Clean Install

There are two methods of running a clean installation. Installing Vista over a previous operating system results in the user’s data being moved to a folder called WINDOWS.OLD. The first option is to start the computer with the bootable Windows Vista DVD (CDs were available if you needed them) and begin the installation.

The second method—the one Microsoft recommends—is to run Setup from the DVD within your current Windows version. Once the DVD is inserted, the Setup program should automatically begin. If it does not, setup.exe can be manually run from the root folder and the menu will appear. On the menu, choose Install Now and then select Custom (Advanced) when the Which Type Of Installation Do You Want? screen appears. Answer the prompts to work through the steps and complete the installation.

If booting from the DVD, you will get the message Press any key to boot from CD or DVD upon startup, and at this point, you simply press a key and then begin the installation.

Upgrading to Windows Vista

Whereas installation can typically be done over any existing OS, upgrading can only be done from an OS that is generally compatible with the one to which you’re upgrading. In other words, the current operating system you are using determines the version of Windows Vista to which you can upgrade, if any. Table 17.3 lists the upgrade paths for each Windows Vista 32-bit version based on the existing operating system. Those listed as “No” must be clean installations.

Note that Windows Vista Enterprise does not appear in the table because it is typically installed as a clean install. It can only be installed as an “upgrade” to Windows Vista Business. Also note that where N/A appears in the table, an upgrade is not possible, but a repair installation or clean installation can still be performed.

To begin the upgrade, insert the DVD. The Setup program should automatically begin (if it does not, run setup.exe from the root folder) and a menu will appear. On the menu, choose Install Now and then select Upgrade when the Which Type Of Installation Do You Want? screen appears. Answer the prompts to step through the upgrade. On a standard, default installation; the oot directory holds the boot file configuration for Windows Vista.

Booting from the DVD is also possible, but it is recommended only if the method just described does not work. When you boot, you will get a Press any key to boot from CD or DVD message upon startup, and at this point, you simply press a key and begin the upgrade.

Transferring to Windows Vista

The User State Migration Tool (USMT) can be downloaded from Microsoft. It is intended to be used by administrators, and it requires a client computer connected to a Windows Server–based domain controller. It allows you to migrate user file settings related to applications, desktop configuration, and accounts for USMT 2.6. (USMT 3.0 does not require domain controller access except to transfer domain accounts.) More information on USMT can be found at the following location: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc722032(WS.10).aspx.

Windows Easy Transfer (WET) is also available for transferring items to Windows Vista (Start ➢ All Programs ➢ Accessories ➢ System Tools ➢ Windows Easy Transfer). This tool is intended for the one-time transfer of user settings, as well as applications and files, to Vista, whereas USMT is meant for wide-scale migrations. A key difference is that USMT allows transfers to be scripted whereas WET uses a GUI that requires user interaction.

Key Boot Files

Windows Vista requires only a few files, each of which performs specific tasks. These files differ from the files for all previous Windows operating systems. These are discussed next in the order in which they load:

BOOTMGR The Windows Boot Manager (BOOTMGR) bootstraps the system. In other words, this file starts the loading of an OS on the computer. It replaces NTLDR (used in previous operating systems) and is responsible for switching from real to protected mode during the boot process. The latter mode provides memory protection, multitasking, and other features that you expect from the operating system.

BCD The Boot Configuration Data (BCD) file holds information about OSs installed on the computer, such as the location of the OS files.

WINLOAD.EXE The program used to boot Windows Vista. It loads the operating system kernel (NTOSKRNL.EXE).

WINRESUME.EXE If the system is not starting fresh but resuming a previous session, then WINRESUME.EXE is called by the BOOTMGR.

NTOSKRNL.EXE The Windows OS kernel. The solution to a corrupted NTOSKRNL.EXE file is to boot from a startup disk and replace the file from the setup disks or CD.

System files In addition to the previously listed files, Windows needs a number of files from its system directories (for example, SYSTEM and SYSTEM32), such as the hardware abstraction layer (HAL.DLL), session manager (SMSS.EXE), user session (WINLOGON.EXE), and security subsystem (LSASS.EXE).

We’ll now look at the Windows Vista boot process from start to finish:

1. The system self-checks and enumerates hardware resources. The BIOS looks for the Master Boot Record.
2. The Master Boot Record (MBR) loads and finds the volume boot sector. The MBR finds the bootable partition and searches it for the NT boot sector of that partition.
3. The MBR determines the file system and loads BOOTMGR. Information in the boot sector allows the system to locate the system partition and to find and load the file located there into memory.
4. BOOTMGR checks to see if WINRESUME.EXE is needed.
5. BOOTMGR processes BCD.
6. BOOTMGR loads and runs WINLOAD.EXE.
7. WINLOAD.EXE loads NTOSKRNL.EXE and HAL.DLL. NTOSKRNL.EXE holds the OS kernel and also what’s known as the executive subsystems. Executive subsystems are software components that parse the Registry for configuration information and start the needed services and drivers. HAL.DLL enables communication between the OS and the installed hardware.
8. The HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEM Registry hive and device drivers are loaded, and control is transferred to NTOSKRNL.EXE to complete the boot process. It calls the WIN32K.SYS subsystem and the session manager SMSS.EXE.
9. WINLOGON.EXE loads. At this point, you are presented with the Logon screen. After you enter a username and password, you’re taken to the Windows Desktop.

Tools in Windows Vista

The tools that stand out in Windows Vista include System Restore, Windows Defender, Windows Firewall, and Security Center. They are discussed in the sections that follow.

System Restore

System Restore, which was discussed in previous chapters, is arguably the most powerful tool in Windows Vista. It allows you to restore the system to a previous point in time. This feature is accessed from Start ➢ All Programs ➢ Accessories ➢ System Tools ➢ System Restore, and it can be used to roll back to as well as create a restore point. Figure 17.1 shows the opening screen of the System Restore dialog box.

With Windows Vista, manually creating the restore point must be accomplished from the System Protection tab of System Properties (Start ➢ Control Panel ➢ System). Depending on the view that you are using, you may need to select System and Maintenance before you see the System option, as shown in Figure 17.2.

Windows Firewall

Windows Firewall (Start ➢ Control Panel ➢ Windows Firewall) is used to block access from the network (be it internal or the Internet). While host-based firewalls are not as secure as other types of firewalls, this was a great move in the right direction.

Figure 17.3 shows the opening screen of Windows Firewall in Windows Vista. Windows Firewall is turned on by default, and it is also included in the Security Center (discussed in the next section).

By default, Windows Firewall blocks incoming traffic. Clicking the Change Settings link opens the Windows Firewall Settings screen, which has three tabs: General, Exceptions, and Advanced. Using the Exceptions tab, you can configure what incoming traffic you want to allow through.

Security Center

Security Center (Start ➢ Control Panel ➢ Security Center) provides a single interface where you can administer Windows Firewall, Automatic Updates, Malware Protection, and other security settings. Figure 17.4 shows the opening screen.

You can expand any of the four main categories to offer information on what is installed and make configuration changes. For example, as shown in Figure 17.5, if you expand Malware Protection and click Show Me The Antispyware Programs On This Computer, you can see that on this particular machine, there are three tools, and one of them—Windows Defender—is not turned on.

Users and Groups

As an administrator, you can configure the users and groups on a system in the Microsoft Management Console (MMC).

Start by clicking Start, typing MMC in the Search box, and pressing Enter. If Local Users And Groups is not visible in the left pane, choose File, then Add/Remove Snap-In, and then select Local Users And Groups from the list of possible snap-ins. You can choose to manage the local computer or another computer (which requires you to provide its address).

Local Users And Groups is not available for Windows Vista in any edition other than Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Ultimate, and Windows Vista Enterprise. In all other editions, you must manage user accounts using the User Accounts applet in Control Panel, and you cannot create or manage groups.

Local Security Policy

To access the Local Security Policy tool, choose Start and then enter secpol.msc (or you can choose Control Panel ➢ Administrative Tools ➢ Local Security Policy). Local Security Policy allows you to set the default security settings for the system. This feature is not available for Windows Vista in any edition other than Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Ultimate, and Windows Vista Enterprise.

The following sections examine some of the Security Settings options.

System Configuration

The System Configuration tool (msconfig.exe) in Windows Vista is used to control the way the system behaves at startup, and it includes a number of tabs and options, as shown in Figure 17.6.

By clicking the Boot tab, you can see the configuration options for the BCD and make some minor changes, as shown in Figure 17.7. The Advanced Options button allows you to configure the number of processors, maximum memory, and global debug settings.

Component Services

Component Services is an MMC snap-in in Windows Vista that allows you to administer and deploy component services. It can be used to configure various settings, such as security settings. With this tool, it is possible for administrators to manage components while developers configure routine component and application behavior (object pooling, for example). Figure 17.8 shows an example of the interface.

Data Sources

ODBC Data Source Administrator, accessed via Start ➢ Control Panel ➢ Administrative Tools ➢ Data Sources (ODBC), allows you to interact with database management systems. Figure 17.9 shows an example of the screen.

Database drivers that are added to the system will show up here and can be shared between applications.

Print Management

New to Windows Vista, Print Management (Start ➢ Control Panel ➢ Administrative Tools ➢ Print Management) allows you to manage multiple printers and print servers from a single interface. Print Management is not available for Windows Vista in any edition other than Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Ultimate, and Windows Vista Enterprise. In all other editions, you must manage individual printers using the Printers applet in Control Panel, and you are very limited in what you can manage.

Windows Memory Diagnostics

The Windows Memory Diagnostics tool (Start ➢ Control Panel ➢ Administrative Tools ➢ Memory Diagnostics Tool) can be used to check a system for memory problems. For the tool to work, the system must be restarted. The two options that it offers are to restart the computer now and check for problems or to wait and check for problems on the next restart.

Upon reboot, the test will take several minutes and the display screen will show the number of the pass being run and the overall status of the test (percent complete). When the memory test concludes, the system will restart again and nothing related to it having run is apparent until you log in. If the test is without error, you’ll see a message that no errors were found (see Figure 17.10). If any issues have been detected, the results will be displayed.

Tablet PC Settings

The Tablet PC Settings applet (Start ➢ Control Panel ➢ Tablet PC Settings) in Windows Vista can be used, as the name implies, to configure the device on which the operating system is installed to function as a true tablet. You can tweak handwriting recognition, handedness (left versus right), and other tablet-relevant settings.

Figure 17.11 shows the interface when Tablet PC Settings is first opened.

The Home Basic edition of Windows Vista does not support a tablet PC input panel, but all other editions of the operating system do.

Pen and Input Devices

The Pen And Input Devices applet (Start ➢ Control Panel ➢ Pen And Input Devices) in Windows Vista is used in conjunction with the Tablet PC Settings applet. It is used to configure the pen and pointer options, as shown in Figure 17.12.

The Home Basic edition of Windows Vista does not support a tablet PC or have this applet, but all other editions of the operating system do.

Offline Files

Only some editions of Windows Vista (Business Ultimate and Enterprise) support offline files. Beginning with Windows 2000, Windows-based operating systems added the capability to work with resources that are “online” (accessed through the network or other connection) and “offline” (replicated copies of the resource stored locally). The key is to keep the files synchronized so that multiple copies of the same file stored in different locations match each other.

Windows Vista includes a Sync Center (Start ➢ Control Panel, then click Sync Center), as shown in Figure 17.13.

Sync partnerships can be set up with a large number of devices, ranging from a flash drive (as shown in Figure 17.14) to handheld devices. It is worth noting again that you cannot sync with network folders if you are using Windows Vista Starter, Home Basic, or Home Premium editions.

Problem Reports and Solutions

Building on the error reporting features offered in earlier versions of Windows, the Problem Reports And Solutions applet in Windows Vista (Start ➢ Control Panel ➢ Problem Reports And Solutions) can help solve problems on a particular machine (see Figure 17.15).

To configure (or disable) the feature, choose Change Settings and then Advanced Settings. On the Advanced Settings For Problem Reporting screen, click Change Setting to open a window similar to the one shown in Figure 17.16.

Your two major choices are to disable or enable error reporting. If you choose to disable it, you can still be notified when errors occur. Windows Vista offers the third choice of allowing each user to choose their settings. After choosing to enable error reporting, you can choose to report Windows operating system and/or program errors. By clicking a program’s button, you can configure it to report errors. By default, all program errors from all programs are reported, but you can configure the reporting of errors on a program-by-program basis.

Printers

The Printers applet in Windows Vista (Start ➢ Control Panel ➢ Printers) provides a simple interface for adding a new printer or managing existing ones. Figure 17.17 shows an example.

By right-clicking on any printer shown in the interface, you can choose to make it the default printer from the options menu that appears (in Figure 17.17, the check mark on the Epson NX510 indicates that it is the default printer). Clicking Add A Printer will start the Add Printer Wizard and allow you to add a network, wireless, or Bluetooth printer as well as one that is locally connected.

Aero

An acronym for Authentic, Energetic, Reflective, and Open, Aero differs from previous GUIs in that its windows are translucent and it provides the ability to create a 3D stack of open windows and cycle through them (known as Flip 3D); while Flip 3D is nice, it relies on a more important feature of Aero that provides live thumbnails of each window, as demonstrated in Windows Flip (the standard task window) and on the Taskbar. To configure Aero, right-click on the Desktop and choose Personalize from the context menu, and then choose Window Color And Appearance, as shown in Figure 17.20.

Here you can turn off the transparency as well as change the colors used for windows. Aero can be turned off altogether by clicking Open Classic Appearance Properties For More Color Options. This brings up the Appearance Settings dialog box shown in Figure 17.21, from which you can choose to use Windows Standard, Windows Classic, or another interface (choosing anything but the default of Windows Aero turns Aero off).

User Account Control

The User Account Control (UAC) feature was mentioned earlier in this chapter and has the sole purpose of keeping the user from running programs that could potentially pose a threat by requiring escalating privileges for many actions. While turning UAC off is an option, it is not a recommended option. If you have a program that you regularly run and do not want to be prompted about each time, you can right-click the icon for that program and then click Properties. Choose the Compatibility tab and then select the Run This Program As An Administrator check box. This will prevent the prompt from occurring each time you use the program.

Indexing

Indexing services have existed since the early versions of Windows, and they allow the operating system to find files quickly by looking through a database of entries rather than having to start from scratch each time. The primary interface for configuring indexing is the Indexing Options applet in Control Panel. Figure 17.22 shows this interface for Windows Vista, and it differs from previous OS versions simply in the addition of the Pause button.

The Advanced button takes you to the heart of the configuration. From here, you can choose whether to include encrypted files and what types of files to include in the index. Most meaningful is the ability to choose whether the index should include properties only (the default) or also include file contents. While choosing to include contents in the index greatly decreases search time, it can also slow the system down on a regular basis as it builds the index.

Sidebar

The Sidebar is a feature that allows easy access to gadgets. To configure the Sidebar, right-click on an area of it and choose Properties (if the Sidebar is not visible, click Start ➢ All Programs ➢ Accessories ➢ Windows Sidebar). This will bring up the dialog box shown in Figure 17.23.

In addition to choosing Properties from the context menu, you can choose Close Sidebar, Bring Gadgets To Front, and Add Gadgets. To remove a gadget, right-click it and choose Close Gadget. You can also drag any gadget from the Sidebar directly onto the Desktop and drag them from the Desktop into the Sidebar as you wish.