
Automatically Deny Elevation Requests option, 70 AutoPlay, 403 “available bytes” counter, 406
B Backup and Restore Center. See Windows Vista Backup and Restore Center Backup Domain Controllers (BDCs), 21 Backup Or Restore window, 443 backups defined, 519 Windows Data Protection, 442–446 Balanced default plan, 454 base scores, Windows Experience Index, 386–387 baseline of performance, 405 basic disks, 519 Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), 519, 520 BDCs (Backup Domain Controllers), 21 BIOS (Basic Input/Output System), 519, 520 BitLocker Drive Encryption, 442, 449–452, 460 Block All Cookies privacy setting option, 135 Block All Incoming Connections option, 173 blocked programs, 66, 67 Blocked Senders, Windows Mail, 314–315 Bluetooth, 484–486, 510 Bluetooth Device Wizard, 502 bottlenecks, 405, 520 brightness, monitor, 480 broadband connections, 170 Browsing History, 117, 155 Burn button, Windows Photo Gallery, 281 Burn option, Windows Media Player, 257–258 burning DVDs, Windows DVD Maker, 276–277 bytes per second, 406
Index
C CA (Certificate Authority), 520 Cache setting option, Diagnostic Tool, 403 Calendar. See Windows Calendar Calibration, 495 Camtasia Producer, 515 Cc line, 310 CD audio options, Windows Media Player, 259 CD-ROM, 513–516 CD-ROM option, Components category, 395 CertCam, 515 Certificate Authority (CA), 520 Certificates option, 120 Change Home Page dialog box, 112–113 Change permission, 520 Change Plan Settings window, 454 Change Scope button, 174 Change Settings link, 171, 435 charts, Performance Monitor, 408–409 Choose What The Power Button Does link, 455 clean installation, 37–42 clock gadgets, 356 clock options, 354 Collector Sets, 405 Color Management tab, 476 Color Scheme box, 139 Colors drop-down menu, 475 command-line parameters, 223 communication parameters, 82 compact privacy statement, 134 Compatibility mode, 94 compatibility requirements, 91 Compatibility tab, 70, 94 Complete PC option, 444–445
537
Components category, System Information tool, 395–396 Compose tab, 318 compressed (zipped) folders, 520 computer accounts, 520 computing, mobile. See mobile computing Config.xml file, 48 Conflicts/Sharing option, Hardware Resources, 395 conflicts, sync, 489 Connect to a Network task option, Network and Sharing Center, 208, 210 connection options, 228 connections, Remote Desktop, 233–236 Connections tab, Internet Explorer 7 Internet Options, 121–122 connectivity. See networking Contacts button, Windows Mail, 308 Content Advisor dialog box, 120 Content tab, Internet Explorer 7 Internet Options, 121 control bar, Windows Photo Gallery, 277–278 Control Panel, 4–5, 7 Control Specific Websites option, 73 cookies, 134, 520–521 cooperative multitasking, 521 Counter List, Performance Monitor, 407 Counter Logs, 521 counters, 406, 412 Cover Pages, 369 CPU cycles, 389 CPU label, 413 Create Mail button, 308, 310 credits, Windows Movie Maker, 268 Crop option, 280 CTRL key, 111
538
MCTS Windows Vista Client Configuration Study Guide
Custom installation, 40 Custom Level button, 132 Custom Scan, Windows Defender, 162 customization power plan, 458–459 Windows Firewall exceptions, 174–175 Windows Mail options, 318–319 Windows Sidebar gadgets, 354–356 Customize Flicks, 501 Customize link, 202
D Data Collector Sets, 410–411, 419 data protection, 442–452 backing up data, 442–446 BitLocker Drive Encryption, 449–452 overview, 442 restoring data, 446–449 Date Taken option, 286 Day column, Windows Calendar, 359 Debugging Mode, 521 default action settings, 163 default gateway, 216, 521 Default Programs interface, 122 Default Settings dialog box, 207 Defender. See Windows Defender defragmentation, 398–399, 521 Delete Browsing History option, Internet Explorer 7, 115 Delete button, Windows Mail, 308 Deleted Items folder, 312, 321 Denial of Service (DoS), 178 Deny permission, 522 Detach From Sidebar option, 354
detached Windows Sidebar gadgets, 354 Details pane, Windows Calendar, 359 device drivers, 82–90 defined, 522 management of, 82–84 overview, 82 removing, 86 signing, 522–523 uninstalling and redetecting, 86–87 updating, 84–85 verifying, 87–90 Device Manager, 82, 83, 96 devices, mobile, 482–486 Devices tab, Error Correction feature, 260 DFS Replication services, 331 DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), 213, 216, 217–218, 236, 522, 523 Diagnose And Repair option, 214 Diagnose and Repair tool, 238 Diagnose Connection Problems option, Internet Explorer 7, 115 diagnostic tool, 214–215, 403 digital data, Windows Movie Maker, 265 digital IDs, 320, 334 Digital Rights Management (DRM), 262, 294 digital signature stamp, 88 direct memory access (DMA) option, Hardware Resources, 395 Disc Title text box, Windows DVD Maker, 271 Discovery Settings, Network and Sharing Center, 204–207 Disk Cleanup, 397–398, 419 Disk Defragmenter, 398–399, 419, 522 Disk label, 413 Display option, Components category, 395
Index
Display settings dialog box, 474 display settings, mobile. See mobile computing Display tab, Tablet PC Settings dialog box, 496–497 DMA (direct memory access) option, Hardware Resources, 395 DNS (Domain Name System), 20–21, 225, 522 DNS tab, 221 domain controllers, 21–22, 216 Domain Name System (DNS), 20–21, 225, 522 Domain Profile tab, 177 domains, 20, 21, 522 DoS (Denial of Service), 178 double colons, 213 downlevel operating systems, 47 Download Updates But Let Me Choose Whether To Install Them option, 436–437 downloaded images, Windows Mail, 320 Driver Files window, 83 Driver tab, 82, 87 drivers. See device drivers DRM (Digital Rights Management), 262, 294 dual-boot system configuration, 46–47, 91–92 DVD Maker. See Windows DVD Maker DVD tab, 262 DVD-Video Options dialog box, 269 DVDs. See Windows DVD Maker dynamic disks, 523 Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), 213, 216, 217–218, 236, 522, 523 dynamic security features, Internet Explorer, 145
E e-mail, 303. See also Windows Mail E-mail button, Windows Photo Gallery, 281 Easy Transfer, 48, 50, 62
539
Edit menu, Windows Mail, 307 Edit Plan Settings window, 454 effects, Windows Movie Maker, 267 EFS (Encrypting File System), 332, 523 electronic books, 514, 515 Elevate Without Prompting option, 68 Empty Deleted Items folder, 312 Enable option, 215 Enable Or Disable Add-ons option, 129 Enable Transparency check box, 139 Encrypting File System (EFS), 332, 523 encryption, 320, 449–452 End Process button, 389 End Task button, Applications tab, 388 Environment Variables section, Software Environment category, 396 errors, sync, 489 ESC key, 232 Event Log, 392–393, 419 Event Viewer, 392, 393 Exceptions tab, 173–175, 330 explicit consent, 134 Express Setup option, 283
F FAT (File Allocation Table), 524 fault tolerance, 523 Favorites Center, Internet Explorer 7, 109–111 Fax Accounts dialog box, 367 Fax and Scan. See Windows Fax and Scan Feeds button, Internet Explorer 7, 114 file access problems, 91–92 File Allocation Table (FAT), 524 File and Folder Backup Wizard, 443 File and Folder Restore Wizard, 446 File and Printer Sharing, 175
540
MCTS Windows Vista Client Configuration Study Guide
File menu Windows Mail, 307 Windows Photo Gallery, 277 File Sharing settings, Network and Sharing Center, 205 File Signature Verification utility, 88–90 Find button, Windows Mail, 308 Find More Providers link, 118 firewalls. See Windows Firewall first-party cookies, 134, 135 Fix button, Windows Photo Gallery, 278–280 Fix Red Eye option, 280 flash drives, 451–452 Flicks tab, Pen and Input Devices dialog box, 499–501 Flip 3D, 137, 142–144 Folder List button, Windows Mail, 308 Folders pane, Windows Mail, 308 Forced Hardware option, 395 Format menu, 310 Forward button, Windows Mail, 308 FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name), 524 fragmented files, 398 “free” software, 159 full administrator access tokens, 70 Full Scan, Windows Defender, 161 Full Screen, Internet Explorer 7, 115 Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN), 524
G gadgets, Windows Sidebar, 352–357 game controls, 76–79 General System folder, 78
General tab Internet Explorer 7 Internet Options, 116–118 Tablet PC Settings dialog box, 495–496 Windows Firewall Settings, 172–173 Get Digital ID button, 320 Get More Gadgets Online link, 354 Give Control setting, 330 global computation, 24 GPOs (Group Policy Objects), 450, 451–452 Graphical User Interface (GUI), 524 graphics cards, 387 group policy, 22–23, 524 Group Policy Management Console, 23 Group Policy Objects (GPOs), 450, 451–452 GUI (Graphical User Interface), 524
H handheld devices, 524 handouts, Windows Meeting Space, 329–330 Handwriting Recognition Personalization tool, 495 Handwriting Recognition tab, Tablet PC Settings dialog box, 495–496 hardware profiles, 525 hardware requirements, 34–37 Hardware Resources category, System Information tool, 394–395 Hardware Update Wizard, 83 HCL (Windows XP Hardware Compatibility List), 36 Help, 229, 255, 308, 516 hibernation, 457 hidden updates, 437, 439–441
Index
“high overhead” protocol, 219 High Performance default plan, 454 High privacy setting option, 135 Home drop-down menu, 113 home page, Internet Explorer 7, 112–113 HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), 525 HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), 525 HTTP-Streaming-in Media Center Extenders, 191, 195 Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), 525 Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), 525
I I/O (input/output system) option, 395 ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol), 176, 179–180 ICS (Internet Connection Sharing), 525 IEEE 1394, 525 Ignore option, 162 images creating with Windows PE, 43–44 defined, 525 Windows Mail, 320 ImageX, 43 IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol), 303, 334 implicit consent, 134 imported digital data, Windows Movie Maker, 265 Inbound and Outbound rules, 176, 178 Info button, Windows Photo Gallery, 281 Information Area, Performance Monitor, 406 Infrared option, Components category, 395 Input option, Components category, 395 input/output system (I/O) option, 395 Install Now option, 38
541
Install Updates Automatically (Recommended) option, 435–436 installation, 33–62 clean installation, 37–42 hardware requirements, 34–37 overview, 10, 14 removal of CD-ROM, 516 upgrades from one Vista version to another, 49–51 from previous version of Windows, 44–49 Windows PE, 43–44 International tab, Windows Mail Junk E-mail Options dialog box, 317 Internet Access option, 74 Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), 525 Internet connectivity, 200 Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), 176, 179–180 Internet Explorer 7, 108–137 configuring with Internet Options, 115–124 Advanced tab, 123–124 Connections tab, 121–122 Content tab, 121 General tab, 116–118 overview, 115–116 Programs tab, 122–123 Security and Privacy tabs, 119 interface, 108–115 Favorites Center, 109–110 Feeds, Print, and Page buttons, 114 home page, 112–113 overview, 108–109 tabs, 110–112 Tools menu, 114–115 overview, 14–15, 108 security settings, 126–137 customizing privacy settings, 134–137
542
MCTS Windows Vista Client Configuration Study Guide
security settings (Cont.) overview, 126 security zones, 129–133 Tools menu features, 126–129 tabbed browsing, 124–125 Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), 303, 334 Internet options, 114, 115 Internet Protocol Security (IPsec), 226, 525, 526 Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) properties dialog box, 219 Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), 213 Internet Service Provider (ISP), 305 Internet zone, Internet Explorer 7, 132 Interrupt Request (IRQ), 526 interrupt request lines (IRQs) option, 395 Interrupts/sec, 412 Intranet zone, Internet Explorer 7, 132 invitations Remote Assistance, 230 Windows Meeting Space, 327–328, 330 Invite People icon, 327 IP addresses, 217 IP configuration, 223 ipconfig, 223–224 IPsec (Internet Protocol Security), 226, 525, 526 IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6), 213 IRQ (Interrupt Request), 526 IRQs (interrupt request lines) option, 395 ISP (Internet Service Provider), 305 IT certification exams, 412 IT environment, 438
J Join Microsoft Spynet page, 167 junk e-mail, 312, 316–318
L L2TP (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol), 226, 236, 526 LAN (local area network) connection, 170 LAN Settings button, 121 Last Known Good Configuration, 526 Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP), 226, 236, 526 Layout feature, 309 LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol), 303 LearnKey Online Training, 514 Library tab, 261 Library, Windows Media Player, 256–257 license agreement, 40 Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), 303 link-local, 213 live television, Windows Media Center, 288–291 LMHOSTS lookups, 222 Loaded Modules section, Software Environment category, 396 LoadState.exe tool, 48, 49 local area network (LAN) connection, 170 local network adapter card, 222 Low privacy setting option, 135
M mail. See Windows Mail mail encryption, 334
Index
Maintenance dialog box, Windows Mail, 321–322 malware, 65 Manage Add-Ons option, Internet Explorer 7, 115, 128–129 Manage Network Connections link, Network and Sharing Center, 211–212 Managed Web Sites list, 136 management tools, 432–472 data protection, 442–452 backing up data, 442–446 BitLocker Drive Encryption, 449–452 overview, 442 restoring data, 446–449 overview, 5–6, 432 power options, 452–459 custom power plans, 458–459 overview, 452–455 power button configuration, 455–457 Windows Update, 432–441 hidden updates, 437 overview, 432–437 removing installed updates, 437 troubleshooting common problems, 438–441 manual TCP/IP configuration, 219–222 MasterExam, 514–515 MasterSim, 514–515 MCE (Media Center Extender), 291–292, 293, 294 MCTS (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) exam, 2 media applications, 252–300 overview, 15, 252 Windows DVD Maker, 269–277 adding movies or photos, 270–272 configuring DVD menu, 272–275 configuring slide show, 275–276
543
overview, 269–270 previewing and burning DVDs, 276–277 Windows Media Center, 282–292 live television, 288–291 Media Center Extenders, 291–292 music, 286–287 overview, 282–284 Pictures + Video feature, 285–286 Windows Media Player, 252–263 configuration options, 260–263 Library, 256–257 Now Playing, 254–255 overview, 252–253 Rip and Burn, 257–259 Sync, 259 Windows Movie Maker, 263–268 adding transitions, 266–267 audio, 267–268 effects, 267 importing digital data, 265 overview, 263–264 storyboard creation, 265–266 titles, credits, saving, and publishing, 268 Windows Photo Gallery, 277–282 Media Center Extender (MCE), 291–292, 293, 294 Media Center Extenders option, 178 Media Player. See Windows Media Player Media Sharing, Network and Sharing Center, 207–208 Medium High privacy setting option, 135 Medium privacy setting option, 135 meetings. See Windows Meeting Space member servers, Windows 200x networking, 21–22 memory chips, 416 Memory Diagnostic tool, 403–404, 419
544
MCTS Windows Vista Client Configuration Study Guide
Memory label, 413 “memory” object, 406 Memory option, 395 memory resources, 389 Menu bar, Windows Calendar, 358 menu options, Windows Mail interface, 306–308 menus, DVD, Windows DVD maker, 272–275 Merge Or Delete Network Locations, 204 Message menu, Windows Mail, 308 Message Rules interface, 314 message rules, Windows Mail, 313–314 Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) exam, 2 Microsoft Management Console (MMC), 526 Microsoft Spynet, 166–167, 182 minimum hardware requirements, 35 MMC (Microsoft Management Console), 526 mobile computing, 17, 474–511 mobile devices, 482–486 mobile display settings, 474–482 multiple monitors, 477–482 overview, 474 video adapters, 474–476 overview, 13, 474 pen and input devices, 497–501 Sync Center, 486–491 Tablet PCs, 495–497 Windows Side Show, 491–494 Mobility Center, 480–481 Modem option, Components category, 395 Monitor tab, Display Settings dialog box, 474–475 monitoring agents, 164 monitors, multiple, 477–482 Move Up or Move Down button, Windows DVD Maker, 271 Movie Guide option, 288
movies, 270–272, 288. See also Windows Movie Maker multiboot system configuration, 46–47, 91–92 Multimedia option, Components category, 395 multiple calendars, Windows Calendar, 359–361 multiple-core CPUs, 35 multiple monitors, 477–482 music, 286–287. See also Windows Media Player
N NAT (Network Address Translation), 230 Navigation pane, Windows Calendar, 359 Navigational Flicks And Editing Flicks radio button, 499 Nbtstat, 223 .NET networks. See Windows 200x networking NetBEUI, 526 NetBIOS, 223 Netstat, 223 Network Address Translation (NAT), 230 Network and Sharing Center, 12, 202, 207, 214, 215, 236, 248, 249 Network Connections folder, 211, 228 Network Connections section, Software Environment category, 396 network connectivity tool, 222 network diagnostics tool, 215 Network label, 413 Network Level Authentication, 232 Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP), 303 Network option, Components category, 395 Network tab, 262 Network window, 208
Index
networking, 200–249. See also Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) connectivity issues, 214–228 Network Map, 215 overview, 214 virtual private network access, 225–228 Vista diagnostic tool, 214–215 Network and Sharing Center, 200–213 Network Map, 201–202 Network section, 202–204 overview, 200–201 Sharing and Discovery Settings, 204–207 Tasks options, 207–212 overview, 6–8, 12, 15, 200 remote access configuration, 229–236 overview, 229 Remote Assistance, 229–232 Remote Desktop, 232–236 Windows 200x, 17–23 Active Directory, 22 domain controllers and member server roles, 21–22 Domain Name System, 20–21 network configuration, 18–20 networking, 22–23 overview, 17–18 RAS and VPNs, 23 versus Windows NT, 18 networks, 526–527. See also networking Never Check For Updates option, 437 New Appointment button, 359 New Fax button, 365 New Fax dialog box, 369, 373 New Fax window, 368 New Mail Message dialog box, 321 New Mail Rule window, 315 New Message pane, 308, 312 New Scan button, 367
545
New Task button, 359, 388 NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol), 303 “No paging file” setting option, 402 Notification Area, 87, 352 Notifications options, 368 Now Playing area, Windows Media Player, 254–255 nslookup, 225 NTFS, 527
O object linking and embedding (OLE Registration) section, Software Environment category, 396 offline files, 527 OLE Registration (object linking and embedding) section, Software Environment category, 396 Online Training link, 514 opacity, 355 Open People Near Me setting, 330 operating system code, 82 Options dialog box, 325 Options page, 164, 318, 373 Options tab, Windows Mail Junk E-mail Options dialog box, 316 organization units (OUs), 20, 527 Other tab, Table PC Settings dialog box, 496 OUs (organization units), 527
P P3P (Platform for Privacy Preferences), 134 Page button, Internet Explorer 7, 114 Page File (Virtual Memory) Change button, 401 Page menu options, 114
546
MCTS Windows Vista Client Configuration Study Guide
Page Reads/Sec counter, 412 Page Setup, 114 Page Writes/Sec counter, 412 Pages/Sec counter, 406, 412 paging, 528 PAP (Password Authentication Protocol), 528 parental controls, 71–81, 119 Activity Reports, 78 configuring, 79–81 overview, 71–72 restrictions, 72–79 Parental Controls page, 78 PartitionMagic, 46 partitions, 41, 42 partnerships, sync, 487–489 Pass Count setting option, Diagnostic Tool, 403 Password Authentication Protocol (PAP), 528 Password Protected Sharing, Network and Sharing Center, 206–207 Pathping, 225 pausing live TV, Windows Media Center, 288–289 PDC (Primary Domain Controller), 21 PE (Preinstallation Environment), 43 Peer Name Resolution Protocol setting, 331 Peer Networking Grouping setting, 331 Peer Networking Identity Manager setting, 331 peer-to-peer networks, 236, 528 Pen and Input Devices dialog box, 497–501 pen flicks, 499, 501, 502 pen options, 498 People Near Me dialog box, 323, 334 Per Site Privacy Actions dialog box, 136 performance, 384–429 Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter, 397–399
Event Log, 392–393 logging, 528 Memory Diagnostic Tool, 403–404 overview, 13, 16, 384 Performance Information and Tools, 384–387 Performance Monitor, 404–412 counters, 412 creating charts, 408–409 Data Collector Sets, 410–411 overview, 404–406 use of, 406–407 Performance Options dialog box, 399–402 Reliability Monitor, 414–418 Resource Overview tool, 413–414 System Information, 393–396 Task Manager, 387–392 Windows ReadyBoost, 402–403 Performance Index, 392 Performance Information and Tools, 91, 396 Performance Monitor charts, 408–409 Performance Options dialog box, 419 Performance tab, Task Manager, 390–392 “permission” dialog box, 65, 96 Permission to continue alert, 66 personalization, 4, 138, 145 phishing filters, 115, 155 Internet Explorer 7, 115, 128 Windows Mail, 318 photo fixing options, 279, 280 Photo Gallery, 277–282, 293, 294 photographs, 270–272, 277–282, 285–286 Pictures + Video feature, Windows Media Center, 285–286 Ping command, 178, 179–180, 222–223 ping ipaddress, 222
Index
Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P), 134 playback, Windows Media Center, 290–291 Player tab, 260 playlists, Windows Media Player, 257 Plug and Play (PnP), 528–529 plug-ins, 255 Plug-Ins tab, 262 plus sign (+), 352 PnP (Plug and Play), 528–529 podcasting, 114 Point to Point Protocol (PPP), 529 Point to Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), 226, 236, 529 Pointer Options tab, Pen and Input Devices dialog box, 499 POP mail, 334 Pop-Up Blocker, Internet Explorer 7, 115, 127 pop-ups, 155 POP3, 303 ports, 529 Ports option, Components category, 395 post-installation issues, 64–106 device drivers, 82–90 management of, 82–84 overview, 82 removing, 86 uninstalling and redetecting, 86–87 updating, 84–85 verifying, 87–90 overview, 11, 14, 64 parental controls, 71–81 Activity Reports, 78 configuration of, 79–81 other restrictions, 75–78 overview, 71–72 Web restrictions, 72–75 troubleshooting, 91–95
User Account Control, 64–71 managing alerts, 67–71 overview, 64–67 Post Office Protocol, 303 power management, 452–459 custom power plans, 458–459 overview, 16, 452–455 power button configuration, 455–457 power options, 205, 453, 460, 468 Power Saver default plan, 454 PPP (Point to Point Protocol), 529 PPTP (Point to Point Tunneling Protocol), 226, 236, 529 Pre-Execution Environment (PXE), 530 Pre-Execution Environment (PXE) Boot ROM, 529 Preinstallation Environment (PE), 43 Presentation Settings, Windows Mobility Center, 481 Preview pane, 308, 312 previewing DVDs, Windows DVD Maker, 276–277 Previous Versions tab, 447 Primary Domain Controller (PDC), 21 Print button Internet Explorer 7, 114 Windows Mail, 308 Windows Photo Gallery, 281–282 print devices, 529 print drivers, 529 Print Jobs section, Software Environment category, 396 Print option, 281 Print Preview, 114 print queues, 529 Printer Sharing, Network and Sharing Center, 206
547
548
MCTS Windows Vista Client Configuration Study Guide
printers, 529 Printers folder, Control Panel, 365 Printing option, Components category, 396 privacy setting options, 135 Privacy tab, Internet Explorer 7 Internet Options, 119, 134–137 private networks, 202–203 Private Profile tab, 177 Problem Devices option, Components category, 396 Processes tab, Task Manager, 389–390 product key, 39 Program Compatibility Assistant, 94 Program Compatibility Wizard, 94 Program Groups section, Software Environment category, 396 Program needs permission alert, 66 Programs tab, Internet Explorer 7 Internet Options, 122–123 Prompt For Consent option, 69 Prompt For Credentials option, 68, 70 Properties dialog box, 178 Protected mode, Internet Explorer 7, 133 protocol local address, 223 protocols defined, 530 e-mail, 303 public connections, 236 Public Folder Sharing, Network and Sharing Center, 205–206 public networks, 202–203, 238 Public Profile tab, 177 Publish option, 363–364 published movies, Windows Movie Maker, 268 PXE (Pre-Execution Environment), 530 PXE (Pre-Execution Environment) Boot ROM, 529
Q Quarantined Items, Windows Defender, 167 Quick Scan, Windows Defender, 161 Quick Tabs button, 112
R RACAgent scheduled task, 416, 417–418 RAS (Remote Access Service), 23 ratings, assigning to photos, 281 .rdp file, 235 Read tab, 318 ReadyBoost, 402–403, 419 Real plug-in, 514 real-time protection, Windows Defender, 164–165 RealCBT plug-in, 514 Really Simply Syndication (RSS), 110 Receipts tab, 318, 369 recording live TV, Windows Media Center, 290–291 Recovery Environment, 448 redetecting device drivers, 86–87 ReleaseRefresh (–RR switch), 224 reliability, 16 Reliability Monitor, 413, 414–418, 426 remote access configuring, 229–236 overview, 229 Remote Assistance, 229–232 Remote Desktop, 232–236 defined, 530 Remote Access Service (RAS), 23 Remote Administration exception, 175 remote assistance, 173, 229, 236–237, 530 Remote Assistance check box, 230
Index
Remote Assistance Settings dialog box, 230 Remote Desktop, 173, 175, 229, 232, 233, 236–237, 530 Remote Installation Preparation (RIPrep.exe), 530 Remote Installation Services (RIS), 530 Remote Installation Setup (RISetup.exe), 531 Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs), 175 Reply All button, Windows Mail, 308 Reply button, Windows Mail, 308 Report feature, 409 Require Server Verification setting, 132 Resource Monitor, Performance tab, 392 Resource Overview, 413–414, 419 Restore Advanced Settings, 123 restore points, 447 restored updates, Windows Update, 439–441 restoring data, 446–449 Restricted Sites zone, 133, 319 restrictions, parental. See parental controls Rip Music tab, 260 Rip option, Windows Media Player, 257–259 RIPrep.exe (Remote Installation Preparation), 530 RIS (Remote Installation Services), 530 RISetup.exe (Remote Installation Setup), 531 Roaming User Profile, 531 Roll Back Driver option, 86, 90 Route command, 225 RPCs (Remote Procedure Calls), 175 –RR switch (ReleaseRefresh), 224 RSS (Really Simply Syndication), 110 rules, Windows Firewall, 178–179 Running Tasks section, Software Environment category, 396
549
S Safe List Only setting, 316 Safe Mode, 531 safe senders, Windows Mail, 317 Save Settings And Start Backup button, 444 saving movies, Windows Movie Maker, 268 scanning. See Windows Fax and Scan scans, Windows Defender, 160–162 ScanState.exe tool, 48, 49 schedules, sync, 489–493 Scripted Installation, 531 Search option, 118 secondary monitors, 477–482 secure desktop, 65 Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), 305 security, 158–197 Internet Explorer 7, 126–137 customizing privacy settings, 134–137 overview, 126 security zones, 129–133 Tools menu features, 126–129 overview, 11, 158 Windows Defender, 158–169 Allowed Items, 168 configuration, 168–169 Microsoft Spynet, 166–167 options, 162–166 overview, 158–160 Quarantined Items, 167 scans, 160–162 Software Explorer, 167–168 Windows Firewall, 170–182 Advanced Security interface, 176–181 configuration of settings, 172–176 overview, 170–171 Windows Mail, 319–321
550
MCTS Windows Vista Client Configuration Study Guide
Security Center, 160, 171, 432 Security Group, defined, 531 Security Identifier (SID), 43 Security Policy MMC, 67, 70, 96 Security Settings dialog box, 131 Select Remote Users button, 233 Send An Invitation In E-Mail option, 327 Send/Receive button, 308, 311, 312 Send tab, 318 Server dialog box, 236 servers, Windows 200x networking, 21–22 Service Pack 2, 44 Services section, Software Environment category, 396 Services tab, Task Manager, 389–390 session cookies, 134 Set Game Ratings option, 76 Set Programs button, 122 Set Up a Connection or Network task option, Network and Sharing Center, 208–210 Settings button, 354 Settings dialog box, 117, 127 settings options, 498 setup detection, User Account Control, 70 setup program, 38 shadow copies, 447, 460 Share A Program Or Your Desktop icon, 328 shared calendars, Windows Calendar, 363–364 shared sessions, Windows Meeting Space, 328–329 Sharing and Discovery Settings, Network and Sharing Center, 204–207 sharing, defined, 531 Show Details icon, 353 Show drop-down list, 129 Show Enhancements option, 255 Show List pane, 255
Show Processes From All Users option, 389 SID (Security Identifier), 43 sidebars. See Windows Sidebar SideShow, 491–494, 502 Signatures tab, 319 signed device drivers, 87–90 Signed Drivers section, Software Environment category, 396 Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), 303 simple volumes, 531 sleep mode, 205, 457 Slide Show button, 275 slide shows, Windows DVD Maker, 275–276 slider bar, 130 SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), 303 Software Environment category, System Information tool, 396 Software Explorer, 167–168 Sound Device option, Components category, 395 spanned volumes, 532 Spelling tab, 319 Spynet, 166–167 spyware, 65, 158, 162, 169 SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), 305 standard options, Windows Defender, 162–163 standard users issues with, 93 User Account Controls for, 69–70 standby features, 457 Start A New Meeting setting, 325 Start menu, 4, 479 start screen, Windows Media Center, 284 Start Sidebar On Monitor option, 351 Start Sidebar On This Side Of The Screen option, 350–351 Start Sidebar When Windows Starts option, 350
Index
Startup Programs option, 167 Startup Programs section, Software Environment category, 396 stateful firewall, 170 static Internet Protocol address configuration, 219 Status dialog box, 214 Stop the Current Operation button, Windows Mail, 308 Storage option, Components category, 396 storyboards, Windows Movie Maker, 265–266 striped volumes, 532 subnet masks, 217 subnets, 532 Switch To button, Applications tab, 388 Sync Center, 486–493, 502 Sync interface, Windows Media Player, 259 Sync schedule options, 492 Sysprep.exe, 43, 532 System Configuration setting, 165 System Drivers section, Software Environment category, 396 System in Control Panel, 5–6, 46, 52 system information, 393–396 system preparation, 532 system requirements, CD-ROM, 514 System Settings window, 455–456 System Stability Index rating, 414–415 System Summary, System Information tool, 394 systems performance. See performance
T Tab List button, 111 Tablet PCs, 495–497 tabs, Internet Explorer 7, 110–113, 124–125
551
tags, adding, 281 Take Control setting, 330 Task Manager, 387–392, 419 Task Scheduler console, 416 Taskbar properties, 4 Tasks options, Network and Sharing Center, 207–212 Tasks pane, 201, 207, 214 tasks, Windows Calendar, 359 TCP/IP (Internet Protocol) properties dialog box, 219 TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), 213, 216–225 defined, 532 manual configuration, 219–222 overview, 23–24, 216–217 static IP address configuration, 219 troubleshooting tips, 222–225 using APIPA or DHCP, 217–218 TechSmith, 515 television, Windows Media Center, 288–291 Temporary Internet Files folder, 117 temporary recorded files, 92–93 terminal services, 232 Test Mix setting option, 403, 429 third-party cookies, 134, 135 third-party firewall, 173 Time Limits, parental controls, 75–77 Timeline view, 265 titles, Windows Movie Maker, 268 toolbars Internet Explorer 7, 115 Performance Monitor, 406 Windows Calendar, 358
552
MCTS Windows Vista Client Configuration Study Guide
Tools menu Internet Explorer 7, 114–115, 126–129 Windows Mail, 307 Tools option, 162 Tools page, 166 TPM (Trusted Platform Module), 450 Tracert, 224–225 Tracking tab, 368 transitions, Windows Movie Maker, 266–267 Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. See TCP/IP troubleshooting common Windows Update problems, 438–441 network connectivity issues, 214–228 Network Map, 215 overview, 214 virtual private network access, 225–228 Vista diagnostic tool, 214–215 post-installation issues, 91–95 Windows Aero, 140–141 Windows Meeting Space issues, 330–334 Trusted Platform Module (TPM), 450 Trusted Sites zone, Internet Explorer 7, 132–133 Turn User Account Control, 64 TV Tuner cards, 288
U UAC. See User Account Control UDP ports, 174 unallocated space, 41 unattended installation, 533 Uninstall button, 86 uninstalling device drivers, 86–87 Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), 533 Universal Plug and Play, 7
Universal Serial Bus (USB), 451–452, 482–483, 533 universal serial bus (USB) option, Components category, 396 Update Driver, 83 Update History, 433, 434, 437 Update My Score button, 385 updates. See Windows Update updating drivers, 84–85 Upgrade Advisor, 35–37, 46 Upgrade Windows Vista link, 50 upgrades from one Vista version to another, 49–51 overview, 10 from previous version of Windows, 44–49 UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply), 533 USB flash drives, 209, 403 USB hubs, 483 USB ports, 403 USB (Universal Serial Bus), 451–452, 482–483, 533 USB (universal serial bus) option, Components category, 396 User Account Control (UAC), 11, 64–71, 96 managing alerts, 67–71 overview, 64–67 user accounts, 93, 207 user profiles, 533 User State Migration Tool (USMT), 48–49
V video adapters, 474–476 Video Library option, 286 videos, Windows Media Center, 285–286 View And Print Details link, 385
Index
View Available Updates, 432, 437 View Computers And Devices task option, Network and Sharing Center, 208–209 View Full Map link, 201 View List Of Running Gadgets option, 351 View Sync Conflicts option, 489 View Sync Results option, 489 views, Windows Mail, 309–310 Virtual Memory window, 401 virtual private networks (VPNs), 23, 209, 225–228, 533 virus protection, Windows Mail, 319 Visual Effects tab, 399–400, 419 visualizations, 255 VPNs (virtual private networks), 23, 209, 225–228, 533
W warning dialog box, 133 Web browsing activity, 78 Web connection, Remote Desktop, 235–236 Web content controls, 75 Web filter, 73 Web restrictions, 72–75 WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Labs), 88 Window Color And Appearance option, 139 windows, 42, 480 Windows 200x networking, 17–23 Active Directory, 22 domain controllers and member server roles, 21–22 Domain Name System, 20–21 Group Policy, 22–23 network configuration, 18–20
553
overview, 17–18 RAS and VPNs, 23 versus Windows NT, 18 Windows Aero, 137–156, 386 configuration of, 138–140 Flip 3D, 142–144 overview, 14, 137–138 troubleshooting, 140–141 Windows Anytime Upgrade, 50–51, 52 Windows Calendar, 12, 358–365 configuration options, 362 creating and configuring calendars, 364 creating appointments and tasks, 359 multiple calendars, 359–361 overview, 16, 358–359 sharing calendars, 363–364 Windows Calendar button, Windows Mail, 308 Windows Complete PC Backup option, 448 Windows Complete PC Restore option, 447 Windows Data Protection. See data protection Windows Defender, 158–169, 182 Allowed Items, 168 configuration, 168–169 Microsoft Spynet, 166–167 options, 162–166 overview, 15, 158–160 Quarantined Items, 167 scans, 160–162 Software Explorer, 167–168 Windows Defender Web site option, 168 Windows Diagnostic Tool, 403 Windows DVD Maker, 269–277, 294 Add Items button, 270 adding movies or photos, 270–272 configuring DVD menu, 272–275 configuring slide show, 275–276
554
MCTS Windows Vista Client Configuration Study Guide
Windows DVD Maker (Cont.) Disc Title text box, 271 Move Up or Move Down button, 271 overview, 269–270 previewing and burning DVDs, 276–277 Windows Easy Transfer, 48, 50, 62 Windows Error Reporting section, Software Environment category, 396 Windows Experience Index, 91, 384–385, 387–388 Windows Fax and Scan, 365–382 Fax and Scan Options, 369–372 Fax Settings, 367–369 overview, 16, 365–367 Windows Firewall, 11, 158, 170–197 Advanced Security interface, 176–181 configuration of settings, 172–176 defined, 534 overview, 15, 170–171 and Windows Meeting Space, 332–333 Windows Firewall dialog box, 173 Windows Firewall Properties link, 177 Windows Flip 3D, 137, 142–144 Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL), 88 Windows Internet Name Service (WINS), 21, 533 Windows Live, 108 Windows logo key, 142 Windows Mail, 302–322, 334–345 account options, 305–306 account setup, 302–305 customizing, 318–319 interface, 306–310 mail management, 312–318 message maintenance, 321–322 overview, 15
security features, 319–321 sending and receiving e-mail, 310–312 Windows Media Center, 282–292, 293 Express Setup option, 283 live television, 288–291 Media Center Extenders, 291–292 music, 286–287 overview, 282–284 Pictures + Video feature, 285–286 start screen, 284 Windows Media Player, 252–263 configuration options, 260–263 Library, 256–257 Now Playing, 254–255 overview, 252–253 Rip and Burn, 257–259 Sync, 259 tabs, 294 Windows Meeting Space, 12, 323–345 overview, 15–16, 302, 323–325 setting up meetings, 325–330 troubleshooting, 330–334 Windows Memory Diagnostic tool, 429 Windows Mobility Center, 480–481 Windows Movie Maker, 263–268, 294 adding transitions, 266–267 audio, 267–268 effects, 267 importing digital data, 265 overview, 263–264 storyboard creation, 265–266 titles, credits, saving, and publishing, 268 Windows NT, 18 Windows PE, 43–44 Windows Photo Gallery, 277–282, 293, 294
Index
Windows ReadyBoost, 402–403, 419 Windows Recovery Environment, 448 Windows Security Center, 160, 171, 432 Windows Sidebar, 12, 348–357 configuration options, 349–352 gadgets, 352–357 overview, 16, 348–349 Windows SideShow, 491–494, 502 Windows terminal services, 232 Windows Update, 85, 159, 432–441 hidden updates, 437 overview, 16, 432–437 removing installed updates, 437 troubleshooting common problems, 438–441 Windows Update option, Internet Explorer 7, 115 Windows Vista, 2–8 look and feel options, 3–5 management tools, 5–6 networking, 6–8 new applications, 8 overview, 2–3 Windows Vista Backup and Restore Center, 460 backing up data, 442–446 restoring data, 446–449
555
Windows Vista Business, 35–36, 103 Windows Vista Home Basic, 35 Windows Vista Home Premium, 35–36, 50 Windows Vista Ultimate, 35, 48, 59, 62, 137, 191, 245 Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor, 35–37, 46 Windows XP Hardware Compatibility List (HCL), 36 Windows XP Home, 45 Windows XP Media Center, 45 Windows XP Professional, 45, 48, 59 Windows XP Tablet PC, 45 Windows.old folder, 51 WINS tab, 222 WINS (Windows Internet Name Service), 21, 533 wireless devices, 484–486 Work Offline option, Internet Explorer 7, 115 workgroups, 534
Z zipped (compressed) folders, 520 zones, Internet Explorer 7 security, 129–133 Zoom setting, 114
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