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MCSE Windows Server 2003 AIO Exam Guide 270 Ch. 1 10/29/10

Chapter 3

Working with Hardware Devices and Drivers

In this chapter, you will learn how to

• Manage and troubleshoot disk devices

• Configure removable media

• Manage and troubleshoot display devices

• Configure the Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI)

• Manage and troubleshoot I/O devices

• Monitor and configure multiprocessor computers

You can choose many different paths when selecting a career in IT, from network

administrator, to phone support, to web developer, to programmer. These areas each require a

certain level of hardware knowledge. Although many of these IT environments do not require

extensive hardware knowledge, you will need to have enough knowledge to configure and

troubleshoot basic hardware configurations.

In this chapter, we look at what is involved in managing hardware in a Windows XP

environment and examine some of the tools and utilities designed to make managing that

hardware a little bit easier.

(1)Managing and Troubleshooting Drivers and Driver Signing

In very simple terms, a device driver is a software program designed to allow

communication between the operating system and the hardware. Each hardware component in

the computer system requires a device driver in order to interact with the operating system, and

each of these software drivers needs to be specifically written for the operating system being

used. For example, if you have a new modem and want to install it into your Windows XP

system, after the physical installation of the modem, you will require the Windows XP device

drivers to allow it to work with Windows XP.

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The management of device drivers is an important consideration because one of the first

steps in any hardware troubleshooting process is to determine whether the correct and most

recent driver for a given device is being used. In real-world application, you can expect to spend

a lot of time managing and updating device drivers, and for the 70-270 exam, you will need to

identify the function of drivers and when and how they are installed and upgraded.

(2)Updating Device Drivers

If you have experience working with earlier versions of Windows, you know that the

management of device drivers is an ongoing process. New and improved drivers occasionally

become available from the manufacturer and are intended to address a particular error or to add

functionality to a device. These drivers are posted on the manufacturer’s web site and are nearly

always free for download. In some cases, it is also possible to order a CD with device drivers on

them, although this practice is becoming increasingly rare.

The system administrator must be aware of driver upgrades and download and install new

device drivers. When administering a Windows XP system, two methods are available for

updating the drivers on your system: automatic driver updates and manual driver updates.

Exam Tip: When a new operating system is introduced, some manufacturers do not

make updated drivers available right away. In such a case, you can try to use

Windows 2000 drivers if you cannot find the specific drivers written for Windows

XP Professional.

(3)Updating Device Drivers Automatically

Many of the mundane tasks that fall on the shoulders of system administrators have been

automated in the recent Windows versions, including updating device drivers. Windows XP

provides an automatic update driver feature, although by default, this feature—called Automatic

Updates—is disabled. To enable it, open the Control Panel, select the System applet, and then

click the Automatic Updates tab. From here, you can choose from the following three settings

when configuring the Automatic Update feature:

• Download The Updates Automatically And Notify Me When They Are Ready To Be

Installed.

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• Notify Me Before Downloading Any Updates And Notify Me Again Before Installing

Them On My Computer.

• Turn Off Automatic Updating. I Want To Update My Computer Manually.

Figure 3-1 shows the Automatic Updates tab.

Figure 1: The Automatic Updates tab, where you can enable automatic driver updating

Note: You must be logged on as Administrator or a member of the Administrators group

to install components using the Automatic Updates feature.

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(3)Updating Device Drivers Manually

If you upgrade only the occasional device driver or want complete control over the

update process, using a manual driver update method may be for you. Manually updating drivers

is more time-intensive than an automatic update, but it’s still not a difficult process. To update a

driver, open the Control Panel, select the System applet, click the Hardware tab, and finally,

click the Device Manager button. Device Manager opens, as shown in Figure 3-2.

Figure 2: Device Manager, showing the hardware installed on the system

Once Device Manager opens, right-click the hardware component you wish to update and

select Update Driver from the menu. Alternatively, you can right-click the hardware component,

select Properties from the menu, click the Driver tab, and finally, click the Update Driver button.

Once you have selected to update a driver, the Hardware Update Wizard activates, guiding you

through the process of updating your driver.

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(2)Driver Rollback Feature

New to Windows XP is the Driver Rollback feature. This feature is a useful addition to

Windows XP because even though new drivers are intended to improve the performance of a

system or correct a problem, that’s not always the case. Sometimes, new drivers cause more problems than they fix. Fortunately, with the Driver Rollback feature, you can easily revert to the

previous driver and at least return to where you were before the drivers were updated. To use the

Rollback Driver feature, from Device Manager, right-click the hardware device in question to

open its Properties dialog box. Then select the Driver tab and click the Roll Back Driver button.

Figure 3-3 shows the Driver tab.

Figure 3: The Rollback Driver feature, allowing you to return to using a previously

installed device driver

(s)Plug-and-Play

Introduced (with considerable fanfare) with Windows 95 was a new feature known as

plug-and-play (PnP). (You have probably heard of it by now.) Plug-and-play was promoted as a

technology to revolutionize hardware management by allowing hardware to be more easily

installed into computer systems. It was designed to provide automatic recognition of newly

installed hardware, automatic allocation of system resources, and driver recognition. Plug-and-

play uses a combination of both hardware and software to perform this magic. Unfortunately, the

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early days of plug-and-play offered less than stellar performance, leaving many people frustrated

(and “fondly” referring to it as “plug-and-pray”). Times have changed, however, and today, the

plug-and-play features offered with Windows XP make the addition of new hardware a

straightforward process—for the most part, at least.

(2)Driver Signing

Introduced with Windows 2000 and Windows Me, driver signing is a safeguard measure

aimed at ensuring that the device drivers used on systems will not cause the system to fail.

Signed drivers are those that have been tested and verified to work with Microsoft Windows XP.

To become classified as a signed driver, the device driver must meet the standards set by the

Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL). Once the driver has passed the testing process, a

digital signature is embedded into the device driver, hence, the term signing. Many

manufacturers offer both unsigned and signed device drivers with only those that are signed

having been confirmed to work with Windows version in question. Obviously, you should try to

use signed drivers whenever possible.

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(3)Configuring Driver-Signing Options

In some cases, a signed driver may not be available, making it necessary to use an

unsigned device driver. As system administrator, you can configure the actions the system takes

when an unsigned device driver is being installed. To configure these options, open the Control

Panel, click the System applet, select the Hardware tab, and click the Driver Signing button.

Figure 3-4 shows the Driver Signing dialog box.

Figure 4: Configuring the driver-signing options

As shown in Figure 3-4, you have three choices for configuring your driver-signing

options and how the system will respond to the installation of unsigned drivers:

• Ignore - Install The Software Anyway And Don’t Ask For My Approval

• Warn - Prompt Me Each Time To Choose An Action

• Block – Never Install Unsigned Driver Software

The setting you choose to use depends on how careful you want to be with regards to

using untested device drivers on your system. By default, the system is set to Warn if unassigned

drivers are going to be installed.

Exam Tip: If logged on as Administrator, you can select the Make This Action The

System Default option to force all users of that computer to use the chosen

driver-signing option chosen.

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(3)Using the Signature Verification Utility

If you are troubleshooting a computer system and suspect that a device driver may be the

cause of the problem, you can run a utility to verify that the drivers used on the system are

digitally signed. The signature verification utility, sigverif.exe, is run from a command line and

allows you to identify any unsigned device drivers being used on your system.

To use the utility, perform the following steps:

1. Select Start | Run, and type sigverif.exe.

2. Click the Advanced button.

3. Select the Look For Other Files That Are Not Digitally Signed option.

4. Click OK and then Start.

The utility will examine your system, looking for unsigned device drivers. When

troubleshooting a system, you may need to replace one of the unsigned drivers with a signed one.

The Signature Verification Tool also generates a log file of the results of the search. The log file

is located in the systemroot folder and is called sigverif.txt.

Exam Tip: Microsoft recommends installing only device drivers that have been tested

and verified to work with Windows XP. Devices that have approved drivers will

display the Designed for Microsoft Windows XP logo.

(1)Managing and Troubleshooting Hardware Devices and Removable

Media

When you first buy your computer system, everything seems to be there: enough

memory, a large enough hard disk, and a fast enough CPU. For a time you are content. But

computer contentment is fleeting, and before long, your hardware needs change. Now you need a

CD-RW drive, a removable tape device, an additional hard disk, a new video card, and so on, soyou are forced into a hardware upgrade cycle. If you have worked with earlier versions of

Windows, you know that modifying the hardware configurations of your systems can be a

nightmare. What starts off as a 15-minute installation of a new modem often turns into a full-

blown quest that last hours or even days.

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Fortunately, each new Windows upgrade simplifies hardware management by increasing

support and incorporating wizards to help with installation and troubleshooting procedures.

Today, managing hardware in Windows XP has become so simple that many nontechnical users

are comfortable configuring, adding, and troubleshooting the hardware on their own systems.

(2)Installing Hardware in Windows XP

The CompTIA objectives for the Network+ Exam specify a knowledge of installation

procedures for various hardware devices within Windows XP Professional. While the hardware

devices listed in these objectives vary greatly in their purpose, the installation procedures remain

largely the same. Windows XP supports most available types of hardware devices, including

internal hardware devices as well as a large number of external peripheral devices. Regardless of

the hardware you are installing, there are two ways you can do it: automatically or manually.

(3)Installing Hardware Automatically

Windows XP streamlines the process of installing new hardware, making it essentially a

hands-off task. Many of the hardware devices we use today are plug-and-play compliant. Thus,

Windows XP can detect such devices and attempt to install them—replete with the appropriate

drivers and automatically assigned system resources. Plug-and-play is the easiest way to install

new hardware on a system, and if you are installing a new device connected through USB or

IEEE 1394, you won’t even need to reboot the system to use the new hardware. Devices

connected through PCI or ISA bus slots require a system reboot before they can be used.

If the drivers for a detected piece of hardware cannot be located on the Windows XP CD,

it starts the Add New Hardware Wizard to guide you through the process of installing the device.

To complete the installation, you must locate the drivers for the hardware device. These drivers

may have been supplied on a floppy disk or on a CD with the product, but for the latest version,

you will most likely need to visit the manufacturer’s web site to download them.

Exam Tip: When devices are installed through plug-and-play, Windows XP assigns the

correct system resources, such as interrupt request (IRQ) addresses, to prevent

any conflicts in system resource assignment.

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(3)Installing Hardware Manually

As you may have already experienced, plug-and-play does not always work, and new

hardware devices are not always detected. In such a case, you must install the device manually—

which is, unfortunately, considerably more difficult than the automatic install. When installing

hardware manually, you must identify the system resources to be used by the device, including

the IRQ address. As you may know, each installed hardware device requires a unique IRQ

assignment. Duplicate IRQ addresses cause a resource conflict, and the hardware devices sharing

the IRQ address will both cease to function.

To determine the default hardware resources used by the hardware device you are

installing, refer to the documentation for the device. To determine if these resources are available

in Windows, you can use Device Manager to view resource usage on the system. Figure 3-5

shows Device Manager with a listing of resource allocations. To access Device Manager, open

the Control Panel, select the System applet, select the Hardware tab, and then click the Device

Manager button. Once in Device Manager, select View | Resources By Type.

Figure 5: Viewing available and used system resources in Device Manager

(4)Confirming Hardware Status

Once a hardware device has been installed, you can quickly verify its status in Device

Manager. The hardware is listed in the device tree, with the installed hardware listed below a

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main device category. Windows XP uses icons to display the status of the listed hardware

devices. The meanings of these icons are as follows:

• Normal icon The hardware device is detected and operating properly.

• Stop icon If a stop icon is displayed, Windows XP has disabled the device due to a

resource conflict or another problem with the device. To correct this problem, you may

need to assign resources for the hardware devices manually.

• Exclamation point on hardware icon If an exclamation point is next to a device, it is

not configured correctly or the drivers being used are not the correct ones.

(2)Installing, Configuring, and Managing DVD and CD-ROM Devices

Relative to CD-ROM, DVD, CD-R, and CD-RWs, Windows XP has built-in support for

most of the mainstream devices available. If the device is plug-and-play compliant, Windows

will detect the device after it’s installation and provide driver support for it. If it is not plug-and-

play compatible, you can add a CD-ROM or DVD device using the Add Hardware Wizard from

the Control Panel. For this process, you must have the device drivers from the device

manufacturer.

All CD-ROMs and DVD devices are managed through Device Manager and listed

together in the DVD/CD-ROM Drives icon in the device tree. To access the properties of a DVD

or CD-ROM device, in Device Manager, double-click the device you wish to manage. The

dialog box that opens contains four tabs for a CD-ROM and five for working with a DVD:

• General Lists the device type, manufacturer, and location. It also includes the status of

the device and whether the device is currently configured properly and working. If it is

not, you can access a Troubleshooting button for support. At the bottom of the General

tab is a menu screen allowing you to disable the device. This can be done if you suspect

the device is causing problems on your system and you want to disable it to confirm your

suspicions.

• Properties Allows you to set the playback features of your CD-ROM and control how

Windows will use the CD-ROM when playing music.

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• Volumes Display the properties of the CD-ROM in the drive. This includes the total

capacity, unallocated space, partition style, and other such information.

• Driver Shows information on the currently installed driver, and provides options to

uninstall, roll back, and update drivers.

(s)Hardware Compatibility List

No discussion of hardware installation, configuration, and troubleshooting is complete

without mentioning the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL). If you plan to install any hardware

on your system, you should first confirm that the device is on Microsoft’s HCL. The HCL

provides a comprehensive list of the hardware supported and tested to work with Windows XP.

Today, almost every hardware component functions in a Windows environment. Even so,

Microsoft still recommends that before you install or troubleshoot hardware, you always verify it

with the HCL. This is an important point for the exam. You can access the HCL at

http://www.microsoft.com/hcl.

(2)Monitoring and Configuring Disks

Of all of the hardware components on a computer system, the most important ones to

effectively manage are the hard disks. Hard disks maintain system data—often the most difficult

and costly element to replace.

If you have managed hard disks in Windows 2000, Windows XP, will not present any

surprises. However, if you are making the leap to Windows XP from Windows NT 4.0,

Windows Workstation, or Windows client systems such as 98/Me, then you have plenty to learn.

This section covers how to manage hard disks in Windows XP and explores some of the tools

used to manage them. The best place to start is with a discussion of an important concept related

to hard disk configuration in Windows XP: the difference between basic and dynamic storage.

(3)Basic and Dynamic Storage

Windows XP supports two different types of hard disk configuration: basic disks and

dynamic disks. Most of us are used to working with basic disks in a pre-Windows 2000

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environment. Only in Windows 2000 did Microsoft introduce dynamic disks; even so, many

people choose to continue using the traditional basic disk system.

A basic disk is a physical hard disk that uses the familiar primary and extended partition

system. The limitations of the primary and extended partition system have long been the bane of system administrators because limited partitioning capability is allowed. Each drive can hold up

to four primary partitions, or three primary partitions and one extended partition. The extended

partition can then be used to create logical drives within it. Partitions and logical drives on basic

disks are often referred to as basic volumes.

Note: When configuring your system to dual boot between Windows XP and another

operating system such as MS-DOS, Windows 95/98/Me, Windows NT 4.0, or

Windows XP Home Edition, you need to use basic volumes. These operating

systems cannot access the data stored on dynamic volumes.

In contrast, with dynamic disks, the limitations of primary and extended partitions are

removed. Dynamic disks maintain a single partition that takes up the entire disk. This partition

can then be divided into volumes. These volumes can be noncontiguous and span over several

disks, appearing to the system as one large area of disk space, even though they may have pulled

space from various drives. Dynamic storage supports three different types of dynamic volumes:

simple, spanned, and striped.

• Simple volumes A simple volume is just that—simple. Simple volumes are made up of the

disk space located on a single physical drive. This space can be either contiguous or

noncontiguous. Simple volumes can be created only in dynamic disks and are not fault

tolerant.

• Spanned volumes A spanned volume uses disk space located on between 2 and 32

dynamic drives. Spanned volumes are typically used when more storage space is needed than

can be accommodated by a single physical disk. Data is written sequentially to spannedvolumes, meaning that one physical disk is filled before moving on to the next. Spanned

volumes require at least two dynamic disks, and once a volume is created, it cannot be

mirrored or striped. Spanned volumes are not fault tolerant.

Exam Tip: If a disk is removed from a spanned volume, all data is unrecoverable.

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• Striped volume Like spanned volumes, striped volumes use anywhere from 2 to 32 hard

disks and increase the storage capacity. The term striping is used to identify the way in which

data is written across all of the disks in the striping volume. Data written to striped volumes

is distributed evenly across all of the disks in equal-sized areas. Striping is often referred to

as RAID-0 and is used to increase performance by writing data across several disks. Striped

volumes are not fault tolerant and cannot be extended or mirrored.

(3)Windows Disk Management Tool

You use the Disk Management tool for viewing and managing hard disks on your system,

and for creating and configuring the volumes or partitions they contain. The Disk Management

tool, which replaced the Disk Administrator tool of Windows NT 4.0, offers an easy-to-navigate

graphical interface with menu screens accessible by a right-click, and a collection of wizards to

guide you through the various hard-disk-related tasks. One of the benefits of the new Disk

Management tool is the ability to perform most disk-related tasks without having to shut down

and reboot the system. This is less a concern on Windows XP client systems as it is on server

systems, but it is still far more convenient than the alternative of rebooting.

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To access Disk Management, you open the Control Panel, click the Administrative Tools

applet, and then choose the Computer Management icon. The Computer Management dialog box

opens. Next, double-click the Storage icon, and finally, the Disk Management icon. Figure 3-6

shows the Disk Management utility.

Figure 6: The Disk Management utility, used to configure the hard disks on the system

Note: As an alternative to the Disk Management tool, you can manage hard disks from

the command line using the diskpart utility.

(4)Creating Dynamic Volumes

Once a new hard disk is added to the system, the Disk Management utility is used to

create volumes for dynamic or basic storage. The process for making basic and dynamic volumes

is similar. The following steps outline the procedure for creating a volume on a dynamic disk

using the Disk Management utility.

1. From the Disk Management tool, right-click any free space on a hard disk and select the

New Volume command from the menu.

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2. The New Volume Wizard displays, allowing you to choose the type of volume you wish

to install. You will be able to select only a volume type that is supported by your

hardware configuration. With a single hard disk, you will be able to select only a simple

volume. Figure 3-7 shows the Select Volume Type screen.

Figure 7: The New Volume Wizard, used to select the volume type

3. Once you select the volume type, select the disk and the disk size you will use to create

the volume. Figure 3-8 shows the Select Disks screen for configuring the volume size.

Figure 8: Configuring a volume’s size using the New Volume Wizard

4. Next, you must decide whether to select a drive letter for your new volume, mount the

volume as an empty folder, or elect not to assign a drive letter. If choose to mount the

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volume, you are not restricted to driver letter limitations. After you make your choice,

click Next.

5. Now you format the volume for use. (To be able to access the volume, it must be

formatted.) You must also choose a file system to use and decide whether to perform aquick format or to enable file compression. One word of warning, however: if you choose

to use the quick format feature, the format operation does not search the hard disk for bad

sectors. Even on a brand new hard disk, it’s best to take the time to perform a normal

format procedure. Figure 3-9 shows the Format Volume screen.

Figure 9: The Format Volume screen, used to format and select the file system for the new

volume

6. Once the disk has been formatted, the final step in the process is to verify your settings to

ensure all is as it should be. If not, you can go back to change some of your selections.

(4)Creating Basic Volumes

The procedures for creating volumes on basic disks are similar to that of creating

dynamic volumes. If you have already administered Windows 2000 or XP Professional systems,

you have likely already walked through the process several times.

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To begin, right-click an area of free space on a basic disk and from the menu, select New

Logical Drive, as shown in Figure 3-10. Then the New Partition Wizard guides you through the

creation of a partition on a basic disk.

Figure 10: Using Disk Management to create a partition on a basic disk

1. When the New Partition Wizard opens, select the type of partition you wish to install. In

this case, you should select Logical Drive because you are installing a logical partition.

Figure 3-11 shows the Select Partition Type screen, where you select the partition type.

Figure 11: The New Partition Wizard, used to select the type of partition you wish to

configure

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2. After you have selected the type of partition, the Specify Partition Size screen opens. Set

the size of the new partition and then click Next.

3. Assign a drive letter to the new partition. As with the creation of the volumes on dynamic

disks, if you elect not to assign a drive, the volume will not be accessible.

4. On he Format Partition screen, format the volume with the file system of your choice:

FAT, FAT32, or NTFS. Once selected, the disk will be formatted with that particular file

system.

(3)Converting to Dynamic Storage

When Windows XP is first installed or when a new disk is added to an existing system, it

is installed as a basic disk. To take advantage of the advanced features offered by dynamic disks,

you must convert your existing basic disks to dynamic. This process is not difficult, but it is a

one-way process. If for any reason you wish to revert to using basic disks, you must back up the

data, delete the volumes, and restore the data again. Speaking of backups, as with any changes

made to disk configurations, before performing the conversion, ensure that you have a recent

backup in case your plans go awry.

To convert to a dynamic disk, perform the following steps:

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1. From within the Disk Management utility, right-click the disk you wish to upgrade, and

select Convert To Dynamic Disk from the menu, as shown in Figure 3-12.

Figure 12: Converting basic disks to dynamic disks

2. Identify the disk you wish to upgrade.

3. Once you have selected the drive, click the Convert button, and the drive will be

configured as dynamic.

Note: You can also convert hard disks from the command line using the diskpart utility.

(2)Monitoring and Troubleshooting Volumes

With the volumes in your system configured, you can now use the Disk Management

utility to manage—and to some extent—troubleshoot the volumes on the system. To access the

properties of a volume, right-click the volume you wish to configure and select Properties from

the menu. The Properties dialog box opens.

When working with a volume’s properties, six tabs are generally available: General,

Tools, Hardware, Sharing, Security, and Quota. If you are working with a volume and the Quota

and Security tabs do not appear, there is a good reason. These tabs appear only when working

with NTFS volumes.

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(3)The General Tab

The General tab, as shown in Figure 3-13, displays a volume’s properties and gives you a

previous of how the volume is configured. The information includes the amount of used and free

space available on the volume, the file system used, the label of the volume, and the capacity of

the volume. Also on the General tab is the Disk Cleanup button, used to start the Disk Cleanup

utility, which provides an easy way to delete temporary and unwanted files.

Figure 13: The General tab, used to view a volume’s properties

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(3)The Tools Tab

As shown in Figure 3-14, the Tools tab provides three key tools for managing hard disks.

Two of these tools are used periodically to keep the system’s hard disks functioning, and the

third, the backup utility, is used for backup purposes.

Figure 14: The Tools tab, providing three tools for system management and backup

The following list explains each of the utilities accessed from the Tools tab:

• Error Checking This utility is used to scan for and repair file system errors, and to look

for and recover from bad sectors. It is a good idea to run the Error Checking utility

periodically on your system to prevent a failing hard disk from compromising the data on the

hard disk. The utility can be scheduled to run using the schedule utility so it does not have to

be started manually. The schedule utility is covered in Chapter 5.

• Defragmentation If you notice that the performance of your system is not what it used to

be, and response times seem slower, you may need to run the defrag utility. Defragmentation

is used to better organize the data on the hard disks to simplify the retrieval of information

from the disk and subsequently increase system performance. The defrag utility is often

scheduled to run automatically with the schedule utility.

• Backup The Backup button starts the Windows XP Backup Wizard, designed to walk you

through the process of backing up the data on the volume.

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(3)The Hardware Tab

The Hardware tab displays the storage and CD-ROM devices detected by the system. To

view the properties of any of the listed devices, highlight the device and click the Properties

button. This opens the same Properties dialog box that you can access through Device Manager,

lists whether the device is operational, and can be used to update, roll back, or uninstall drivers.

(2)Reviewing Disk Management Utilities

Many different tools and utilities are used to manage and maintain hard disks in Windows

XP. Some of these have already been mentioned in this chapter, and some have not. Because

hard disk maintenance is such an important concept, and because knowledge of these utilities

will be required for the 70-270 exam, we will review some of the more common disk utilities and

their functions.

(3)The diskpart.exe Utility

The diskpart.exe utility is a powerful command-line disk management tool used to

configure and manage disk partitions and volumes. It is essentially the command-line equivalent

of the Disk Management graphical tool. Diskpart.exe is available only when using the Windows

XP Recovery Console. Many additional commands can be used with diskpart. Table 3-1

identifies some of the more commonly used ones. For a complete listing of the diskpart

commands, refer to Windows XP Help and Support.

Command Description

active Sets drive or volume as active

add disk=n Adds a disk to the system

clean Removes all partition or formatting

information from the disk

convert basic Converts an empty dynamic disk to a basic

disk

convert dynamic Converts a basic disk to dynamic

create partition extended Creates an extended partition on the current

disk

create partition logical Creates a logical drive in the extended partition

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create partition primary Creates a primary partition on a basic disk

create volume RAID Creates a RAID 5 array using dynamic disks

create volume simple Creates a simple volume on a dynamic disk

create volume stripe Creates a striped volume on dynamic disks

detail disk Displays the properties of the specified disk

detail volume Displays the properties of a specified volume

Table 1: Summary of diskpart Commands

As Table 3-1 shows, it is possible to access all of the disk management tools from a

command line instead of from the Windows XP Disk Management graphical utility. This is

useful when working from the Recovery Console and in the troubleshooting and recovery

process. Chapter 5 covers working with the Recovery Console.

(3)The convert Utility

The convert utility is a command-line tool and has been used since Windows Server 3.51.

Its single purpose is to convert FAT or FAT32 partitions to NTFS. The exact format of the

command is as follows:

convert [drive:] /fs:ntfs

Once the command is issued, the drive will be formatted immediately or upon system

reboot. Be forewarned, however: once the drive is converted to NTFS, there is no turning back.

You will need to completely reformat the drive if you wish to go back to FAT or FAT32. It is

also best practice to back up your data when converting to NTFS, just in case something goes

wrong.

(3)The chkdsk Utility

You run chkdsk.exe from the command line and use it to check the hard disk for errors. If

errors are found, chkdsk attempts to repair them. When used by itself, the chkdsk command will

merely checks the status of your current drive without taking any action. A number of switches

can be used to customize the chkdsk command to make it more useful. Some of the more

common ones these include the /f switch used to fix disk errors, and /r, which locates bad sectors

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on the hard disk. For a complete list of the switches available for the chkdsk command, refer to

Windows XP Help and Support.

(3)The fsutil Utility

Another of the command-line utilities, fsutil is for the more advanced system users. As

such, the utility is available only to administrators or to members of the Administrative group.

This utility is designed to perform FAT and NTFS file system tasks, including extending

volumes or dismounting a volume.

(3)Disk Defragmentation

In normal operations, the files saved to the hard disk become fragmented, meaning that

the files on the hard disk are stored in a noncontiguous fashion. Such a condition degrades the

reading performance of the hard disk and before long, slows down the entire system. With the

Exception of Windows NT 4.0, the defrag.exe utility has been included with Windows Server

and desktop operating systems. In Windows XP, you can access the defrag utility by choosing

Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools, and then clicking the Disk Defragmenter icon.

The frequency at which the Disk Defragmenter should be run varies according to system

use; however, many administrators choose to schedule the utility to run at least monthly to keep

the hard disk at peak performance.

(3)Disk Cleanup

Through day-to-day operations, Windows XP generates numerous temporary files that

aid in system operations. These temporary files are necessary for the application using them

when it is running, but they are not necessary when you are no longer using that particular

application. Over time these temporary files, which are often more permanent than temporary,

accumulate and take up unnecessary disk space. The Disk Cleanup utility removes these

temporary files and others from the system.

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To access the Disk Cleanup utility, choose Start | All Programs | Accessories | System

Tools, and click Disk Cleanup. Figure 3-18 shows the Disk Cleanup For dialog box.

Figure 15: The Disk Cleanup utility, used to remove unwanted files from the system

In the Disk Cleanup For dialog box, you can configure the exact files you want the Disk

Cleanup utility to eliminate. The choices you have to choose from include the following:

• Downloaded Program Files These files include the ActiveX and Java applets downloaded

from the various web pages you may have visited. If these files are erased, they will be

reinstalled the next time you go to the web site.

• Temporary Internet Files These temporary files can take up significant space in your hard

disk. Each time you visit a web page, certain elements of the web page are cached and stored

on the hard disk to increase the speed of subsequent loadings of that page. The more web

sites visited, the larger the cache grows. If your hard disk is running out of room, the

temporary files can be removed and will free up considerable disk space.

• Recycle Bin The Recycle Bin is the last stop before data is completely erased; before long,

this area can hold a large number of files. Part of the disk cleanup process is certainly going

to involve clearing out the Recycle Bin. A word of caution, however; it may be a good idea

to double check the files in the Recycle Bin before erasing because they are permanently

removed once cleaned from the Recycle Bin.

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• Temporary Files Temporary offline files are similar to cached web sites but are used to

store temporary copies of files accessed when connected to a network location. Most of us

will find that the temporary offline files occupy very little room on a hard disk—much less at

least compared to cached web pages or the Recycle Bin.

Many administrators schedule the Disk Cleanup utility to run at regular intervals. This is

a very good idea because all the temporary files on your system, while individually small, soon

group to form a huge mess that will most certainly degrade system performance.

(2)Monitoring and Configuring Removable Media

Nowadays, removable media is very popular both as a means of backup and as a method

to transfer files between individual computers or networks. Such removable media includes tape

cartridges, ZIP drives, and an endless variety of removable hard disks. Included in Windows XP

is a feature known as Removable Storage, which is designed to streamline the management of

removable storage devices. It provides a useful tool to catalog removable media such as tape

storage devices.

Removable Storage is one of those lesser-known Windows XP features, and you are not

likely to find it unless you are actually looking for it. Removable Storage is offered through the

Computer Management dialog box. To open Computer Management, open the Control Panel,

select Administrative Tools, and double-click the Computer Management icon.

In addition to using the Removable Storage tool, you can manage removable devices in

Device Manager simply by double-clicking the device you wish to manage. Doing so produces a

familiar hardware properties dialog box with a General tab, showing basic information such as

manufacturer and device name. Also, a Driver tab is available to manage the device drivers used

for the removable device.

(1)Implementing, Managing, and Troubleshooting Display Devices

(Video Adapters)

Working with any Windows system inevitably involves configuring, managing, and

troubleshooting display devices or video adapters. Essentially, the video adapter is the hardware

device in the computer responsible for providing the output to the monitor—and, relative to

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installation procedures, is installed like any other I/O hardware component. If the video adapter

is plug-and-play compliant, Windows XP will most likely detect it and the installation will

proceed accordingly; if not, it may have to be manually installed.

(2)Configuring the Video Adapter

Once a video adapter is correctly installed, you can configure it from the Settings tab of

the Display Properties dialog box. To access the Display Properties dialog box, select Start |

Control Panel, and double-click the Display icon. Figure 3-19 shows the Display Properties

dialog box.

Figure 16: The Display Properties dialog box, used to configure the systems video adapter

As shown in Figure 3-19, the Settings tab of the Display Properties dialog box displays

the name of the video adapter you are using, allows you to view and configure the screen

resolution, and lets you set the color quality used. If there is a problem with the video adapter,

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you can click the Troubleshoot button to start the Video Display Troubleshooter. To configure

the more advanced settings for your video adapter, click the Advanced button.

Clicking the Advanced button on the Settings tab displays the properties of your monitor,

as shown in Figure 3-20. There are five tabs with configurable options for the video adapter andthe monitor, as described next:

• General Allows you to configure the font size to be used in the display and to specify

which action Windows XP will take after a change is made to the display settings.

• Adapter Provides a summary of the specifications of the video adapter you are using. A

Properties button lets you access the properties for the video adapter, which can be used to

modify the device drivers used.

• Monitor Allows you to configure the screen refresh rate for the monitor. Setting a refresh

rate to low can cause your screen to flicker; setting it too high may even damage hardware.

Unless there is a need to change them, the Windows default settings are often adequate.

• Troubleshoot Allows you to modify the level of performance of the video adapter if you

are experiencing problems with your video adapter or if your system is freezing periodically.

• Color Management Allows you to select color profiles to be used by your monitor.

Figure 17: The properties for a display monitor

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(3)Troubleshooting the Video Adapter

Once a video adapter is configured and working, it will rarely cause you many problems.

When a new video card is installed or configuration changes are made to an existing one,

however, problems may arise, which can typically be isolated to three basic causes:

• Device drivers By far the most common problem with video adapters is using the wrong

device drivers for the adapter. To correct the problem, install the latest drivers, or if the new

drivers are causing the problem, use the Driver Rollback feature for the video adapter to

return to the previous device driver.

• Video settings Incorrectly configured display settings such as resolution or refresh rate set

too high can cause all sorts of problems. When troubleshooting a video adapter, ensure that

the settings fall within the manufacturer’s specifications for the device.

• Hardware problems The video adapter may actually be damaged and need to be replaced.

This concern is likely only when the video adapter is first installed.

Note: Windows XP offers several methods to restore the system from a video-related

problem, including booting into safe mode, VGA mode, and the Last Known

Good Configuration. Chapter 5 discusses these recovery methods.

(2)Configuring Multiple Display Support

Everyone knows that two heads are better than one, but in the Windows XP world, this

old adage extends to monitors. Introduced way back with Windows 98 is the ability to use

multiple monitors on a single system, a strategy intended to increase productivity and

convenience by expanding the display area. Windows XP supports the use of up to ten monitors,

but such a need would be unusual.

Using multiple monitors allows you to perform several tasks at once by doing one task,

such as image editing, on one monitor, and another task, such as web browsing or e-mailing, onthe other. You can also spread a single application, such as a spreadsheet, across several

monitors to view the entire document without needing to scroll.

To use multiple monitors, you need a separate video adapter for each monitor, and each

video adapter needs to use either a PCI or AGP video cards. One of the monitors in the system

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will be designated as the primary monitor, which will display the logon dialog box when the

computer is started. When working with multiple monitors, it is even possible to set a different

resolution for each monitor and even color depths. You can configure multiple monitors by

selecting the Display applet in the Control Panel or by right-clicking an open area on the desktop

and selecting Properties from the menu.

Configuring multiple displays in Windows XP should be a fairly straightforward process;

however, a few common problem areas seem to reappear. If you are having trouble configuring

the multiple display feature, consider the problems and resolutions provided in Table 3-2.

Problem Resolution

The Extend My Windows Desktop Onto This

Monitor check box is not available.

Verify that the secondary adapter is supported

and configured correctly.

Choose the Secondary display instead of the

Primary one in the Display Properties dialog

box.

No output appears on the secondary display. Verify that the video adapter supports the

multiple display feature.

Verify and, if necessary, update the driver for

the secondary display.

Restart the computer to ensure that the

secondary display initialized.

An application is not displayed on the

secondary device.

Verify that the application is working by

running it on the primary display.

Run the application in full screen mode or in a

maximized window.

Disable the secondary display to see if the

problem is isolated to multiple display support.

Table 2: Troubleshooting Multiple Display

Note: A similar feature to the multiple monitor feature is something referred to as

Dualview. Dualview is often used with laptops and desktops that have two video

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ports on a single video card. On a portable system, the LCD display screen is

always configured as the primary display.

(1)Configuring the Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI)

Over the past few years, effectively monitoring and managing the power consumption

computer systems use has become increasingly important. This is particularly true of laptop

systems due to a limited and all-too-short battery life. To help better manage the power usage of

computer systems, the ACPI standard was developed, a framework by which software and

hardware developers can integrate power management features throughout the computer system.

To use the ACPI features, the computer must be ACPI compliant. To determine if it is, refer to

the manufacturer’s documentation to see if the BIOS supports it.

Exam Tip: If you upgrade your system with a BIOS that supports ACPI, you will need to

reinstall Windows XP to allow the system to take advantage of ACPI features.

On ACPI-compliant computer systems, administrators can design power management

strategies for hardware components such as hard disks or peripheral devices. You can configure

power management from the Power Options icon in the Control Panel. From here, you can

design power schemes: a collection of settings used to manage the power consumption of your

computer. Windows XP has many built-in power schemes or, alternatively, you can customize an

existing power scheme to better suit your power usage. Configuring power schemes is discussed

in Chapter 5 in the section on optimizing system performance for mobile users.

(1)Implementing, Managing, and Troubleshooting Input/Output (I/O)

Devices

The management of I/O devices is an important consideration, regardless of the operating

system you are using. The function of any I/O device is basically to get information into and out

of your computer. Such devices include scanners, keyboards, mice, printers, and the like.

A large number of I/O devices are used on systems today, and different methods are

available by which these devices connect to our systems. For example, we may use USB, IEEE

1394, or standard cabling of even wireless technologies to connect I/O devices to our system.

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In this section, we look at configuring and managing the various I/O devices in Windows

XP and learn how to troubleshoot these devices and connection methods.

Note: Regardless of the I/O device, the procedures for configuring and managing each

device are much the same.

(2)Scanners and Cameras

The Scanners and Cameras applet in the Control Panel is used to install, configure, and

troubleshoot image-capturing devices such as scanners, still digital cameras, or digital video

cameras. If you are using a plug-and-play image device, Windows XP will detect it and install it

automatically. Then, by clicking the Scanners and Cameras applet, you can view the installed

device or change its properties.

If you are installing a device manually through the Scanners and Cameras applet, a

wizard will guide you through the installation process, making the procedure as painless as

possible. You may have to manually assign system resources and have the latest drivers for the

device available. Once the device is installed, you can right-click it to access its properties and

configure it. Imaging devices have three tabs:

• General Displays basic information about the device, such as manufacturer, port being

used, and the status of the device. It also includes a test button used to verify that the deviceis functioning properly.

• Events Establishes what occurs when an image is input into the system. For example, you

can specify that a scanned document will be opened with a particular application.

• Color Management Establishes a color profile. The default settings used are sufficient for

most people, but there are always those who like to tinker with their color.

(2)Smart Card Readers

Smart cards are used to provide a new type of network security. These credit-card-sized

devices store security information such as passwords, public and private keys, and personal

information. Smart cards are increasing in popularity because they provide an efficient method of

storing and securing private information.

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Of course, a smart card is only one side of the equation; the other is the smart card reader

that must be installed in the computer and be able to function within the operating system. For

those who have not installed a smart card reader, the good news is that it is really not any more

difficult than installing any other peripheral device. A number of different types of smart card

readers are available today, and a number of ways exist to connect the reader to the PC. For

instance, some use USB, serial connections, or utilize PCMICA slots on a laptop. PCMCIA and

USB smart card readers support hot plug, meaning that the system does not need to be restarted

to detect the newly installed device. If you are installing a reader using a serial connection, the

system will need to be restarted to detect the device. If Windows XP has a driver for the smart

card reader, it will be installed; if not, the Add New Hardware Wizard will start, allowing you to

specify the location of a driver.

Once the smart card reader is installed, you can confirm the installation and change any

settings from Device Manager. To access Device Manager, open the Control Panel, click the

System applet, select the Hardware tab, and click the Device Manager button. In Device

Manager, right-click the smart card reader and select Properties. In the Smart Card Reader

properties dialog box, you can modify its settings, including system resources used, and you can

update the driver.

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(2)Keyboards

Most of time, the default settings installed for the keyboard are sufficient, but if you ever

need to change them, it is not a difficult process in Windows XP. As shown in Figure 3-21,

configuring your keyboard is done from the Keyboard Properties dialog box. You can access thedialog box by selecting the Keyboard applet in the Control Panel.

Figure 18: The Keyboard Properties dialog box, used to configure your keyboard settings

In the Keyboard Properties dialog box, the Speed tab is used to configure general

preferences such as cursor blink rate, repeat delay, and repeat rate. These settings are rarely

changed, and the defaults should be adequate for most environments. The Hardware tab shows

the name of the keyboard you are using and the device status. If there is a problem with your

keyboard, you can click the Troubleshoot button to start the Keyboard Troubleshooting Wizard.

Beside the Troubleshoot button is the Properties button. Select this to see the properties of the

keyboard, including the driver used, the rollback driver feature, and the update driver feature.

(2)Mouse Devices

Like the keyboard, situations where you need to change, update, or troubleshoot your

mouse are fairly rare. Generally, if the mouse works after the installation, you probably won’t

ever need to modify its settings.

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If you do need to modify the settings, you can do so from the Mouse Properties dialog

box accessed through the Control Panel. Figure 3-22 shows the Mouse Properties dialog box.

Figure 19: The Mouse Properties dialog box, used to configure settings for the system’s

mouse

The Mouse Properties dialog box has the following four configurable tabs:

• Buttons Used to configure the behavior of the mouse buttons. This includes the setting of

the double-click speed and whether a single or double-click will activate an application. You

can also switch the left and right mouse buttons around.

• Pointers Lets you choose from a variety of pointer schemes, allowing you to customize the

look and feel of the mouse pointers used on the system. This is often done on laptop systems

to better see the pointer on the screen.

• Pointer Options Used to further configure the mouse pointer, including the scrolling

motion speed and visibility.

• Hardware Provides a quick look at the type of mouse you are using and the manufacturer.

In addition, you can click the Troubleshoot button if the mouse isn’t functioning properly or

the Properties button to view driver information, upgrade, or roll back a driver.

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Note: If you use a wheel mouse, an additional tab will be available, aptly named Wheel,

from which you can configure how the wheel feature will function.

(2)Installing, Configuring, and Managing Modems and Fax Support

In earlier versions of Windows, installing and managing modems was a bit of a chore;

and often, a well-intentioned modem installation ended up at a PC repair shop. Modern Windows

versions including XP changed all that, and today, installing and configuring modems is as easy

as walking through a wizard. If you do run into trouble, the Modem Troubleshooting Wizard is

almost as good as having a PC technician in the room.

Relative to installing your modem, most modern modems support plug-and-play,

automating their installation process. Those modems that are not plug-and-play compatible can

be installed using the Add New Hardware applet in the Control Panel.

Once you have successfully installed the modem in your system, you can access its

properties from Device Manager, right-clicking your modem and selecting Properties from the

menu. Figure 3-23 shows a modem’s Properties dialog box.

Figure 20: Changing your system’s settings using the modem’s Properties dialog box

As shown in Figure 3-23, six different tabs are available when changing a modem’s

settings:

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• General Displays information on the modem manufacturer, whether the device is working

properly, and whether the device is enabled. If you are having trouble with your modem, you

can use the Troubleshoot button to start the Windows XP Modem Troubleshooter Wizard.

• Modem Used to set the speaker volume for the modem, the modem speed, and setting themodem to wait for a dial tone before dialing.

• Diagnostics From the Diagnostic tab, if you suspect something is wrong with the modem,

you can click the Query button, which tests the modem using a number of different modem

commands. The response from the modem will be listed, including any errors.

• Advanced Used to configure modem port settings, including the COM port used and the

speed of the port.

• Driver As with all other hardware devices, displays the drivers that are being used,

provides a button to update drivers, a button to roll back drivers, and a button to uninstall the

driver.

• Resources Displays the system resources that the modem is using. If the modem is

attempting to use the same resources in use by another device, a conflict will be listed here.

You can resolve the resource conflict by manually selecting the resources for the device to

use.

Note: Some older internal modems used jumper switches to choose plug-and-play.

When using one of these older modems, you may have to ensure that the jumper

is set for plug-and-play before physically installing the modem.

(3)Configuring Fax Support

To send and receive faxes in Windows XP you need a fax device, which is typically a fax

modem. A regular modem will not work. Today, it would be an achievement to find a modem

without fax support because fax functionality is built in by most manufacturers.

To set up a fax device on your system, choose Start | Control Panel | Printers And Faxes,

and from the left side of the screen, select the Set Up Faxing option. Once selected, you may

need the Windows XP CD to install additional files. After faxing is set up, an icon for the newly

created fax device will appear in the Printers And Faxes dialog box.

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Once you have a fax device enabled, you can configure the properties for the device by

right-clicking it and selecting Properties from the menu. This will display the Fax Properties

dialog box, as shown in Figure 3-24.

Figure 21: Configuring the properties for a fax device in the Fax Properties dialog box

To send a fax, you can double-click the fax device. If it is the first time sending faxes, the

Fax Configuration Wizard will start, which helps you configure the device for sending and

receiving faxes. By default, the wizard enables the system to send faxes, but you will need to

select the Enable Receive option to receive faxes.

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After you have successfully configured the fax device using the Fax Configuration

Wizard, the Fax console displays, as shown in Figure 3.25, which you use to manage faxing.

Figure 22: The Fax console, used to manage fax functionality

Exam Tip: If your system is unable to receive faxes, verify that it has been configured to

do so.

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(2)Installing, Configuring, and Managing Infrared Data Association

(IrDA) and Wireless Devices

For those of us who tire of the unsightly cables cluttering our desks, infrared devices may

be the solution. If you are installing an infrared device that supports plug-and-play, Windows XP

will detect it and install the drivers for it. If you are installing an infrared device that isn’t

supported by plug-and-play, you can add the device through the Add New Hardware Wizard.

Once an IrDA device is installed on your system, a Wireless Link icon will appear in the Control

Panel. To configure the infrared devices on your system, click the Wireless Link icon to display

the Wireless Link dialog box, as shown in Figure 3-26.

Figure 23: Configuring infrared devices, managed through the Wireless Link dialog box

Note: The Wireless Link icon appears in the Control Panel only after a wireless device is

installed.

There are three tabs in the Wireless Link dialog box:

• Infrared Used for configuring audible alerts when an infrared device is near and for

configuring file transfer options. To enable or disable receiving files over the infrared link,

select the Allow Others To Send Files To Your Computer Using Infrared Communications

check box.

• Image Transfer Used to configure the receipt of pictures from a digital camera.

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• Hardware Identifies name and manufacturer of the infrared device and the COM port

being used. The Properties button opens a new dialog box, allowing you to configure the

additional properties of the infrared device. This tab also displays a Troubleshoot button,

used to identify problems with the infrared device.

You can also configure infrared devices from the Properties dialog box, accessible from

the Devices icon in Device Manager. Double-click the Devices icon to display the Properties

dialog box for your device. The dialog box has three tabs: a General tab and a Driver tab offering

the same features as other I/O devices identified in this section, and a third tab, IrDA Settings,

used to change the COM port and adjust the maximum connection rate.

Exam Tip: When troubleshooting connectivity with infrared devices, you can try to

reduce the maximum connection rate.

(2)Installing, Configuring, and Managing USB Devices

USB has become a popular method for connecting peripheral devices to computer

systems. This includes everything from digital cameras and scanners to printers and removable

storage devices. One of the factors that has made USB so popular is that it is hot pluggable,

which means hardware devices can be added and removed from the system without any

configuration changes having to be made to the system or the system needing to be powered

down. As an additional bonus, USB ports can have up to 127 devices attached.

To support USB devices, a USB host controller needs to be built right into the

motherboard, or alternatively, an add-on USB controller can be used. A typical USB controller

or expansion card allows for one or two USB devices to be connected. If more USB connections

are needed, you can use USB hubs attached to the USB controller. USB hubs can either be

powered by the system bus, or they can be self-powered. This distinction is important because

bus-powered hubs are well suited for such devices as mice and keyboards, but for connection-

removable hard disks, printers, or scanners, self-powered hubs are needed.

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When a USB controller is installed in the system, a USB controller icon will be visible in

Device Manager. To access the properties of your USB adapter, double-click the icon. Figure 3-

27 shows a USB controller’s Properties dialog box.

Figure 24: A USB controller’s Properties dialog box, used to configure USB controller

options

Four tabs are available from a USB controller’s Properties dialog box.

• General Similar to the General tab used by other hardware devices, lists the name and

manufacturer of the device, as well as the status of the device. The General tab also includes

a Troubleshoot button used to isolate USB-related errors.

• Advanced Used to configure the amount of bandwidth that each device on the USB

adapter can use.

• Driver Again similar to other hardware devices, used to update, roll back, install, or

uninstall drivers.

• Resources Used to view the resources being used by the USB adapter. If there is a conflict

in resources, it will be displayed.

Exam Tip: If USB is not working, verify that the USB is enabled in the BIOS and that the

BIOS supports USB.

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Note: In the Windows XP objectives, installing handheld devices is listed as a separate

objective; however, installing such devices is similar to the procedures for any

other device. The exam will not require specific knowledge of installing handheld

devices, only the general installation procedures covered in this chapter.

(2)Installing, Configuring, and Managing Network Adapters

Network adapters are found in most PCs today and provide the means for computers,

printers, and such to connect to a network. As you might expect, when working in a network

environment, managing and configuring network cards will be an almost daily task.

Once a network card is physically installed into the computer system and if it is plug-and-

play capable, as most are today, Windows XP will locate and attempt to install drivers for the

network card. If it detects the new network card and does not have the drivers, you can specify a

location to install drivers from the manufacturer.

If you are installing a new network card that is not plug-and-play, Windows XP identifies

that hew hardware has been added to the system and starts the Add Hardware Wizard to guide

you through the installation and setup procedure.

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Once the network card has been installed and recognized by the system, you can

configure it through its Properties dialog box. To access your network card’s properties, from

within Device Manager, select the Network Adapters icon and then double-click the network

card you wish to configure. Figure 3-28 shows the dialog box for a network card’s properties.

Figure 25: Using the network Card Properties dialog box to view and configure the settings

for your network card

(1)Managing and Troubleshooting Multiprocessor Computers

Multiple processors are usually associated with server systems, but Windows XP

Professional supports two processors for use on high-end workstations when just a little more

processing power is needed. If you are installing Windows XP Professional on a system that

already has two processors, they will be detected and installed accordingly. If you already have

Windows XP installed and add a processor after the fact, a bit more work is involved.

To attain multiprocessor support, you must upgrade your system’s processor drivers to

those that support multiple processors. As you might expect, if your system has only a single

processor in it, upgrading drivers to ones that support multiprocessing will not make it a

multiprocessing system. In fact, using multiprocessor drivers in a single processor machine may

disable the system entirely.

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Upgrading the drivers for the system’s processor is similar to upgrading the drivers for

any other device. It is done from Device Manager. To update the processor’s driver, right-click

the processor you are using from the device tree in Device Manager, and select Properties. The

processor’s Properties dialog box displays with two tabs: the General tab and the Driver tab. To

update the drivers, select the Driver tab and click the Update Driver button. Then the Update

Hardware Wizard guides you through the process of updating the system to support

multiprocessors.

(1)Chapter Review

Managing hardware is a task that all computer professionals will find themselves

involved with at some point. Windows XP builds on the developments of previous Windows

versions and incorporates wizards and utilities designed to make the management of hardware as

simple as possible. In addition, Windows XP takes full advantage of plug-and-play technology,

making the installation of most hardware devices an automatic process.

All hardware on a computer system requires device drivers to interact with the operating

system. It is best to use signed, tested, and approved drivers as much as possible to ensure they

work within the operating system. New drivers for a device can be updated either manually or

automatically.

One of the key components in any system is the hard disk, and proper management of

this device is essential. Windows XP provides two types of disk configurations: basic and

dynamic. Basic disks are the volumes you are most familiar with, which use regular partitions.

Dynamic disks use volumes instead of partitions and can employ advanced disk configurations

such as spanned and striped volumes.

The chapter concluded by looking at the procedures for maintaining, configuring, and

troubleshooting I/O devices including mouse devices, keyboards, modems, and video adapters.

You also learned about adding support for multiple processors and configuring wireless

communication.

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(2)Questions

1. As system administrator, you have been asked to upgrade several of your existing

computer systems to Windows XP Professional. After the upgrade, several users

complain that they are able to use the system only in 640× 480 mode and 16 colors. Whatcan you do to allow the users to access higher resolution settings?

A. Allow them to access the system using the administrative password.

B. Reinstall the video adapter and select advanced video options in the system BIOS.

C. Update the existing video driver.

D. Use the Driver Rollback feature.

2. You have recently configured several systems on the network to allow for faxing client

invoices. You want network users to be able to only send faxes and not receive them.

Which of the following would allow this?

A. Configure the fax device and ensure that the Receive Faxes option is disabled.

B. Uninstall the fax device and reinstall configuring only the Send Faxes option.

C. Disable modem support in the BIOS.

D. Configure the fax device to use the Anonymous Send feature.

3. After the installation of a new network card, you reboot the system, but it is not detected

by Windows XP and does not appear in Device Manager. Which of the following should

you do to use the network card in XP?

A. Reinstall the network card in a different bus slot.

B. Install an updated network card driver.

C. Use the Driver Rollback feature.

D. Follow the manufacturer’s installation guidelines and install the network card

manually.

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4. You find a new driver for your video adapter and decide to install it on your system.

After installing the new driver, nothing seems to work and the display is garbled. What

would you do to correct the problem?

A. Boot into safe mode and use the Driver Rollback feature to correct the problem.

B. Boot into VGA mode and change the resolution settings to a lower setting.

C. Download and install a driver from another source.

D. Use the Recovery Console to manually replace the video driver.

5. As a precaution, all users in the Accounting department have been given removable hard

disks on which to back up their work. Several of the members in the Accounting

department already use a USB keyboard and mouse. Which of the following could you

choose to implement the new removable hard disks?

A. Purchase a bus-powered hub and attach all USB devices to it.

B. Purchase a bus-powered USB hub and attach the hard disk to it and the mouse and

keyboard to the onboard USB controller.

C. Purchase a bus-powered USB hub and attach the keyboard and mouse to it and the

hard disk to the onboard USB controller.

D. Purchase a self-powered hub and attach all USB devices to it.

6. Which of the following is the best way to ensure that only signed drivers are installed?

A. Boot into safe mode and restore the system state using the Restore tab in the

Backup utility.

B. Open the Control Panel, click the System applet, select the Hardware tab, and

click the Driver Signing button. Then choose the Block option.

C. Restart the computer with the Windows XP CD and begin the ASR restoration

process.

D. Open the Control Panel, select the System applet, and choose the Enable Driver

Signing option.

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7. You have just installed a new scanner on your Windows XP Professional system but after

it is installed, the system periodically freezes. You have rebooted twice to correct the

problem but it has not worked. Which of the following will best correct the problem?

A. Reboot the system using the Last Known Good Configuration.

B. From the scanner’s Properties dialog box, reduce the hardware acceleration for

the device.

C. From the scanner’s Properties dialog box, use the Driver Rollback feature.

D. From the scanner’s Properties dialog box, reinstall the driver.

(2)Answers

1. C. Updating the video driver would enable higher resolutions and color settings.

2. A. By default, the system is configured to only send faxes, not receive them.

3. D. If Windows does not recognize a device, you will need to install the device manually,

following the manufacturer’s instructions.

4. A. To troubleshoot the installation of a faulty driver, boot into safe mode and use the

Driver Rollback feature to correct the problem.

5. D. Devices like USB hard disks require a self-powered hub because they generally draw

more power than is available through a bus-powered USB port. In this example, the best

solution would be to purchase a self-powered hub and attach all USB devices to it;

however, if there is more than one USB port, you could still connect either the keyboard

or mouse to that port rather than the hub if desired.

6. B. By selecting the Block option, no unsigned drivers will be able to be installed on the

system. This strategy is the best way to ensure that unsigned drivers are not installed on

the system.

7. C. The Driver Rollback feature allows you to return to an earlier version of a driver. In

this case, because it appears that the new driver is causing the problem, using Driver

xp chapter 1

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