Support for Windows 7 Chapter 2 Securing and Troubleshooting Windows 7

Supporting Windows 7 Chapter Objectives In this chapter, you will learn –About Windows utilities and tools you can use that support Windows 7 –How to secure Windows 7 and the resources it shares on a network –How to solve problems with Windows 7 startup 2

Supporting Windows 7 Windows 7 Utilities and Tools to Support the OS Windows 7 utilities and tools used to support the OS are similar or the same as those used in Windows Vista Windows Vista Software Explorer is not included in Windows 7 Use the System Configuration Utility (Msconfig) instead when you want to control the processes that launch at startup 3

Supporting Windows 7 Windows 7 Utilities and Tools to Support the OS 4 ToolHow to AccessPurpose Action CenterTaskbar and Control PanelCentral location for security and maintenance tools Advanced Boot OptionsF8 key as Windows loadsTroubleshoot boot problems Backup and RestoreStart menuBack up and restore data or system image Boot loggingF8 key as Windows loadsExamine ntbtlog.txt to investigate startup error Bootcfg (bootcfg.exe)Enter bootcfg at command promptView contents of boot.ini file Chkdsk (chkdsk.exe)Enter chkdsk with parameters at command promptCheck and repair drive errors Command promptStart menuEnter command line commands Compatibility modeAction Center or program file’s shortcut menuResolve issues with legacy programs Computer Management (compmgmt.msc) Control Panel or compmgmt.mscAccess snap-ins to manage system Control PanelStart menuChange many settings that affect Windows

Supporting Windows 7 Windows 7 Utilities and Tools to Support the OS 5 ToolHow to AccessPurpose Defrag.exeEnter defrag with parameters at command promptDefragment a drive Device Driver Roll BackDevice ManagerReplace driver with one that worked before Device Manager (devmgmt.msc) System or System Properties windowManage and troubleshoot devices and device drivers Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr.exe)Drive’s propertiesDelete unused files Disk DefragmenterDrive’s propertiesDefragment a drive Disk Management (diskmgmt.msc) Computer Management Console or diskmgmt.mscView and change partitions on hard drives Driver VerifierEnter verifier.exe at command promptIdentify driver that is causing problems Error ReportingControl Panel or Action CenterDisplays software or hardware error messages Event Viewer (eventvwr.msc)Computer Management ConsoleCheck event logs for error messages File Signature Verification Tool (sigverif.exe) Enter sigverif with parameters at command promptSearch for unsigned installed drivers

Supporting Windows 7 Windows 7 Utilities and Tools to Support the OS 6 ToolHow to AccessPurpose Group Policy (gpedit.msc)Enter gpedit.msc at command promptDisplay and change policies controlling users Last Know Good ConfigurationF8 as Windows loads and select from menuRevert system to an earlier state Memory Diagnostics (mdsched.exe) Enter mdsched at command promptTest memory Microsoft Management Console (mmc.exe) Enter mmc.exe at command promptCreate customized consoles from snap-in tools Network and Sharing CenterTaskbar or Control PanelManage network connections and security Performance monitor (perfmon.exe) Action Center or enter perfmon at command promptView performance information, identify bottlenecks Programs and FeaturesControl PanelInstall, repair, or update software Registry Editor (regedit.exe)Enter regedit at command promptView and edit the registry Resource Monitor (resmon.exe)Action Center or enter resmon at command promptView information about processes using hardware Safe ModeF8 as Windows loads and select from menuBoot Windows and repair problems

Supporting Windows 7 Windows 7 Utilities and Tools to Support the OS 7 ToolHow to AccessPurpose Services Console (services.msc) Enter services.msc at command promptStart or stop a background service System Configuration Utility (msconfig.exe) Enter msconfig.exe at command promptTroubleshoot the startup process System File Checker (sfc.exe)Enter sfc with parameters at command promptVerify version of system files used as Windows loads System imageUse Backup and Restore to createReinstall the OS System Information (msinfo32.exe) Enter msinfo32 at command promptDisplay information about hardware and software System Information (systeminfo.exe) Enter systeminfo.exe at command promptDisplay text-only version of System Information System repair discUse Backup and Restore to createUs to boot to Windows RE and then restore image System RestoreStart Menu or in Safe ModeRestore system to previous working condition Task Killing Utility (tskill.exe)Enter tskill with parameters at command promptStop a process or currently running program Task Lister (tasklist.exe)Enter tasklist with parameters at command promptList currently running processes

Supporting Windows 7 Windows 7 Utilities and Tools to Support the OS 8 ToolHow to AccessPurpose Task Manager (taskman.exe)Right click on taskbarList and stop currently running processes Task SchedulerControl PanelSchedule program to run at specific times User Account Control (UAC) boxControl Panel or Action CenterPrevent malware, protect Windows settings Windows DefenderControl PanelMonitor program activity, alert if suspicious behavior Windows FirewallControl Panel or Network and Sharing CenterPrevent or filter uninvited communications Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) System repair disc or Windows 7 setup DVDSolve Windows startup problems Windows Update (wupdmgr.exe)Start MenuUpdate Windows, download latest patches Windows XP Mode Installed in a virtual machine and then accessed from Start Menu Run legacy applications that do not work in Compatibility Mode

Supporting Windows 7 Windows 7 Utilities and Tools to Support the OS (cont’d.) Windows 7 uses the same command prompt utilities as does Vista Command prompt utilities: –Telnet: A Windows command-line client/server application Allows an administrator or other user to control a computer remotely –Ping: a command used to troubleshoot network connections by verifying that the host can communicate with another host on the network 9

Supporting Windows 7 Windows 7 Utilities and Tools to Support the OS (cont’d.) Command prompt utilities: –Ipconfig: displays the IP address of the host and other configuration information –Dxdiag: displays information about hardware and diagnoses problems with DirectX. –Cmd: launches a command prompt window. –Xcopy: used to copy files and folders and has many options to control how the copy operation will proceed –Net: collection of commands used to display information about network connections, make connections, and solve problems 10

Supporting Windows 7 Windows 7 Utilities and Tools to Support the OS (cont’d.) –Tracert: Traces the route from the host to a destination host and displays each hop to the destination –Netstat: displays statistics about network activity. It can be used to identify a program hogging network resources –Nslookup: reads and displays information from the Internet name space used to resolve domain names and their corresponding IP addresses kept by a DNS server 11

Supporting Windows 7 Windows 7 Utilities and Tools to Support the OS (cont’d.) Startup folders are the same as they are in Windows Vista –For individual users: C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Win dows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup –For all users: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup 12

Supporting Windows 7 Windows 7 Utilities and Tools to Support the OS (cont’d.) Windows 7 is: –Engineered to make fewer reads and writes to the hard drive to improve performance –Designed to perform better when using solid state drives (SSDs) For USB flash drives –Consider using the exFAT file system –exFAT file system Also called the FAT64 file system Structured the same as the older FAT32 file system 13

Supporting Windows 7 Windows 7 Utilities and Tools to Support the OS (cont’d.) When you format an internal drive using Disk Management, the partitioning and formatting wizard offers the option to use the exFAT or the NTFS file system Use NTFS for very large hard drives or drives that will contain the Windows installation 14

Supporting Windows 7 Securing Windows 7 Resources In a small office, home office, or small business –Networks are most likely set up as a peer-to-peer network rather than a domain –Security on a domain is controlled by a domain controller –Security for each PC is maintained at the local level by Windows installed on each PC To control access to resources on the computer: –User accounts –Permissions 15

Supporting Windows 7 Securing Windows 7 Resources (cont’d.) To control access to resources on the network: –Homegroup security –Workgroup security with user accounts and passwords –Shared permissions –User Account Control (UAC) box –Windows Firewall –Antivirus and antispyware software –Hardware firewall –Advanced encryption technologies –Scheduled backups and user training 16

Supporting Windows 7 Securing Windows 7 Resources (cont’d.) Two approaches to sharing resources on a small peer-to-peer network: –A Windows 7 homegroup –A workgroup with user accounts and passwords A homegroup is an easy way to share resources on a network of Windows 7 computers when strict measures are not required 17

Supporting Windows 7 Securing Windows 7 Resources (cont’d.) Windows determines if a homegroup exists on the network and if the computer has already joined it Depending on the situation, three things can happen –A homegroup exists and the computer has not yet joined the homegroup –A homegroup has not yet been set up on the network –The computer has already joined a homegroup 18

Supporting Windows 7 19 Figure 2-1 Network and Sharing Center Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

Supporting Windows 7 20 Figure 2-2 Set the network location Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

Supporting Windows 7 21 Figure 2-3 The computer does not belong to a homegroup Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

Supporting Windows 7 22 Figure 2-6 Create a homegroup Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

Supporting Windows 7 Securing Windows 7 Resources (cont’d.) Windows Firewall in Windows 7 functions about the same way as it does in Vista The windows in Windows Firewall are organized differently 23

Supporting Windows 7 24 Figure 2-14 Customize settings for a private or public network Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

Supporting Windows 7 25 Figure 2-15 Allow programs to communicate through the firewall Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

Supporting Windows 7 Solving Windows 7 Startup Problems Windows 7 and Vista use –The same startup files and processes –The same two main tools for solving problems with startup processes The Advanced Boot Options menu The Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) is –Installed on the hard drive by default in Windows 7 –Available to you from the Advanced Boot Options menu 26

Supporting Windows 7 Solving Windows 7 Startup Problems (cont’d.) Windows RE –Is a lean operating system –Can be launched to solve Windows startup problems after other tools available on the Advanced Boot Options menu have failed In Windows 7, Windows RE is installed on the hard drive and available on the Advanced Boot Options menu 27

Supporting Windows 7 28 Figure 2-16 Press F8 during the boot to launch the Windows 7 Advanced Boot Options menu Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

Supporting Windows 7 Solving Windows 7 Startup Problems (cont’d.) When deciding which recovery tool to use, always use the least intrusive tool first Fix the problem while making as few changes to the system as possible 29

Supporting Windows 7 30 Figure 2-19 Recovery tools in Windows RE Courtesy: Course Technology/Cengage Learning

Supporting Windows 7 Solving Windows 7 Startup Problems (cont’d.) System repair disk –Used to launch Windows RWE –Can be created during some installations of Windows 7 and any time after installation –Can be useful if Windows 7 will not start, you cannot launch Windows RE from the hard drive, and you do not have a Windows 7 setup DVD to launch Windows RE –A 32-bit installation creates a 32-bit version of the repair disc –A 64-bit installation creates a 64-bit version 31

Supporting Windows 7 Summary Many commands and tools from Windows Vista work the same as they did in Windows 7 The exFAT filesystem is recommended for removable drives and NTFS is recommended for all fixed storage devices The Action Center is more powerful than the Security Center Backup and Restore is more fine grained in Windows 7 A system image is equal to a Complete PC Backup in Vista 32

Supporting Windows 7 Summary (cont’d.) Performance Monitor and Resource Monitor are now two separate tools Administrative control over UAC is much more tunable than in Vista System Configuration Utility replaces Software Explorer Firewall is functionally equivalent to Vista but organized differently Addition of Windows Security essential antivirus, to complement Windows Defender antispyware 33

Supporting Windows 7 Summary (cont’d.) Boot options remain the same as Vista with Windows Recovery Environment (RE) added as a new option. Multiple methods of starting Windows RE, including original installation media. Windows repair disc (a method of launching Windows RE) created from Backup and Restore utility. Repair disc can be used for any edition as long as the version (32-bit or 64-bit) is the same. 34