1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and
then click Disk Defragmenter.
Windows XP Professional displays the Disk Defragmenter dialog box.
2. If there are multiple volumes on your computer, select C, and then click Analyze.
3. If Windows XP Professional displays a dialog box, indicating that there is no need
to defragment your volume at this time, click Close, and then read through Steps
6 through 12.
4. If Windows XP Professional displays a Disk Defragmenter dialog box, indicating
that you need to defragment your volume now, click View Report.
5. In the Analysis Report dialog box, scroll through the Volume Information box.
6. Scroll through the Most Fragmented Files box, and then click Save As.
Windows XP Professional displays the Save Defragmentation Report dialog box.
Notice that the default title for the report is VolumeC, and the default location for
the report is in the My Documents folder.
7. Click Save to save the report as VolumeC in the My Documents folder.
You are returned to the Analysis Report dialog box.
8. Click Defragment.
Disk Defragmenter defragments the volume. This process could take a long
time to complete, depending on the size of the volume and the amount of fragmentation.
9. Compare the Analysis Display with the Defragmentation Display.
10. Close Disk Defragmenter.
Leave the Local Disk (C:) Properties dialog box open for the next exercise.
December 3, 2009
How to Run Disk Cleanup
1. In the General tab of the Local Disk (C:) Properties dialog box, click Disk Cleanup.
A Disk Cleanup dialog box appears, indicating that it is calculating how much
space you can free on the C drive.
2. In the Files To Delete list box in the Disk Cleanup For (C:) dialog box, review the
files that Disk Cleanup is recommending you delete.
Security Alert If you started with a clean hard disk and installed Windows XP Professional
in Chapter 2, there might be few, if any, files that Disk Cleanup found to delete. If you
want to delete any files that Disk Cleanup recommends that you delete, make sure that the
files you want to delete are selected (a check mark is in the check box in front of the files),
and then click OK.
3. Click the More Options tab.
4. When would you use the options available in the More Options tab?
5. Click Cancel.
6. Close Disk Cleanup and all open windows.
A Disk Cleanup dialog box appears, indicating that it is calculating how much
space you can free on the C drive.
2. In the Files To Delete list box in the Disk Cleanup For (C:) dialog box, review the
files that Disk Cleanup is recommending you delete.
Security Alert If you started with a clean hard disk and installed Windows XP Professional
in Chapter 2, there might be few, if any, files that Disk Cleanup found to delete. If you
want to delete any files that Disk Cleanup recommends that you delete, make sure that the
files you want to delete are selected (a check mark is in the check box in front of the files),
and then click OK.
3. Click the More Options tab.
4. When would you use the options available in the More Options tab?
5. Click Cancel.
6. Close Disk Cleanup and all open windows.
How Do You Work With Domains
A domain is a logical grouping of network computers that share a central directory
database. A directory database contains user accounts and security
information for the domain. This database, which is known as the directory, is the database
portion of Active Directory service—the Windows 2003 directory service. In a domain, the directory resides on computers that are configured as domain controllers.
A domain controller is a server that manages all security-related aspects of user
and domain interactions, centralizing security and administration
A domain does not refer to a single location or specific type of network configuration.
The computers in a domain can share physical proximity on a small LAN or they can
be located in different corners of the world. They can communicate over any number
of physical connections, including dial-up connections, Integrated Services Digital Network
(ISDN) circuits, Ethernet networks, token ring connections, frame relay networks,
satellite links, and leased lines.
The benefits of a domain include the following:
1. Centralized administration because all user information is stored in the Active
Directory database. This centralization allows users to manage only a single user
name and password, and enables domain administrators to control which users
can access resources on any computer that is a member of the domain.
2. A single logon process for users to gain access to network resources (such as file,
print, and application resources) for which they have permissions. In other words,
you can log on to one computer and use resources on another computer in the
network as long as you have appropriate permissions to access the resource.
3. Scalability, so that you can create very large networks with hundreds or thousands
of computers.
A typical Windows 2003 domain includes the following types of computers:
Domain controllers running Windows Server 2003 Each domain controller
stores and maintains a copy of Active Directory. In a domain, you create a user
account in Active Directory only once. When a user logs on to a computer in the
domain, a domain controller authenticates the user by checking the directory for
the user name, password, and logon restrictions. When there are multiple domain
controllers in a domain, they periodically replicate their directory information so that each domain controller has a copy of Active Directory. Domain controllers do
not maintain a local user database.
Member servers running Windows Server 2003 A member server is a server
that is a member of a domain, but is not configured as a domain controller. A
member server does not store directory information and cannot authenticate users.
Member servers provide shared resources such as shared folders or printers.
Client computers running Windows XP Professional or Windows 2000
Professional Client computers run a user’s desktop environment and allow the
user to gain access to resources in the domain.
database. A directory database contains user accounts and security
information for the domain. This database, which is known as the directory, is the database
portion of Active Directory service—the Windows 2003 directory service. In a domain, the directory resides on computers that are configured as domain controllers.
A domain controller is a server that manages all security-related aspects of user
and domain interactions, centralizing security and administration
A domain does not refer to a single location or specific type of network configuration.
The computers in a domain can share physical proximity on a small LAN or they can
be located in different corners of the world. They can communicate over any number
of physical connections, including dial-up connections, Integrated Services Digital Network
(ISDN) circuits, Ethernet networks, token ring connections, frame relay networks,
satellite links, and leased lines.
The benefits of a domain include the following:
1. Centralized administration because all user information is stored in the Active
Directory database. This centralization allows users to manage only a single user
name and password, and enables domain administrators to control which users
can access resources on any computer that is a member of the domain.
2. A single logon process for users to gain access to network resources (such as file,
print, and application resources) for which they have permissions. In other words,
you can log on to one computer and use resources on another computer in the
network as long as you have appropriate permissions to access the resource.
3. Scalability, so that you can create very large networks with hundreds or thousands
of computers.
A typical Windows 2003 domain includes the following types of computers:
Domain controllers running Windows Server 2003 Each domain controller
stores and maintains a copy of Active Directory. In a domain, you create a user
account in Active Directory only once. When a user logs on to a computer in the
domain, a domain controller authenticates the user by checking the directory for
the user name, password, and logon restrictions. When there are multiple domain
controllers in a domain, they periodically replicate their directory information so that each domain controller has a copy of Active Directory. Domain controllers do
not maintain a local user database.
Member servers running Windows Server 2003 A member server is a server
that is a member of a domain, but is not configured as a domain controller. A
member server does not store directory information and cannot authenticate users.
Member servers provide shared resources such as shared folders or printers.
Client computers running Windows XP Professional or Windows 2000
Professional Client computers run a user’s desktop environment and allow the
user to gain access to resources in the domain.
How to Work with Workgroups
A Windows XP Professional workgroup is a logical grouping of networked computers
that share resources, such as files and printers. A workgroup is also called a peer-topeer
network because all computers in the workgroup can share resources as equals
(peers) without requiring a dedicated server.
Each computer in the workgroup maintains a local security database, which is a list of user
accounts and resource security information for the computer on which it resides. Using a
local security database on each workstation decentralizes the administration of user
accounts and resource security in a workgroup.
Because workgroups have decentralized administration and security, the following are
true:
■ A user must have a user account on a local computer if that user wants to log on
to that computer locally (that is, by sitting down at that computer).
■ Any changes to user accounts, such as changing a user’s password or adding a
new user account, must be made on each computer in the workgroup. If you forget
to add a new user account to one of the computers in your workgroup, the
new user cannot log on to that computer and cannot access resources on it.
Workgroups provide the following advantages:
■ Workgroups do not require a domain controller to hold centralized security information,
making workgroups much simpler to configure and manage.
■ Workgroups are simple to design and implement. Workgroups do not require the
extensive planning and administration that a domain requires.
■ Workgroups provide a convenient networking environment for a limited number
of computers in close proximity. However, a workgroup becomes impractical in
environments with more than 10 computers.
that share resources, such as files and printers. A workgroup is also called a peer-topeer
network because all computers in the workgroup can share resources as equals
(peers) without requiring a dedicated server.
Each computer in the workgroup maintains a local security database, which is a list of user
accounts and resource security information for the computer on which it resides. Using a
local security database on each workstation decentralizes the administration of user
accounts and resource security in a workgroup.
Because workgroups have decentralized administration and security, the following are
true:
■ A user must have a user account on a local computer if that user wants to log on
to that computer locally (that is, by sitting down at that computer).
■ Any changes to user accounts, such as changing a user’s password or adding a
new user account, must be made on each computer in the workgroup. If you forget
to add a new user account to one of the computers in your workgroup, the
new user cannot log on to that computer and cannot access resources on it.
Workgroups provide the following advantages:
■ Workgroups do not require a domain controller to hold centralized security information,
making workgroups much simpler to configure and manage.
■ Workgroups are simple to design and implement. Workgroups do not require the
extensive planning and administration that a domain requires.
■ Workgroups provide a convenient networking environment for a limited number
of computers in close proximity. However, a workgroup becomes impractical in
environments with more than 10 computers.
Subtrees of Registry
Understanding the purpose of each subtree can help you locate specific keys and values
in the Registry. The following five subtrees or subtree keys are displayed in the Registry Editor.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT Contains software configuration data: object linking and embedding (OLE) and file-class association data. This subtree points to the Classes subkey under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER Contains data about the current user. Retrieves a copy of each user account used to log on to the computer from the NTUSER.DAT file and stores it in the %systemroot%\Profiles\username key. This subkey points to the same data contained in HKEY_USERS\SID_currently_logged_on_user. This subtree
takes precedence over HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE for duplicated values.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Contains all configuration data for the local computer, including hardware and operating system data such as bus type, system memory, device drivers, and startup control data. Applications, device drivers, and the operating system use this data to set the computer configuration. The data in this subtree
remains constant regardless of the user.
HKEY_USERS Contains the .DEFAULT subkey, which holds the system default settings (system default profile) used to display the CTRL+ALT+DELETE logon screen, and the Security Identifier (SID) of the current user.
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG Contains data on the active hardware profile extracted from the SOFTWARE and SYSTEM hives. This information is used to configure settings such as the device drivers to load and the display resolution to use.
The HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Subtree
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE provides a good example of the subtrees in the Registry for two reasons:
■ The structure of all subtrees is similar.
■ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE contains information specific to the local computer and is always the same, regardless of the user who is logged on. The HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE root key has five subkeys.
in the Registry. The following five subtrees or subtree keys are displayed in the Registry Editor.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT Contains software configuration data: object linking and embedding (OLE) and file-class association data. This subtree points to the Classes subkey under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER Contains data about the current user. Retrieves a copy of each user account used to log on to the computer from the NTUSER.DAT file and stores it in the %systemroot%\Profiles\username key. This subkey points to the same data contained in HKEY_USERS\SID_currently_logged_on_user. This subtree
takes precedence over HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE for duplicated values.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Contains all configuration data for the local computer, including hardware and operating system data such as bus type, system memory, device drivers, and startup control data. Applications, device drivers, and the operating system use this data to set the computer configuration. The data in this subtree
remains constant regardless of the user.
HKEY_USERS Contains the .DEFAULT subkey, which holds the system default settings (system default profile) used to display the CTRL+ALT+DELETE logon screen, and the Security Identifier (SID) of the current user.
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG Contains data on the active hardware profile extracted from the SOFTWARE and SYSTEM hives. This information is used to configure settings such as the device drivers to load and the display resolution to use.
The HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Subtree
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE provides a good example of the subtrees in the Registry for two reasons:
■ The structure of all subtrees is similar.
■ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE contains information specific to the local computer and is always the same, regardless of the user who is logged on. The HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE root key has five subkeys.
