- Installation
- Minimum requirements
for NT Workstation 4.0:
- 110M Free disk
space
- 12M RAM (w/
Intel processor)
- 16M RAM (w/
RISC processor)
- 486-DX33
- CD-ROM (if
not installing over network)
- VGA compatible
display
- Windows NT Setup
- WINNT32.EXE is
used to upgrade only from a previous version of Windows NT.
WINNT.EXE is used
for the regular Windows NT setup, or an installation through DOS or
Windows 95.
Upgrading from
Windows 3.1x or a previous version of NT will keep all user, network
and program settings.
There are no conversion
options from Windows 95 to Windows NT that will allow you to maintain
user settings. To dual boot between the two, install NT in a separate
directory and reinstall all your applications.
Command modifiers
for installation:
/B |
Put boot files on hard drive instead of using boot floppies
(takes an extra 4-5MB of hard disk space). |
/S |
Specify source file location(s) - multiple locations will
speed up installation. |
/U |
Specify answer file location for use with unattended installation
- MUST be used with /s to specify source file location(s). |
/T |
Specifies location of temp directory created for install
(/t:<path>). |
/OX |
Create the setup disks from CD-ROM or shared network folder.
Used to replace damaged boot disks. |
/F |
Don't verify files. Can speed up installation. |
/C |
Don't check for free space when creating boot disks. |
/I |
Specify setup information (.inf) file. This file tells setup
how to run. The default name is DOSNET.INF. |
- Answer file -
Used when performing unattended installs. Provides information
that would normally be answered by the user during setup. Default
name is UNATTEND.TXT.
- UDF (Uniqueness
Database File) - Used in conjunction with the answer file when performing
unattended installs. Provides information for settings that are user
or group specific. Default name is $UNIQUE$.UDF.
To uninstall NT
on a FAT partition, you will need to boot to DOS, run SYS.COM, and
remove the WINNT directory and files.
- Application
Support
-
- SYSDIFF - Used
to install applications. Takes a snapshot of your system before and
after the installation, and makes note of all files that were added
or modified during the installation. It then uses this snapshot for
automated program installation to other systems.
- NTVDM (NT Virtual
DOS Machine) - Provides a virtual environment for DOS applications.
Allows each application to run in its own memory space. Each DOS application
will run in its own VDM.
- WOW (Win16 on
Win32) NTVDM - Provides a virtual environment for 16-bit Windows applications.
By default, 16-bit Windows applications all run in the same address
space in the same NTVDM.
16-bit Windows
programs can be run in their own VDM. Click Start, Run.
Choose the application you would like to run, then check the Run
in Separate Memory Space box, and click OK. However,
doing this requires more overhead - approximately 2MB per VDM.
A 16-bit Windows
program that uses DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) does not have to run
in the default Win16VDM.
NT schedules
threads to run by using application priorities. Application threads
are assigned priorities, and run in order according to their priority
level, from highest (31) to lowest (0).
Average base priority
classes:
24 |
Realtime |
13 |
High |
8 |
Normal |
4 |
Low |
Starting applications
in realtime mode can adversely effect other system processes and
may even slow down total system performance. Because of this, running
in realtime requires administrator or power user rights and is not
generally recommended.
You can change
the priority of a running application by running Task Manager ->
Processes, right clicking the process and selecting "Set Priority."
Foreground application
boost over background applications can be changed with the Control
Panel -> System -> Performance utility.
- Registry
-
Subtrees:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE |
Stores machine-specific information (hardware). |
HKEY_USERS |
Stores information for all users who have ever logged on. |
HKEY_CURRENT_USER |
Stores current user settings. |
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT |
Stores OLE and file association, also tracks information
regarding applications that have been installed. |
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG |
Stores information about the hardware profile used at startup. |
REGEDT32.EXE allows
permissions to be set, but cannot search for values, just keys.
REGEDIT.EXE can
search for keys and values but does not support all data types, security
menu, or a read-only mode.
- Virtual Memory
- Virtual memory
can be controlled in the Control Panel -> System properties under the
Performance tab.
The paging file
size can be in/decreased here, and even distributed across multiple
drives to speed up access.
From here, the
paging file size can be changed and distributed across multiple drives.
The most efficient
paging file is distributed on several drives but not on the boot or
system drive.
The recommended
initial paging file size equals the amount of RAM in the system plus
12MB.
Paging file size
can increase during operation, but will not shrink. Page file size
will be reset when the computer is restarted.
-
Multiple Disk
Sets
Disk Striping |
Divides data into 64k blocks and spreads it equally among
all disks in the array. Needs a minimum of two hard disks. Does
not provide fault tolerance. |
Volume Set |
Merges numerous partitions into one drive mapping. Drives
are read one at a time. Does not provide fault tolerance. |
Speed factors
- Disk striping
will provide the fastest read/write performance as it can read multiple
disks at a time.
- Volume sets are
slow, as only one drive is read at a time.
- File Systems
- NTFS has file
level security, and is faster over 400M, but has a larger overhead (cannot
format a floppy disk with NTFS) and cannot be read by DOS, WIN 3.1,
WIN 3.1.1 or WIN95.
FAT16 is compatible
with MS-DOS & WIN95. (Note: Win95 FAT32 is not NT compatible),
but has no file-level security.
For upgrading NT3.51
HPFS you must convert that partition(s) to NTFS before upgrading
the OS.
NTFS vs. FAT
-
FAT
- Files and directories
on a FAT partition only contain the standard attributes of Archive,
Read-Only, System and Hidden.
- Cannot set local
security access on a FAT volume.
- Can convert
the partition to NTFS by running CONVERT.EXE
- A FAT partition
can be defragmented by booting with a DOS diskette and running DEFRAG.EXE
- File moved from
a FAT partition to an NTFS partition retain their attributes and long-filename.
NTFS
- NTFS partitions
contain the standard attributes, as well as security descriptors basing
file access from file-level security.
- Can set local
security access on an NTFS volume.
- Partition cannot
be converted to FAT. The partition must be deleted and recreated as
a FAT partition.
- NTFS partitions
cannot be defragmented. To defragment an NTFS partition, it must be
formatted and restored from backup.
- Files moved from
an NTFS partition to a FAT partition do not retain their attributes
or security descriptors, but will retain their long filenames.
-
Security
- Share-Level Security
- Governs user accesses a resource through the network. Can be implemented
on NTFS or FAT partitions. Applied through the Sharing tab of the resource's
properties.
File-Level Security
- Governs local user file and folder security on NTFS partitions only.
Applied through the Security tab of the resource's properties.
Share Security
Levels
Full Control |
- Is assigned to the Everyone group by default.
- Allows user to take ownership of files and folders.
- Users can change file access rights.
- Grants user all permissions assigned by the Change and
Read levels.
|
Change |
- User can add and create files.
- Grants ability to modify files.
- User can change the attributes of the file.
- User can delete files.
- Grants user all permissions assigned by the Read level.
|
Read |
- User can display and open files.
- User can display the attributes of the file.
- User can execute program files.
|
No Access |
- User cannot display, access, or modify files.
|
Permissions are
cumulative, except for No Access, which overrides anything.
When a resource
has both File-Level and Share-Level Securities enabled, the most
restrictive security is given to the user.
File permissions
override the permissions of its parent folder.
Anytime a new
file is created, the file will inherit permissions from the target
folder.
Copying within a partition |
Creates a new file resembling the old file. Inherits the
target folders permissions. |
Moving within a partition |
Does not create a new file. Simply updates directory pointers.
File keeps its original permissions. |
Moving across partitions |
Creates a new file resembling the old file, and deletes
the old file. Inherits the target folders permissions. |
To lock the workstation
after a period of idle time, use a screensaver password.
To disable access
to the workstation, but allow programs to continue running, use the
Lock Workstation option (from the CTRL-ALT-DEL dialog box).
To disable access
to the workstation, and not allow programs to continue running, use
the Logoff option (from the CTRL-ALT-DEL dialog box).
Auditing can be
enabled in the User Manager. The Event Viewer is used to view audited
events.
When using Event
Viewer, only local administrators can see the security log, but anyone
(by default) can view other logs.
-
Groups and
Account Managment
- Creating new accounts
requires only two pieces of information: username and password.
Disabling an account
is typically used when someone else will take the users place or when
the user might return.
Delete an account
only when absolutely necessary for space or organization purposes.
When copying a
user account, the new user will stay in the same groups that the old
user was a member of. The user will keep all group rights that were
granted through groups, but lose all individual rights that were granted
specifically for that user.
NT Default Accounts
Backup Operators |
Group designated for members to backup and restore computers
from tape. Backup Operators can only backup and restore from
tape when logged in locally to the computer. This group
is found on all NT Servers. |
Account Operators |
Group designated for members to manage user and group accounts.
This group is found only on Domain Controllers. |
Server Operators |
Group designated for members to manage resources, but cannot
manage user accounts. Can backup and restore from tape. This
group is found only on Domain Controllers. |
Replicator |
Group designated for NT computers to perform directory replication.
This group is found on all NT Servers. |
-
RAS (Remote
Access Services)
- RAS is capable
of using the following connection protocols:
- SLIP - Has
less overhead than PPP, but cannot automatically assign an IP address,
and only uses TCP/IP.
- PPP - Can automatically
assign IP addresses, supports encryption and other protocols besides
TCP/IP.
- RAS - Used
by Windows 3.x and Windows NT 3.x clients.
RAS supports call
back security to either the calling number or to a specified, non-changing
number.
RAS for NT 4.0
supports multilink (the use of more than one modem to achieve higher
transmission speeds). Multilink cannot be used with callback
security unless there are two (or more) ISDN modems configured
on the same phone number.
RAS uses NetBEUI
as the default network protocol, but can also use TCP/IP and IPX/SPX.
TCP/IP will need to be used if you are using programs that utilize
the Windows Sockets (Winsock) interface over the RAS services.
To speed up NetBIOS
resolution on RAS clients, put an LMHOSTS file on each client locally.
RAS encryption
settings
Allow any authentication including clear text |
This will allow RAS to use a number of password authentication
protocols including the Password Authentication Protocol (PAP)
which uses a plain-text password authentication. This option
is useful if you have a number of different types of RAS clients,
or to support third-party RAS clients. |
Require encrypted authentication |
This option will support any authentication used by RAS
except PAP. |
Require Microsoft encrypted authentication |
This option will only make use of Microsoft's CHAP (Challenge
Handshake Authentication Protocol). All Microsoft operating
systems use MS-CHAP by default. |
Require data encryption |
This option will enable the encryption of all data sent
to and from the RAS server. |
RAS will write
to a log file which can be used for troubleshooting RAS services.
In order to enable RAS to write to the log, you have to enable it
in the Registry.
-
Netware
- NWLink (MS's version
of the IPX/SPX protocol) is the protocol used by NT to allow Netware
systems to access its resources.
NWLink is all
that you need to run in order to allow and NT system to run applications
off of a NetWare server.
To allow file
and print sharing between NT and a NetWare server, CSNW (Client Services
for NetWare) must be installed on the NT system.
CSNW print options
Print Banner |
A banner, which states your login ID, the date and time,
will be printed out prior to the job that has been sent to
the printer. |
Print Form Feed |
Feeds a blank piece of paper through the printer after the
print job has printed, in order to separate one user's printed
paper from another user's printed paper. |
Notify When Printed |
After a job has been sent to the printer and has finished
printing, a message will come up on the screen notifying the
user that the print job has completed successfully. |
Gateway Services
for Netware can be implemented on your NT Server to provide a MS client
system to access your Netware server by using the NT Server as a gateway.
Frame types for
the NWLink protocol must match the computer that the NT system is
trying to connect with. Unmatching frame types will cause connectivity
problems between the two systems.
When NWLink is
set to autodetect the frame type, it will only detect one type and
will go in this order: 802.2, 802.3, ETHERNET_II and 802.5 (Token
Ring).
Netware 3 servers
uses Bindery emulation (Preferred Server in CSNW). Netware 4 servers
use NDS (Default Tree and Context.)
There are two
ways to change a password on a netware server - SETPASS.EXE and the
Change Password option (from the CTRL-ALT-DEL dialog box). The Change
Password option is only available to Netware 4.x servers using NDS.
-
Networking
- Computer Name
Resolution:
- DNS (Domain
Name Services) - Used to resolve DNS host name to an IP address.
- WINS (Windows
Internet Naming Service) - Used to resolve NetBIOS computer name
to an IP address.
- HOSTS - File
which contains mappings between DNS host names and their IP addresses.
Must be maintained manually.
- LMHOSTS - File
which contains mappings between NetBIOS computer names and their
IP addresses. Must be maintained manually.
TCP/IP is an internet
protocol currently used for most networking situations. Each computer
using TCP/IP will contain a unique address in a x.x.x.x format
(where each x equals a number between 0 and 255) and a subnet
mask.
Subnet mask -
A value that is used to distinguish the network ID portion of the
IP address from the host ID.
Default gateway
- A TCP/IP address for the host (typically a router) which you would
send packets to, to be sent elsewhere on the network.
Common TCP/IP
problems are caused by incorrect subnet masks and default gateways.
UNIX computers
use the TCP/IP protocol.
NetBEUI is a non-routable
protocol that is used solely by Microsoft O/S's.
Universal Naming
Convention (UNC) - Universal network pathname which is integrated
into Microsoft systems. Named as \\computername\sharename, where computername
= the NetBIOS name of the computer, and sharename = the share name
of the folder.
Trap messages
are sent using SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol).
-
Profiles
- Profiles are the
user settings which are loaded when a user logs in. They can contain
desktop and start menu preferences. These files can be located either
locally or on a server which has been mapped in the User Manager.
NTUser.dat and
*.dat files are the typical, user-configurable profiles used.
NTUser.man and
*.man files are read-only. If the user attempts to configure their
desktop, the *.man file will not be updated. When the user logs in
again, it will restore the original profile.
You may copy profiles
using the User Profiles menu located under Control Panel -> System
Properties.
-
Policies
- Policies take
precedence over profiles.
Individual policies
take precendence over group policies.
Machine policies
take precedence over all policies.
-
Printing
- Microsoft uses
the terminology "Print Device" to refer to the physical piece
of hardware, whereas a "Printer" is a conceptual idea describing
the icon in the Control Panel.
NT 4.0 has the
option to maintain drivers for different operating systems on the
server. Each operating system uses different drivers. For example,
NT 4.0, NT 3.51 and Win95 systems cannot use the same print drivers.
By installing the drivers for each of these types of system on the
print server, each of these tpyes of clients can automatically download
the driver they need without manual installation.
NT clients (3.51
and 4.0) automatically download updated drivers from the server. Win95
machines will initially download print drivers but will not automatically
update to a newer version of the driver. Win 3.1x and DOS clients
must have the drivers installed on each client manually.
- Print Pooling
- Consists of two or more identical print devices associated with
one printer.
- Availability
- This option allows you to specify which hours the printer can be
printed to.
- Priority - This
option specifies which virtual printer should print first if other
virtual printers are trying to print to the same physical printer
at the same time. Priorities range from 1 - 99 with 1 being the lowest
and 99 the highest.
You can select
Restart in the printer's menu to reprint a document. This is useful
when a document is printing and the printer jams. Resume can be
selected to start printing where you left off.
You can change
the directory containing the print spooler in the advanced server
properties for the printer.
To remedy a
stalled spooler, you will need to stop and restart the spooler services
in the Services applet in Control Panel.
Printing to
a TCP/IP printer requires you to know the IP address and printer
name.
The DLC protocol
needs to be installed in order to connect to a HP print server.
The AppleTalk
protocol needs to be installed to communicate with Apple printers.
-
Troubleshooting
- To create a boot
disk, format from the NT workstation you want a boot disk for (Win 95
and DOS will not work), and copy over the following files: NTLDR, NTDETECT.COM,
BOOT.INI and NTBOOTDD.SYS (SCSI only).
To create an Emergency
Repair diskette, you can choose to do so either during the installation
of NT, or you can run RDISK.EXE. When RDISK.EXE is run with the /S
option, the utility backs up user accounts and file security.
To use the Emergency
Repair diskette, you will need to boot the server with the NT installation
boot diskettes, and choose to repair NT with the Emergency Repair
disk that was created.
The Emergency
Repair Process can a) inspect the registry files and return them to
the state on the repair disk, b) inspect the startup environment,
c) verify the system files and d) inspect the boot sector.
To troubleshoot
bootup problems, you can edit the Boot.Ini file and add the /SOS switch
to the end of the Windows NT entries in the [Operating Systems] section
of the Boot.Ini file to display driver names while they are being
loaded. The VGA startup option has /SOS added by default.
Use the Last Known
Good option on bootup to restore the system to a bootable state if
problems arise from switching video drivers or changing registry settings.
Common error codes:
- No system or
boot disk message when trying to dual-boot = BOOTSECT.DOS is corrupt
- Copy single
file non-critical error - could not copy file = Occurs when you
install Windows NT from an unsupported CD-ROM or network drive
- Server stop errors
- In the System Properties -> Startup/Shutdown tab, there are options
to configure where you would like the Server stop errors to be written.
The errors are written to a .DMP file which is readable by the program
DUMPEXAM.EXE. You must have free space in a swapfile on your boot
drive equal to or larger than the amount of physical RAM in your system
in order to generate a dumpfile.
-
ARC Naming
Convention
- The Advanced Risc
Computing (ARC) path is located in the BOOT.INI and is used by NTLDR
to determine which disk contains the operating system.
multi(x) |
Specifies SCSI controller with the BIOS enabled, or non-SCSI
controller.
x=ordinal number of controller. |
scsi(x) |
Defines SCSI controller with the BIOS disabled.
x=ordinal number of controller. |
disk(x) |
Defines SCSI disk which the OS resides on.
When multi is used, x=0. When scsi is used,
x= the SCSI ID number of the disk with the OS. |
rdisk(x) |
Defines disk which the OS resides on. Used when OS does
not reside on a SCSI disk.
x=0-1 if on primary controller. x=2-3 if on multi-channel
EIDE controller. |
partition(x) |
Specifies partition number which the OS resides on.
x=cardinal number of partition, and the lowest possible value
is 1. |
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1).
These are the lowest numbers that an ARC path can have.
-
Performance
Monitor
-
- Memory - add
more RAM if you detect problems with the following:
- Pages/sec -
excessive disk paging. Should not be above 20.
- Available bytes
- virtual memory available. Should not be below 4MB.
- Commited bytes
- memory being used by applications. Should be less than RAM in
computer.
- CPU - upgrade
the processor if you detect problems with the following.
- %Processor
time - amount of time the processor is in use. Upgrade if constantly
over 80%.
- System Object:
Processor Queue Length - should not be over 2.
- Disks - upgrade
hard disk or controller, add another hdd controller to balance the
load, or implement disk striping for multiple I/O channels if receiving
inadequate disk performance.
- %Disk Time
Counter - amount of time the disk is in use. Should not be over
90%.
- Current Disk
Queue Length - files in disk queue. Should not be over 2.
Must run DISKPERF
-Y to enable disk performance counters.
Alert view allows
alerts to be made when the counters surpass the threshold you set.
Log view allows
the tracked objects to be written to a log file. Used to create a
baseline for future reference.
Report view gives
the ability to present a consice report of current statistics.
|