Task scheduler:

• Used to automate events such as batch files, scripts and system backups.

• Tasks are stored in the Scheduled Tasks folder in Control Panel.

• Running task with a user name and password allows an account with therequired rights to perform the task instead of an administrative account.

• Set security for a task by group or user.

Using offline files

• Offline files replaces My Briefcase and works a lot like Offline Browsing in IE5 and above.

• By default, offline files are stored in the %systemroot%\CSC (Client Side Caching) directory.

• Share a folder and set its caching to make it available offline. There are three types of caching:

o manual caching for documents - default setting. Users must specify which docs they want available when working offline

o automatic caching for documents - all files opened by a user are cached on his local hard disk for offline use - older versions on a user’s machine automatically replaced by newer versions from the file share when they exist

o automatic caching for programs -same as above, but for programs

• When synchronizing, if you have edited an offline file and another user has also edited the same file, you will be prompted to keep and rename your copy, overwrite your copy with the network version, or to overwrite the network version and lose the other user's changes (a wise SysAdmin will give only a few key people write access to this folder or everyone's work will get messed up).

• Using Synchronization Manager, you can specify which items are synchronized, using which network connection, and when synchronization occurs (at logon, logoff, and when computer is idle).

• The Offline Files feature is not compatible with a feature called Fast User Switching (discussed later).

Performance Console:

• Important objects are cache (file system cache used to buffer physical device data), memory (physical and virtual/paged memory on system), physicaldisk (monitors hard disk as a whole), logicaldisk (logical drives, stripe sets and spanned volumes), and processor (monitors CPU load).

• Processor - % Processor Time counter measures time CPU spends executing a non-idle thread. If it is continually at or above 80%, CPU upgrade is recommended.

• Processor - Processor Queue Length - more than 2 threads in queue indicates CPU is a bottleneck for system performance.

• Processor - % CPU DPC Time (deferred procedure call) measures software interrupts.

• Processor - % CPU Interrupts/Sec measures hardware interrupts. If processor time exceeds 90% and interrupts/time exceeds 15%, check for a poorly written driver (bad drivers can generate excessive interrupts) or else upgrade the CPU.

• Logical disk - Disk Queue Length - if averaging more than 2, drive access is a bottleneck. Upgrade disk, hard drive controller, or implement stripe set.

• Physical disk - Disk Queue Length - same as above.

• Physical disk - % Disk Time- if above 90%, move data/pagefile to another drive or upgrade drive.

• Memory - Pages/sec - more than 20 pages per second is a lot of paging - add more RAM.

• Memory - Committed bytes - should be less than amount of RAM in computer.

• diskperf - physical disk counters are enabled by default, but you will have to type diskperf -yv at a command prompt to enable logical disk counters for logical drives or storage volumes.

Performance Alerts and Logs:

• Alert logs are like trace logs, but they only log an event, send a message, or run a program when a user-defined threshold has been exceeded

• Counter logs record data from local/remote systems on hardware usage and system service activity

• Trace logs are event driven and record monitored data such as disk I/O or page faults

• By default, log files are stored in the \Perflogs folder in the system's boot partition

• Save logs in CSV (comma separated value) or TSV (tab separated value) format for import into programs like Excel

• CSV and TSV must be written all at once, they do not support logs that stop and start. Use Binary (.BLG) for logging that is written intermittently

• Logging is used to create a baseline for future reference

Virtual memory/Paging file

• Recommended minimum paging file size is 1.5 times the amount of RAM installed. A system with 64 MB should have a 96 MB page file. Maximum page file size should not exceed 2.5 times the amount of RAM installed.

• Set through Control Panel > System applet > Advanced tab > Performance Options > Change.

• The most efficient paging file is spread across several drives, but is not on the system or boot partitions.

• Maximum registry size can also be changed through the Virtual Memory dialog box.

Hardware profiles

• Created to store different sets of configuration settings to meet a user’s different needs (usually used with portables) such as whether a computer is docked or undocked.

• User selects the desired profile at Windows XP startup.

• Profiles are created through Control Panel > System applet > Hardware tab > Hardware Profiles.

• Devices are enabled and disabled in particular profiles through their properties in the Device Manager snap-in.

Data recovery

• Windows XP Backup is launched through Control Panel > System applet > Backup or by running ntbackup from the Start menu.

• Users can back up their own files and files they have read, execute, modify,or full control permission for.

• Users can restore files they have write, modify or full control permission for.

• Administrators and Backup Operators can backup and restore all files regardless of permissions.

• System state information (system registry and COM objects) can be backed up using by selecting System State information in ntbackup or by using the systemstate command from the command line.

The Windows XP Registry:

This is a database that stores Windows XP configuration information for all installed software, hardware and users in a hierarchical structure. Consists of five main subtrees:

• HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT - holds software configuration data, file associations and object linking and embedding (OLE) data

• HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG - holds data on active hardware profile extracted from SOFTWARE and SYSTEM hives

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER - contains data about current user extracted from HKEY_USERS, and additional info pulled down from Windows authentication

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE - contains all local computer hardware, software, device driver and startup information. Remains constant regardless of the user

• HKEY_USERS - holds data for user identities and environments, custom settings, etc.

Windows 2000 supported two different registry editing tools:

• The Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe) has a read-only mode, a security menu, and supports the REG_EXPAND_SZ and REG_MULTI_SZ data types as well as the ability to set permissions.

• Regedit.exe does not. Registry Editor automatically saves changes as they are made.

The functionality of both regedit.exe and regedt32.exe has been combined into one tool under Windows XP. Typing the name of either executable into the run dialog brings up the same registry editing tool now.

Secondary Logon Service (Run As):

• Similar to the SU (Super User) command in UNIX

• Used to test settings using a particular user account while logged in with adifferent account

• Select the application icon using a single left-click, hold down the Shift key and right-click the icon. When the pop-up menu appears, click Run As. This brings up a dialog box titled "Run program as other user" - enter your credentials and click OK