In This Chapter
A cool new look, without all the fluff.
Save disk space.
Create your own CDs.
Getting Support.
This chapter touches on some of the new interface changes and features in Windows Server 2003. Just as Windows NT Server 4.0 shares a user interface with Windows 95 and Windows NT Workstation 4.0 and just as Windows 2000 Server shares an interface with Windows 2000 Professional, the Windows Server 2003 interface is the same as Windows XP. All the features in this chapter were first introduced in Windows XP; Windows Server 2003 now brings features such as new visual themes, compressed folders, CD burning, and the remote desktop/remote assistance technologies to the server platform. If you are already familiar with Windows XP, you might want to briefly skim this chapter. Most of these features provide enhanced functionality previously available only through third-party products. Overall, these features provide a more pleasant look and feel and enhance the overall user experience.
The first difference in the user experience provided by Windows Server 2003 is in the themes available for the user desktop. What is a theme? A theme is a collection of user environment configuration settings (wallpaper, desktop icons, menu styles, sounds, and so on) used to give a cohesive desktop appearance. It is a collection of all the individual settings you could manually change yourself, but it puts all these setting in one place. All the settings have the same “theme,” making it much easier to give your desktop a complete overhaul, yet maintain a consistent appearance. Windows Server 2003, however, doesn't really have any themes. For the longest time, administrators have been admonished not to run resource-intensive desktops and screensavers, such as OpenGL (those are the fancy screensavers like Pipes that use up a lot of processor power). Many times the administrators' response was, “If we're not supposed to use it, why is it an option?” Well, now it's not—at least not by default. Although Windows Server 2003 supports themes, only one theme is actually included in the product, Windows Classic. Also, only three screensavers are included (Blank, Marquee, and Windows)—none of which are resource intensive. There are, however, a few new desktop wallpapers—the same visually stimulating wallpapers available in Windows XP.
Although only one theme is included with Windows Server 2003, it does have a new method for making it easier to obtain and install your own themes. It has an option to connect to Microsoft's Web site to download themes online. However, the only currently available themes on Microsoft's site are those included with Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP.
The next new feature we'll look at is compressing files and folders. This provides the utilitarian function of saving disk space by reducing the amount of physical disk space occupied by files. Windows NT has always had a mechanism for saving disk space by compressing files: the NTFS file compression attribute feature. With Windows Server 2003, Microsoft introduces another method for compressing files—compressed (zipped) folders. This section discusses the two mechanisms and how they differ.
NTFS file and folder compression is implemented as a file-level attribute. A check box in the properties of a volume, folder, or file designates it as compressed. If enabled, the operating system handles the compressing and uncompressing of the file without any user intervention. Whenever a file or folder with the compressed attribute enabled is opened, the operating system automatically uncompresses it. When the file is saved, the OS automatically compresses it again, completely transparent to the user. However, all this compressing and uncompressing of files adds extra processing overhead because the OS has to constantly uncompress and recompress files whenever they're opened and closed. The benefits of freeing up disk space and ease of use for the user must be balanced against the extra processing load when determining whether to use NTFS compression. Another drawback to NTFS compression is that, because it is a file system attribute, it is compressed only on the file system. The implication of this is that, if you access the file across the network, it is first uncompressed by the operating system and then sent across the network in an uncompressed format. Thus, no network bandwidth improvement occurs because the file is sent across the network as if it were never compressed. In actuality, degradation in the file transfer occurs because of the extra processing to uncompress the file. Yet another drawback to NTFS compression is that it is incompatible with the Encrypting File System (EFS) NTFS attribute introduced in Windows 2000. You can enable either the file compression attribute or the file encryption attribute, but not both.
For more information about EFS, see “Encrypting File System,” p. 141.
Windows Server 2003 still has the NTFS file compression attribute, just like previous versions do. However, it now has the new Compressed Folders feature. This feature is more akin to third-party compression utilities such as WinZip or its earlier cousin PKZIP. As shown in Figure 3.1, Compressed Folders is implemented as a pop-up menu option. Just select the files or folders you want to compress, right-click, select Send To, and then select Compressed (Zipped) Folder.
Figure 3.1. Right-click a file or folder to create a Zip file with the new Compressed Folders feature.
This creates a separate (Zip) file containing all the files and folders you selected. You can use this new feature to individually compress files and folders for archival purposes. Unlike NTFS file compression, though, user intervention is required to compress and uncompress the files with this method. It really creates compressed copies of the file(s), whereas NTFS compression compresses the original file. Additionally, because it is a utility doing the compression and not a file-level attribute, you can compress any file or folder—even those on FAT partitions. The true benefit is the ability to take the Zip archive that is created and move it elsewhere, such as across the network. This gives you the capability to transport the files in a compressed format. You can then use this to minimize your network traffic when copying the archive to another location or make it small enough to fit on some other archival media, such as CD-ROM, Zip, or floppy disk, for transport elsewhere. These are just a couple examples of the uses of compressed files. Another common use is to compress multiple files and wrap them up in a single package, which is particularly useful for emailing large documents or pictures to friends or support personnel.
Note
For a comparison of the Compressed Folders feature and third-party compression utilities such as WinZip, go to the book's product page at www.informit.com/store/product.aspx?isbn=0789728494. Click the Extras tab and locate article ID# A010301.
Windows XP and now Windows Server 2003 provide built-in support for CD burners. Not only do they recognize CD drives and have a built-in database of CD-R and CD-RW drivers, but they also provide built-in methods for writing to the CD drives.
Windows Server 2003 has drag-and-drop support for burning CDs, which means you can create data CDs simply by dragging the files to the drive letter of your CD burner. A balloon pops up in the Notification Area (formerly know as the system tray) to let you know you have files waiting to be written to the CD. Clicking the balloon brings up the view of the CD drive, as shown in Figure 3.2.
You can add and remove files to this list. To remove all pending files, click Delete Temporary Files under the CD Writing Tasks section. When you've arranged all your files and are ready to burn the files to CD, simply click Write These Files to CD under CD Writing Tasks on the left. This launches the CD Writing Wizard, which allows you to choose a CD label to name your CD and then physically writes the files to a blank CD in your CD-R or CD-RW drive. As you can see in Figure 3.3, when the wizard is finished writing the files, you can choose to make another copy of the CD. Also, notice that the CD burning software was developed under license from Roxio, Inc., the makers of CD Creator.
Figure 3.3. Choosing to make another copy on this screen saves time because the initial preparation is already done.
Note
For a comparison of the CD burning feature and third-party utilities such as Nero Burning ROM and CD Creator, go to the book's product page at www.informit.com/store/product.aspx?isbn=0789728494. Click the Extras tab and locate article ID# A010302.
Another method for burning CDs is to simply select the files and right-click, which brings up a pop-up menu. As shown in Figure 3.4, if you move the mouse over Send To, the menu extends and you can select CD-RW Drive(E:), where CD-RW Drive(E:) is the name and drive letter of your CD-R or CD-RW drive. This brings up the view of the files temporarily copied to CD as before, allowing you to add and remove files and then launch the CD Writing Wizard as before, when you are ready to create the CD.
In addition to being able to create your own data CDs, built-in support is available for creating audio CDs. You can use Windows Media Player to create your own audio CDs by doing the following:
Open Windows Media Player.
Create a new playlist.
Open and select MP3 files to add to your playlist, rearranging them as necessary.
Click Copy to CD or Device.
Select your playlist, and perform any last-minute reorganizations as necessary.
Click the Copy Music button in the upper-right corner.
In most cases, I wouldn't recommend using your servers for creating music CDs, unless you have a server dedicated to the task, because the overhead impacts other processes, but it's there if you need it.
Other new features introduced by Windows XP that are now incorporated in Windows Server 2003 include two features for remotely controlling users' workstations: Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance. Both Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance use the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) for communicating between local and remote systems.
The term Remote Desktop is somewhat deceptive and can be confusing. There are actually two components to Remote Desktop—the client-side component (Remote Desktop Connection) and the server-side component (Remote Desktop for Administration). These two pieces are just a rename of the previous Terminal Services client and Terminal Services server from previous versions of Windows.
For more information about Remote Desktop, see “Remote Desktop for Administration,” p. 180.
The main point here is that with Remote Desktop for Administration enabled, you can remotely connect to your Windows Server 2003 (or Windows XP) machines by using the Remote Desktop Connection (or any other Terminal Services client) and obtain a graphical interface as if you were physically at the server. This can be done whether anyone is at the server or not.
Remote Assistance is similar to Remote Desktop, but it is designed primarily for helping someone who is physically at the box. As such, it has some significant differences. First, and probably most important, Remote Assistance is totally user (client-side) driven. The sessions are initiated by the user, and the decision to allow someone to remotely take control is determined by the user. Second, to protect the user, Remote Assistance imposes time restrictions on the length of the remote control session.
Just like Remote Desktop, Remote Assistance needs to be enabled before it can be used. Remote Assistance is enabled from the Remote tab of System properties. Simply select Turn on Remote Assistance and Allow Invitations to be Sent from This Computer.
Remote Assistance is part of the Help and Support Center. To access it, select Help and Support from the Start menu. In the Help and Support Center, click Support. Next, select Get Remote Assistance. To initiate the Remote Assistance process, the user must select Invite Someone to Help You. The following are three methods by which a user can send the invitation:
Instant message—. Uses Windows Messenger to send the invitation to the helper. Unlike Windows XP, Windows Messenger is not installed by default on Windows Server 2003. To send an invitation via Windows Messenger, Internet access is required.
Email—. Sends the invitation to the helper via email. The user fills in the address of the helper and sends the email. When the helper receives the email, she simply clicks the link to open a session. To send by email, some type of email application (such as Outlook or Outlook Express) needs to be installed. Outlook Express is installed by default.
File—. This method specifies a file location to save the invitation file. The file location must be accessible to both the user (to create the invitation) and the helper (to open and use it).
No matter which method is used to create the invitation, the user also specifies the duration (in hours) of how long the invitation is good. The invitation is then used by the helper to connect to the user's machine. After the interval for the invitation expires, it is no longer good for accessing the machine. Further protection of the invitation can be provided by specifying a password. Of course, the password must be communicated to the helper somehow so she can open the invitation. The process works like this:
The user configures and sends an invitation to the helper.
The helper receives the invitation and clicks the URL or opens the file to respond.
As shown in Figure 3.5, the user is prompted to allow the helper to connect.
After the user accepts, the helper can see the user's desktop and send and receive chat messages, as shown in Figure 3.6.
Once connected, the user and helper can exchange files, but it is still user driven. If the helper initiates sending a file, the user must accept it and designate where to store it.
The helper can request to take control of the user's desktop (see Figure 3.7).
If desired, the user can allow the helper to take control. This then gives the helper access to the user's desktop, but the user can still see what the helper is doing.
Consistent with giving the user full power over the remote control session, the user can cancel the remote control session at any time simply by pressing the Esc key. It's sort of a fail-safe to give the user a warm fuzzy. If the helper starts doing something the user doesn't like, the user can just press Esc.
Quite frankly, the Remote Assistance model is designed more for end user desktops. As such, it will probably be used more in Windows XP than in Windows Server 2003. Chances are the user and the help desk support personnel will be running Windows XP instead of Windows Server 2003. You wouldn't ordinarily have anyone logged and sitting at the server console to send and respond to Remote Assistance messages. Remote Desktop for Administration is the more viable remote control console for the server platform because it enables administrators to connect to the server without anyone being there, just like the former Terminal Services.
Traditionally, Microsoft has increasingly added new features to enhance the desktop user's experience, and Windows Server 2003 is no exception. A number of new display settings and effects are available for customizing the look and feel of the desktop in Windows Server 2003. Historically, settings that enhance the user experience have had the potential to degrade performance and as such are not appropriate on a server platform. In Windows Server 2003, although these settings exist, a lot of them are either disabled by default or can be disabled relatively easily. For example, the default desktop is blank—there is no flashy background wallpaper, just the standard blue Windows desktop.
One of the first things you will probably notice when you log on to Windows Server 2003 is that there is nothing on the desktop (except the Recycle Bin). Where did everything go? All the icons formerly on the desktop have been moved to the Start menu, although you can adjust the display settings to put some of them back on the desktop.
In addition, several settings are available for enhancing the behavior of menus and windows that can unnecessarily impact performance, such as animating windows when maximizing and minimizing, fading menus into view, and so on.
Fortunately for the server platform where minimizing such performance degradations is of concern, a single location is provided to modify these settings based on their impact to server performance. On the Advanced tab of the System control panel applet is a Performance section. Clicking the Settings button brings up the Performance Options window shown in Figure 3.8.
As you can see, you have the option to manually enable or disable each of the various display settings, or you can choose a single radio button to optimize for performance.
At first glance, it looks like the entire Start menu has been rearranged. In actuality, as you can see in Figure 3.9, the Start menu has been broken down into the following sections:
Pinned Programs—. This section allows you to “pin” shortcuts for easy access right off the Start menu. By default, it contains shortcuts for the Manage Your Server Wizard and Windows Explorer. You can also add the special desktop shortcuts for Internet or email applications, such as Internet Explorer or Outlook, or any other shortcuts you want.
Recently Used Programs—. This section is similar to the former Documents section, except it contains a list of all recently used programs, such as Command Prompt, Active Directory Users and Computers, and the like, as shown in Figure 3.9. You can specify how many recently used items will appear by modifying the Start menu properties.
All Programs Menu—. This section contains the items that were formerly on the Programs menu, including Windows Update and any installed programs, as well as user-added shortcuts at the root of the Start menu.
Standard Folders—. This section contains the items that were formerly on the desktop, such as My Computer, My Documents, My Network Places, and My Recent Documents, if enabled. By default, only My Computer is displayed.
Control Panel—. This section contains the Control Panel applet, Administrative Tools, Printers and Faxes, and potentially other control panel items (such as Network Connections and so on).
Default Utilities—. This section contains most of the former Start menu items, including Run, Search, and Help (now called the Help and Support).
These sections can be modified by customizing the Start menu and Taskbar properties. Follow these steps:
Right-click anywhere on the taskbar or Start menu, and select Properties.
Select the Start Menu tab; then click the Customize button next to the Start Menu radio button.
On the General tab of the Customize Start Menu screen, you can modify the number of programs that appear in the Recently Used Programs section as well as select the Internet and email application to display in the Pinned Programs section.
Select the Advanced tab, where you can choose which items to display in each of the other sections—for example, whether to show Administrative Tools and Network Connections. You can also specify to display recently opened documents, such as the former Documents Start Menu item. One final setting on this tab is the option labeled Highlight Newly Installed Programs (or not). This setting causes a balloon to pop up over the Start menu notifying you when a new application has been installed. The pop-up balloon can be somewhat annoying, but it also highlights the new application in a different color on the Start menu, making it easier to find.
As you have seen in this chapter, several user interface and functionality improvements have been made in the Windows Server 2003 shell. Most of these improvements were first introduced in the corresponding client platform, Windows XP. As such, many of them, such as Remote Assistance, are more appropriate for the client platform. However, they do provide a potentially richer user experience, even for the bleary-eyed administrator still logged on to the server at 3 a.m. Some of them, such as compressed folders, provide utilitarian functionality previously available only through third-party add-ons. One nice thing about all these new features is that they are not being forced down your throat. You can enable or disable most of these settings and customize your environment the way you like. If you don't like the minimal functionality provided by compressed folders and CD burning, you can still purchase the third-party solutions.