12.1 Windows System Tools

Windows Update

A Microsoft service for Windows that automates downloading and installing software updates over a network or the internet.

Sync Center

A Windows feature that allows you to keep information in sync between your computer and files stored in folders on network servers.

Device Manager

A Windows tool for managing computer hardware.

Control Panel

A Windows utility program that contains tools called applets that are used to manage hardware, software, users, and the system.

Microsoft Register Server

A command line tool that registers .dll files as command components in the registry.

Explorer

A file manager application that comes with Microsoft Windows. This function is also known as File Explorer or Windows Explorer.

Service

A program that processes requests from other applications or users.

System Restore

A recovery tool for Microsoft Windows that allows you to reverse certain changes made to the operating system.

Microsoft Terminal Services Client

A remote management service that allows users to take control of remote computers over a network connection.

Windows Firewall

A security application created by Microsoft and built into Windows.

Services

A service is a program that processes requests from other applications or users. Services can start automatically and stay constantly running in the background, waiting for service requests. Use the Services snap-in to view and manage running services. The service startup behavior determines how the service is started. • When set to Automatic, the service is started automatically by Windows when the system boots. • When set to Manual, the service must be manually started. • When Disabled, the service will not run.

Notepad

A simple text editor for Microsoft Windows and a basic text editing program that enables computer users to create documents.

Microsoft Registry Editor

A tool for modifying entries in the Windows registry.

DxDiag

A tool that shows information related to DirectX operation.

Disk Management

A utility built into Windows that is used to create, delete, and format partitions.

Disk Defragmenter

A utility in Microsoft Windows designed to increase access speed by rearranging files stored on a disk to occupy contiguous storage locations.

Task Manager

A utility that comes with Microsoft Windows to allow users and administrators to do various tasks and perform system administration.

Services Console

A utility used by Windows to stop, start, and manage background services used by Windows and applications.

Process

An instance of a computer program that is being executed.

Appearance and Personalization

Appearance and Personalization is used to configure navigation properties, modify the behavior of input and display devices to accommodate users with special needs, specify single or double click options, show or hide hidden files, and add or remove fonts on the computer.

Clock, Language, and Region

Clock, Language, and Region contains settings to configure various items such as language preference, default currency symbols, and date and time notation.

Computer Management

Computer Management is a saved MMC console that includes common snap-ins used to manage your computer. Some common ways to start Computer Management include: · Right-click Start and select Computer Management. · Search for Computer Management.

Microsoft Management Console (MMC)

Description The Microsoft Management Console (MMC) is a framework that provides a common user interface for performing system administration tasks. Management of a set of related features is done by adding snap-ins to the console. The MMC provides the shell for running these snap-ins, while the snap-ins provide the details for performing specific management tasks. Microsoft provides snap-ins for managing: · Local Users and Groups · Device Manager · Disk Management · Print Management · Component Services · Windows Firewall with Advanced Security To open a blank console, type mmc in the Run box (Press Windows+R). You can then add snap-ins to work with the configuration of your system. The console consists of three panes: · The tree pane (on the left) organizes objects in a hierarchy. · The results pane (in the middle) shows objects and configuration options. · The actions pane (on the right) lists the actions you can take on objects. You can save a console that includes the snap-ins you use most (saved consoles have the .msc extension). Microsoft provides a number of preconfigured consoles that include snap-ins for common tasks.

Disk Defragmenter

Disk Defragmenter is a utility in Microsoft Windows designed to increase access speed by rearranging files stored on a disk to occupy contiguous storage locations. The process of doing this is called defragmentation.

DirectX Diagnostic Tool (DxDiag)

DxDiag is a tool that shows information related to DirectX operation. DirectX is a set of programming interfaces for multimedia (video and audio). DxDiag displays information such as: • Operating system version • Processor and memory information • DirectX version • Settings and drivers used by display devices • Audio drivers • Input devices (mouse, keyboard, USB)

Ease of Access

Ease of Access is used to optimize visual display, modify sound and visual cues, change mouse and keyboard settings, and set up speech recognition or a microphone.

Advanced Security

Everyday configuration tasks for the Windows Firewall are completed using the Windows Firewall applet in Control Panel. However, advanced firewall configuration tasks can be performed using an MMC snap-in called Windows Firewall with Advanced Security. Windows Firewall with Advanced Security supports a more granular firewall configuration than can be created using the Windows Firewall applet in Control Panel. For example, it can filter traffic based on parameters such as: • Source IP address • Destination IP address • Port number • ICMP protocol

Explorer

Explorer, or called File Explorer and formerly Windows Explorer, is a file manager application that comes with Microsoft Windows. File Explorer's main purpose is to let you view, open, copy, move, and otherwise manage your files and folders.

Hardware and Sound

Hardware and Sound is used to view and configure the current system sound settings, installed audio devices, sound cards, printer settings, and other hardware settings.

Microsoft Register Server (Regsvr32.exe)

Microsoft Register Server is a command-line tool that registers .dll files as command components in the registry.

Microsoft Registry Editor (Regedit.exe)

Microsoft Registry Editor is a tool for modifying entries in the Windows registry. The registry is a database that holds hardware, software, and user configuration settings. • Whenever a change is made to preferences, software, hardware, and user-settings, those changes are stored and reflected in the registry. • The preferred method of modifying the registry is to use the applications or management tools that write to the registry. For example, many Control Panel applets make changes to registry settings. • There will be some advanced settings that can be made only by directly editing the registry.

Network and Internet

Network and Sharing Center is used to view network status, connect to a network, and to view network computers and devices. Internet Options in Network & Internet contain the following tabs and they are used to: · General tab to modify your browser home page, startup window, tabs, history, and appearance. · Security tab to determine your security zone and · Privacy tab to manage website privacy and enable and disable pop-ups and InPrivate Browsing. · Content tab to view certificate, AutoComplete, and Feeds and Web Slices settings. · Connections tab to set up an Internet connection. · Programs tab to manage your default browser, add-ons, and other internet programs and file associations. · Advanced tab to set and reset advanced browser settings.

Notepad

Notepad is a simple text editor for Microsoft Windows and a basic text-editing program which enables computer users to create documents. Notepad can be launched from the Start button, Windows Accessories, and selecting Notepad.

Performance Monitor

Performance Monitor displays statistics that tell you about the operation of your computer. · A counter identifies a specific statistic, such as % Processor Time or % Disk Free Space. · You can add or remove counters to customize the statistics you can see. · Real-time data are displayed in a graph. · Performance Monitor by itself does not save any data. To save statistics over time, use a data collector set.

Programs

Programs is used to uninstall programs, turn Windows features on or off, view installed updates, run programs from previous versions of Windows, get additional programs, and change default settings for media and devices.

Reliability Monitor

Reliability Monitor maintains historical data that describe the operating system's stability. · Overall system stability is given a stability index that ranges from 1 to 10 (10 being the most stable). The stability rating is affected by application, hardware, Windows, and other failures. · Reliability Monitor shows an historical chart that identifies when software installs/uninstalls and failures have occurred. By clicking on a day, you can view the changes to the system that have affected its stability.

System Restore

System Restore is a recovery tool for Microsoft Windows that allows you to reverse certain changes made to the operating system. System Restore is used to return important Windows files and settings which might include drivers, registry keys, system files, and installed programs back to previous settings and versions.

App History

The App History tab is used to monitor Windows Store apps running on the system.

MSConfig - Boot

The Boot tab will show you the operating system that is installed on the computer. The tab contains some of the following options: · Boot Options allow the user to select options such as Safe boot along with some additional options · Timeout specifies the amount of seconds that Windows will wait in the Boot menu before loading the operating system, with the default being 30 seconds

Details

The Details tab is used to view the status of all current processes running on the computer, and the CPU and memory resources they use. Use this tab to modify the priority of a process or terminate unwanted processes.

MSConfig - General

The General tab is displayed by default when the System Configuration Utility is opened. There are three options under the General tab: · Normal Startup is used to load all device drivers and services when Windows starts up · Diagnostic Startup will load only the basic devices and services and is similar to starting Windows in safe mode · Selective Startup allows the user to choose in more detail what should start with Windows

MSTSC

The Microsoft Terminal Services Client is a remote management service. Mstsc.exe is the executable file that opens the Microsoft Terminal Services Client. The Microsoft Terminal Services Client, which is Remote Desktop Services, is a component of Microsoft Windows that allows users to take control of remote computers over a network connection. The three Windows components that use RDS are Windows Remote Assistance, Remote Desktop Connection, and Fast User Switching.

Performance

The Performance tab is used to view system-wide processor, memory, disk, and network statistics.

Processes

The Processes tab is used to view the status of all current applications running on the computer. Use this tab to terminate unresponsive applications.

MSConfig - Services

The Services tab displays all the Services configured to start up, when the operating system boots up. Uncheck services that you do not want Windows to start.

Services

The Services tab is used to view a list of services running on the computer. You can use this tab to start and stop a particular service.

Startup

The Startup tab is used to enable or disable applications that start automatically when the system boots.

MSConfig - Tools

The Tools tab will show you various utilities and tools that you can launch directly from the System Configuration Utility to the various tools available in Windows.

Users

The Users tab is used to monitor users currently logged on to the system.

Windows Memory Diagnostics

The Windows Memory Diagnostic tests the Random Access Memory (RAM) on your computer for errors. This utility is not included with Windows and must be downloaded from Microsoft's Online Crash Analysis website.

exit

The exit command ends the current command prompt session and closes the Command Prompt window.

expand

The expand command is used to expand compressed .cab files. • expand -d [source_file] displays the contents of the specified .cab file. • expand [source_file] [destination] expands all the files in the specified .cab file to the chosen destination. • expand [source_file] f:[filename] [destination] extracts a single file from the specified .cab file to the chosen destination.

gpresult

The gpresult command displays Group Policy settings and Resultant Set of Policy (RSOP) for a user or a computer. • /s computer specifies the name or IP address of a remote computer. (Do not use backslashes.) The default is the local computer. • /u domain \ user runs the command with the account permissions of the user that is specified by user or domain\user. The default is the permissions of the current logged-on user on the computer that issues the command. • /p password specifies the password of the user account that is specified in the /u parameter. • /user target_user name specifies the user name of the user whose RSOP data is to be displayed. • /scope { user | computer } displays either user or computer results. Valid values for the /scope parameter are user or computer. If you omit the /scope parameter, gpresult displays both user and computer settings. • /v specifies that the output display verbose policy information. • /z specifies that the output display all available information about Group Policy. Because this parameter produces more information than the /v parameter, redirect output to a text file when you use this parameter (for example, gpresult /z >policy.txt). • /? displays help at the command prompt. To run the gpresult command, use the following syntax: • gpresult [/s computer [/u domain\user /p password]] [/user target_user name] [/scope {user|computer}] [/v] [/z]

gpupdate

The gpupdate command refreshes local and Active Directory-based Group Policy settings, including security settings. • /target: { computer | user } processes only the computer settings or the current user settings. By default, both the computer settings and the user settings are processed. • /force ignores all processing optimizations and reapplies all settings. • /wait: value identifies the number of seconds that policy processing waits to finish. The default is 600 seconds. 0 means "no wait"; -1 means "wait indefinitely." • /logoff logs off after the refresh has completed. This is required for those Group Policy client-side extensions that do not process on a background refresh cycle but that do process when the user logs on, such as user software installation and folder redirection. This option has no effect if there are no extensions called that require the user to log off. • /boot restarts the computer after the refresh has completed. This is required for those Group Policy client-side extensions that do not process on a background refresh cycle but that do process when the computer starts up, such as computer software installation. This option has no effect if there are no extensions called that require the computer to be restarted. • /? displays help at the command prompt. To run the gpupdate command, use the following syntax: • gpupdate [/target:{computer|user}] [/force] [/wait:value] [/logoff] [/boot]

mstsc

The mstsc command is used to establish a remote desktop session with another computer. To run the mstsc command, use the following syntax: • mstsc /v:[server_ip]

shutdown

The shutdown command is used to shutdown local and remote systems. The following options can be used with the shutdown command: • /i opens the Remote Shutdown Dialog graphical interface window. • /l logs off the current user from the local system. • /r shuts down and restarts the local computer. • /h causes the computer to hibernate. • /t [xx] sets a delay time (in seconds) before the computer shuts down.

Open Database Connectivity ODBC

The standard application programming interface for accessing database management systems (DBMS).

taskkill

The taskkill command is used to end running processes. • taskkill /im [image_name] kills the specified process by using its image name (e.g., mspaint.exe). • taskkill /PID [pid_number] kills the specified process by using its PID (e.g., 3572). Sometimes a process will not respond the taskkill command. If this is the case, use the /f option with the command, which forces the process to close.

tasklist

The tasklist command displays a list of the processes that are currently running on the system. The output of the tasklist command includes a process ID (PID) that can be used to end the process.

Event Viewer

Use Event Viewer to view logs about programs, system events, and security. Each entry is listed as a warning, error, or information event. Events are added to the following logs: · The Application log contains a list of all application-related events such as application installations, un-installations, and application errors. · The System log contains a list of all system-related events such as system modifications, malfunctions, and errors. · The Security log contains a list of all security-related events such as security modifications and user login events. Additional logs might be added by applications or services.

System Information (Msinfo32.exe)

Use System Information to view hardware and configuration information for your computer. While much of this information is available through other tools, System Information provides a single location for viewing information such as: · Operating system version · Computer manufacturer, processor type, available memory · Installed devices and drivers used · Running tasks · Applications that run at system startup You can only view, not modify, configuration settings in System Information.

Command Prompt

Use the Command Prompt to execute command-line commands. To open a command prompt, • On the taskbar, type CMD into the Search box. • From the Start menu, go to Windows System and select Command Prompt. Some commands launched from the command line require elevated privileges to run. If this is the case, run Command Prompt as Administrator.

User Accounts

User Accounts is used to view and modify user accounts, give users access to the computer, change account types, manage web credentials, and manage windows credentials.

Windows Update

Windows Update is a Microsoft service for Windows. It automates downloading and installing software updates over a network or the internet.

MSConfig - Startup

With Windows 10, the Startup tab in System Configuration Utility displays a shortcut to the Startup tab in Task Manager.

Data Sources

You use the ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) Data Source Administrator to create and manage ODBC data sources. To open the ODBC Data Source Administrator in Windows 10, do the following: 1. Select Start. 2. Select Windows System. 3. Select Control Panel. 4. In Control Panel, select System and Security. 5. Select Administrative Tools. 6. In Administrative Tools, select Data Sources (ODBC).

System and Security

· Security and Maintenance is used to review recent error messages and options for resolving issues. · Windows Defender Firewall is used to check firewall status and allow apps through the Windows Firewall. · System allows you to view RAM and processor speed, remote access, remote assistance, or to see the computer name. · Power Options is used to change battery settings, change what the power buttons do, or change when the computer sleeps. · File History is used to save backup copies of your files and to restore your files. · Backup and Restore (Windows 7) is used to backup and restore with the legacy Windows 7 backup utility and to restore files using the legacy Windows 7 backup utility. · BitLocker Drive Encryption is used to manage BitLocker settings and protect your files and folders from unauthorized access. · Storage Spaces is used to save files to two or more drives to help protect you from drive failure. · Work Folders is used to make your work files available on all devices you use, even when offline. · Administrative Tools is used to clean up hard disk space, run defragmenter, optimize drives, format disks, view event logs, and schedule tasks.