The Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) credential proves that you have the skills to successfully implement, manage, and troubleshoot the ongoing needs of Microsoft Windows 2000–based operating environments, including Windows Windows Server 2003.
An MCSA candidate should have 12 months of experience working with a desktop operating system, a network operating system, and an existing network infrastructure.
The MCSA credential is for professionals who implement, manage, and troubleshoot existing network and system environments based on the Microsoft Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 operating systems. These individuals typically do not deploy new networks and systems as part of their job function, as is expected of individuals holding the MCSE credential. In addition, unlike MCSEs, MCSAs are not expected to have design skills.
The MCSA credential is for IT professionals working in the typically complex computing environment of medium to large organizations. An MCSA candidate should have six to 12 months of experience implementing and administering a desktop operating system, implementing and administering a network operating system, and managing client and network operating systems in environments with the following characteristics:
From 200 to 26,000 users are supported.
From two to 100 physical locations are supported
Typical network services and resources include messaging, database, file and print, proxy server or firewall, Internet and intranet, remote access, and client computer management. Connectivity needs include connecting branch offices and individual users in remote locations to the corporate network and connecting corporate networks to the Internet.
On December 2nd 2002, Microsoft has updated their Microsoft Certification Requirements page.
Note: Microsoft has developed independent certification requirements for Microsoft Windows Server 2003. See Windows 2003 MCSA Certification Requirements for exam details.
MCSA candidates are required to pass three core exams and one elective exam:
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Lock Workstation with a single keystroke
Step 1. In Windows 2000, right-click an empty area of the desktop.Step 2. On the context menu that appears, click New, then click Shortcut.
Step 3. In the Create Shortcut dialog box, type the following command (this command is both "space-and case-sensitive"):
rundll32 user32.dll,LockWorkStation
Step 4. Click the Next button.
Step 5. In the Select a Title dialog box, type Lock Workstation or a title of your own choosing. Click Finish.
Step 6. A new shortcut appears on your Desktop. Right-click this shortcut, then click Properties.
Step 7. Place your cursor in the Shortcut Key box to define a key combination that will run this command. If you press any printable key A-Z or 0-9, the defined key combination will be Ctrl+Alt plus the key you pressed. You can also hold down Shift+Alt or Ctrl+Shift plus a printable key.
Here's a secret for a faster shortcut, however: Use a symbol key on your numeric keypad. For example, if you press the minus key (-) on your keypad, Windows will use this as your shortcut key without requiring Ctrl, Alt, or Shift. Then, when you want to lock your workstation, just press your numeric minus key. This key is easily reached in the upper-right corner of your keypad, but it isn't a key you're likely to hit accidentally.
Step 8. After you've selected your shortcut key in the dialog box, click OK.
Step 9. Drag the shortcut icon from your Desktop and drop it on your Start button.
You can now lock your workstation by pressing your chosen key combination, running the shortcut from your Start menu, or running the shortcut from the desktop.
Step 3. In the Create Shortcut dialog box, type the following command (this command is both "space-and case-sensitive"):
rundll32 user32.dll,LockWorkStation
Step 4. Click the Next button.
Step 5. In the Select a Title dialog box, type Lock Workstation or a title of your own choosing. Click Finish.
Step 6. A new shortcut appears on your Desktop. Right-click this shortcut, then click Properties.
Step 7. Place your cursor in the Shortcut Key box to define a key combination that will run this command. If you press any printable key A-Z or 0-9, the defined key combination will be Ctrl+Alt plus the key you pressed. You can also hold down Shift+Alt or Ctrl+Shift plus a printable key.
Here's a secret for a faster shortcut, however: Use a symbol key on your numeric keypad. For example, if you press the minus key (-) on your keypad, Windows will use this as your shortcut key without requiring Ctrl, Alt, or Shift. Then, when you want to lock your workstation, just press your numeric minus key. This key is easily reached in the upper-right corner of your keypad, but it isn't a key you're likely to hit accidentally.
Step 8. After you've selected your shortcut key in the dialog box, click OK.
Step 9. Drag the shortcut icon from your Desktop and drop it on your Start button.
You can now lock your workstation by pressing your chosen key combination, running the shortcut from your Start menu, or running the shortcut from the desktop.
Add Command Prompt to the Explorer context menu
To add a menu item to Explorer's folder popup menu which opens up a command prompt window in the selected folder:
1. Open the My Computer icon.
2. Pull down the Tools menu, click Folder Options, then select the File Types tab.
3. Scroll down the list of extensions to the "N/A" section, then select N/A Folder. Click the Advanced button.
4. In the Edit File Types dialog box that appears, click the New button.
5. In the Action box, type the words Command Prompt.
6. In the Application Used To Perform Action box, type the command cmd.exe
7. Close the dialog box and click OK until you are back to the desktop.
1. Open the My Computer icon.
2. Pull down the Tools menu, click Folder Options, then select the File Types tab.
3. Scroll down the list of extensions to the "N/A" section, then select N/A Folder. Click the Advanced button.
4. In the Edit File Types dialog box that appears, click the New button.
5. In the Action box, type the words Command Prompt.
6. In the Application Used To Perform Action box, type the command cmd.exe
7. Close the dialog box and click OK until you are back to the desktop.
Windows 2000/NT Folder Sharing (Note: this was fixed in final release)
You can not access a Windows 2000 share from a Windows NT PC (or Windows9X for that matter). The resolution is to access an NT share from a Windows 2000 PC instead, or locate the files on a network share.
CMOS Plug and Play Disabled
Some new PCs (like Gateway for example) that come with Windows NT preinstalled have the detect plug and play devices CMOS setting disabled. This will cause the Windows 2000 setup program to choke miserably. Make sure that you enable the detection of plug and play before starting the Windows 2000 installation process (since Windows 2000 is a true plug and play operating system).
Testing Status: Norton Anti-virus Corporate Edition 7.01
ITSS/CRC is currently testing the Corporate Edition of NAV 7.01. This is the both a client and server product. Most of our testing currently is with the client version. There are still unresolved issues. Symantec says they are working on an upgrade, but no estimate is given for delivery. Following are some of the issues we have reported to Symantec.
Visioneer Scanners
Visioneer will be offering limited Windows 2000 support, mostly for USB devices, sometime in June, 2000.
CMOS Plug and Play Disabled
Some new PCs (like Gateway for example) that come with Windows NT preinstalled have the detect plug and play devices CMOS setting disabled. This will cause the Windows 2000 setup program to choke miserably. Make sure that you enable the detection of plug and play before starting the Windows 2000 installation process (since Windows 2000 is a true plug and play operating system).
Testing Status: Norton Anti-virus Corporate Edition 7.01
ITSS/CRC is currently testing the Corporate Edition of NAV 7.01. This is the both a client and server product. Most of our testing currently is with the client version. There are still unresolved issues. Symantec says they are working on an upgrade, but no estimate is given for delivery. Following are some of the issues we have reported to Symantec.
Visioneer Scanners
Visioneer will be offering limited Windows 2000 support, mostly for USB devices, sometime in June, 2000.
Bugs, Integration Problems, Tips, and Tricks
General Installation Considerations
Unless you are certain that it is safe or reliable to do so, never install a program by running a setup.exe program directly. Always do the following:
Choose Start + Settings + Control Panel + Add/Remove Programs
Click on the "Add New Programs" icon
Click on the "CD or Floppy" button
Follow the Wizards directions...
New Install vs. Upgrade: In general, we have found problems with upgrading from Win95/98. Our best advice is to copy all the things off your hard disk that you need (Office documents, Eudora mailboxes, browser bookmarks, etc.) then reformat
Stanford Site-Licensed Software
ITSS manages the licensing for various software packages in use on campus. Some of this software is usedprimarily by non-ITSS groups, and is not directly support by ITSS or CRC. We will coordinate with these groups to ensure that these packages are tested, and work with vendors to obtain updates.
Timbuktu Pro 32 (Version 2.0 Build 758)
The current version of Timbuktu (2.0 Build 758) is not entirely compatible with Windows 2000. A non Windows 2000 Timbuktu client can not connect to a Windows 2000 host. Connecting from a Windows 2000 client to a non Windows 2000 host works. Windows 2000 to Windows 2000 connections have not yet been tested. Netopia is aware of the problem & is working on an upgrade (stay tunedÖ)
Norton System Works 2000
Norton System Works 2000 checks the operating system on boot up and displays an error message (it will not load). This is not necessarily a bad thing. Since System Works performs some pretty specific and low level stuff; it could have disastrous effects if the assumptions that it uses (which are operating system specific) are wrong. The only irony here is that "System Works 2000" is not compatible with "Windows 2000" (as if the "2000" means anything at all ;-)...
Meeting Maker
The 32 bit version of Meeting Maker 5.0.3 does not work with Windows 2000. The installation works fine, but the problem is that the program is unable to see the ITSS-MM server. The solution however is quite simple as suggested by Sunny Donenfeld and that is to use the 16 bit version of Meeting Maker. You can get the 16 bit version (503w16cl.exe) from the following FTP site:
Unless you are certain that it is safe or reliable to do so, never install a program by running a setup.exe program directly. Always do the following:
Choose Start + Settings + Control Panel + Add/Remove Programs
Click on the "Add New Programs" icon
Click on the "CD or Floppy" button
Follow the Wizards directions...
New Install vs. Upgrade: In general, we have found problems with upgrading from Win95/98. Our best advice is to copy all the things off your hard disk that you need (Office documents, Eudora mailboxes, browser bookmarks, etc.) then reformat
Stanford Site-Licensed Software
ITSS manages the licensing for various software packages in use on campus. Some of this software is usedprimarily by non-ITSS groups, and is not directly support by ITSS or CRC. We will coordinate with these groups to ensure that these packages are tested, and work with vendors to obtain updates.
Timbuktu Pro 32 (Version 2.0 Build 758)
The current version of Timbuktu (2.0 Build 758) is not entirely compatible with Windows 2000. A non Windows 2000 Timbuktu client can not connect to a Windows 2000 host. Connecting from a Windows 2000 client to a non Windows 2000 host works. Windows 2000 to Windows 2000 connections have not yet been tested. Netopia is aware of the problem & is working on an upgrade (stay tunedÖ)
Norton System Works 2000
Norton System Works 2000 checks the operating system on boot up and displays an error message (it will not load). This is not necessarily a bad thing. Since System Works performs some pretty specific and low level stuff; it could have disastrous effects if the assumptions that it uses (which are operating system specific) are wrong. The only irony here is that "System Works 2000" is not compatible with "Windows 2000" (as if the "2000" means anything at all ;-)...
Meeting Maker
The 32 bit version of Meeting Maker 5.0.3 does not work with Windows 2000. The installation works fine, but the problem is that the program is unable to see the ITSS-MM server. The solution however is quite simple as suggested by Sunny Donenfeld and that is to use the 16 bit version of Meeting Maker. You can get the 16 bit version (503w16cl.exe) from the following FTP site:
TIPS AND TRICKS ABOUT WINDOWS
How to Determine Which Video Driver Is Loading in Windows XP (Q314854)
This article describes procedures that you can follow to troubleshoot difficulties with video drivers when you start your computer in Windows XP. Specifically, the article describes how to find out which video drivers are loading.If the video driver is not loading correctly, another program may have replaced some files. These symptoms point to that cause: The system continues to default to VGA mode or only boots in VGA mode from the Boot menu. The video driver is not loading properly.
Windows XP: Kernel Improvements Create a More Robust, Powerful, and Scalable OS
SUMMARY The Windows XP kernel includes a number of improvements over Windows 2000 that promote better scalability and overall performance. This article covers these changes and explains how they improve startup time, increase registry size limits, and promote more efficient disk partitioning. Windows XP provides support for 64-bit processors, which is covered here along with a discussion of how side-by-side assemblies end DLL Hell. Also new in the Windows XP kernel is a facility that will roll back driver installations to the Last Known Good state of the registry, making driver installation safer. Other topics include the new volume shadow copy facility, which provides for more accurate backups and improvements in remote debugging.
HOW TO: Troubleshoot the Video Adapter Driver in Safe Mode in Windows XP (Q292460)
This article shows shows you methods of troubleshooting Safe-Mode video problems. In Safe mode, the computer does not start the video adapter driver that is used during normal operations, so you need to use Device Manager to discover, update, roll back, or uninstall the video driver instead of accessing the Display properties.
How to Establish the Allowable MTU Size When You Are Using Internet Connection Sharing on PPPoE (Q314100)
IMPORTANT : This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.This article describes how to establish the maximum transmission unit (MTU) size for using Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) if your outbound connection uses Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE). If the setting for MTU size is too high, clients that are using the ICS connection may not be able to browse some Web sites or send messages that contain attachments.PPPoE is a method for establishing Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) connections through Ethernet network adapters. PPPoE requires that, on all client computers, you lower the setting for maximum transmission unit (MTU) size to a value no higher than 1,492. (The default is 1,500.) In some cases, a value lower than 1,492 may be necessary.
HOW TO: Restore the Operating System to a Previous State in Windows XP (Q306084)
This article describes how to use the System Restore tool to return your computer to a previous working state. System Restore takes a "snapshot" of critical system files and some program files and stores this information as restore points. You can use these restore points to return Windows XP to a previous state. The article discuses restore without being able to start Windows XP and restore while be able to start Windows XP.
Start the System Restore Tool from a Command Prompt in Windows XP
Windows XP includes the System Restore tool, but you cannot start the System Restore tool from a Recovery Console prompt. Because of this, it may be useful to start the System Restore tool when you are unable to start your Windows XP-based computer normally or in Safe mode. This article describes how to start the System Restore tool when you are unable to start your Windows XP-based computer normally or in Safe mode.Starting System Restore Tool from Command Prompt
Start your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt. NOTE : You must log on as the administrator or a user that has administrator rights.
At the command prompt, type %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe , and then press ENTER.
Follow the instructions on the screen to begin restoring your computer to a previous, functional state.
Troubleshooting System Restore in Windows XP (Q302796)
This article describes how to perform basic troubleshooting for issues that involve the System Restore tool in Windows XP.To troubleshoot System Restore issues, try one or more of the following stepsIf you receive an error message that is related to System Restore, always make sure that you first record the error message and follow the instructions that the error message contains to try to resolve the issue. Most System Restore issues generate an error message that contains a description of the issue and suggestions for how to resolve the issue.Make sure that you have enough disk space on all of the drives on which System Restore is enabled.
Information on System Restore and Password Restoration (Q295050)
This article describes how the restoration of passwords is managed by System Restore on a Windows XP-based computer, and describes which types of passwords are restored and which are not restored.Passwords That Are Not RestoredWindows XP passwords and hints are not restored. This behavior is by design to prevent confusion and to prevent you from getting locked out of your computer because the restore point includes an old password that you do not remember. Microsoft Internet Explorer and Content Advisor passwords and hints are not restored. This behavior is by design to prevent confusion and to prevent problems that could occur when you browse the Internet, in the event that you restore your system to a point with an old password that you do not remember.
This article describes procedures that you can follow to troubleshoot difficulties with video drivers when you start your computer in Windows XP. Specifically, the article describes how to find out which video drivers are loading.If the video driver is not loading correctly, another program may have replaced some files. These symptoms point to that cause: The system continues to default to VGA mode or only boots in VGA mode from the Boot menu. The video driver is not loading properly.
Windows XP: Kernel Improvements Create a More Robust, Powerful, and Scalable OS
SUMMARY The Windows XP kernel includes a number of improvements over Windows 2000 that promote better scalability and overall performance. This article covers these changes and explains how they improve startup time, increase registry size limits, and promote more efficient disk partitioning. Windows XP provides support for 64-bit processors, which is covered here along with a discussion of how side-by-side assemblies end DLL Hell. Also new in the Windows XP kernel is a facility that will roll back driver installations to the Last Known Good state of the registry, making driver installation safer. Other topics include the new volume shadow copy facility, which provides for more accurate backups and improvements in remote debugging.
HOW TO: Troubleshoot the Video Adapter Driver in Safe Mode in Windows XP (Q292460)
This article shows shows you methods of troubleshooting Safe-Mode video problems. In Safe mode, the computer does not start the video adapter driver that is used during normal operations, so you need to use Device Manager to discover, update, roll back, or uninstall the video driver instead of accessing the Display properties.
How to Establish the Allowable MTU Size When You Are Using Internet Connection Sharing on PPPoE (Q314100)
IMPORTANT : This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.This article describes how to establish the maximum transmission unit (MTU) size for using Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) if your outbound connection uses Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE). If the setting for MTU size is too high, clients that are using the ICS connection may not be able to browse some Web sites or send messages that contain attachments.PPPoE is a method for establishing Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) connections through Ethernet network adapters. PPPoE requires that, on all client computers, you lower the setting for maximum transmission unit (MTU) size to a value no higher than 1,492. (The default is 1,500.) In some cases, a value lower than 1,492 may be necessary.
HOW TO: Restore the Operating System to a Previous State in Windows XP (Q306084)
This article describes how to use the System Restore tool to return your computer to a previous working state. System Restore takes a "snapshot" of critical system files and some program files and stores this information as restore points. You can use these restore points to return Windows XP to a previous state. The article discuses restore without being able to start Windows XP and restore while be able to start Windows XP.
Start the System Restore Tool from a Command Prompt in Windows XP
Windows XP includes the System Restore tool, but you cannot start the System Restore tool from a Recovery Console prompt. Because of this, it may be useful to start the System Restore tool when you are unable to start your Windows XP-based computer normally or in Safe mode. This article describes how to start the System Restore tool when you are unable to start your Windows XP-based computer normally or in Safe mode.Starting System Restore Tool from Command Prompt
Start your computer to Safe Mode with Command Prompt. NOTE : You must log on as the administrator or a user that has administrator rights.
At the command prompt, type %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe , and then press ENTER.
Follow the instructions on the screen to begin restoring your computer to a previous, functional state.
Troubleshooting System Restore in Windows XP (Q302796)
This article describes how to perform basic troubleshooting for issues that involve the System Restore tool in Windows XP.To troubleshoot System Restore issues, try one or more of the following stepsIf you receive an error message that is related to System Restore, always make sure that you first record the error message and follow the instructions that the error message contains to try to resolve the issue. Most System Restore issues generate an error message that contains a description of the issue and suggestions for how to resolve the issue.Make sure that you have enough disk space on all of the drives on which System Restore is enabled.
Information on System Restore and Password Restoration (Q295050)
This article describes how the restoration of passwords is managed by System Restore on a Windows XP-based computer, and describes which types of passwords are restored and which are not restored.Passwords That Are Not RestoredWindows XP passwords and hints are not restored. This behavior is by design to prevent confusion and to prevent you from getting locked out of your computer because the restore point includes an old password that you do not remember. Microsoft Internet Explorer and Content Advisor passwords and hints are not restored. This behavior is by design to prevent confusion and to prevent problems that could occur when you browse the Internet, in the event that you restore your system to a point with an old password that you do not remember.
Windows XP Troubleshooting
Installation1) By far the most common report we receive from users who have encountered difficulties while upgrading to Windows XP is: "I had do the upgrade for me and now all of my email messages and addresses have disappeared and none of my old programs work. How can I get them back?"
The short answer is "from your backup." If you don't have a current backup of your hard drive, make one now. We recommend PowerQuest's Drive Image or Symantec Norton Ghost, both of which can clone your hard drive(s) to another drive or to one or more CD-R discs. Backing up to CD-R (this, of course, requires a CD writer) is a particularly cost-effective way of safeguarding your data.
If a computer running Windows 98 or Windows Me is upgraded to Windows XP, it should preserve all the existing messages, email addresses, programs and desktop configuration settings. However, if a "clean installation" or "dual boot" configuration is set up, it will not. In any event, it's always a good idea to have a current backup.
Another good choice for PC hard drive backups is Ahead's Nero. Version 6 greatly expands upon the backup capabilities of v5.x.
2) Another of the most common complaints we hear after an XP upgrade is "my doesn't work any more; my antivirus software or Easy CD Creator software needs an upgrade (an Easy CD Creator update for XP is now available, incidentally), my TV tuner/video capture feature isn't supported, my DVD player doesn't run, etc., etc."
This is a major upgrade for Windows 9x users and there are bound to be some software or hardware components in your collection that will require upgrading. We recommend running the Windows XP Upgrade Advisor. This tool is on the XP program disc, available on a free "Eval Kit" CD from many retailers, or available as a free 34MB download from Microsoft. If you can't find it, a similar compatibility checker is at http://www.pcpitstop.com/. You might also want to check the compatibility listings at http://www.ntcompatible.com/ and Microsoft's own Windows XP HCL Hardware Compatibility List.
3) Unmountable boot volume. This error can occur during some Windows XP installations. Unfortunately, it can lead to a situation where you can't boot Windows XP, nor can you easily uninstall Windows XP and revert to your old operating system (e.g., Windows 98 or Me, etc.). Some people find that updating the BIOS fixes this problem; others find that disabling Ultra DMA, but leaving PIO enabled solves the issue (but slows down the system's disk performance substantially). Still others see problems after trying all of the above, as well as more Draconian (and usually ineffectual) fixes such as reformatting, replacing the master boot record (MBR), running the XP "fixboot" utility, etc., etc.
As it turns out, Microsoft calls the problem a feature "by design" and claims the purpose of this behavior is to prevent potential data loss due to the usage of an incorrect IDE cable for the faster UDMA modes.
This behavior may occur if the following conditions exist:
· You are using an Ultra Direct Memory Access (UDMA) controller with your computer.
· You are using a standard 40-wire connector cable to connect the UDMA drive to the controller instead of the required 80-wire, 40-pin cable.
· The basic input/output system (BIOS) is set to force the faster UDMA modes.
To resolve this behavior, Microsoft recommends replacing the 40-wire cable with an 80-wire UDMA cable,-or-Try loading the 'Fail-Safe' BIOS default and reactivate the most currently used options such as USB Support.
After wading through a vast number of reports, it seems this problem happens most frequently when using AMI BIOSes and VIA chipsets (the latter has been on our "evil hardware" list for most of the last two years). VIA chipsets are well known to suffer from a number of shortcomings, not the least of which is a dependence on the so-called "4 in 1" drivers to enable high performance drive access. It appears these drivers may be an issue here, too.
In general, the best way to install these drivers is to download the newest version (using a different computer if your primary PC is incapacitated) from the VIA website, then install them as noted below and reboot. If this is not possible, you'll find older versions of the VIA 4-in-1 drivers on your motherboard CD.
3 To install 4-in-1 driversa) Extract and Save the drivers on a floppy diskette. b) Near the start of the Windows XP installation routine, the system prompts you to Press F6 to install other drivers. Press F6, then insert the floppy to install the drivers. Windows XP, like Windows 2000, recognizes the drivers as SCSI -- this is normal. With any luck, your installation should then proceed without a hitch.
Our long-term suggestion is to avoid VIA as the maker of your next motherboard's chipset.
See also: http://www.computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/forum/1346.html
4) Unavailable CDRW in WinXP? some users have noticed that CD writing functions of their burner may seem to be mysteriously absent, even though the drive is listed as supported at www.microsoft.com/hcl . The fix, according to a post by "Timble" at NeoWin, is as follows:
Go to Start>Run> type "Regedit" and click "OK". Now click on the + signs for each of the paths as listed below and then follow the branch to the next one. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CD Burning\Drives Then click on the yellow folder icon for "Volume{0c092dc0-c259-11d5-bfe4-806d6172696f}". If you have more than one drive, there may be more than one Volume (and the code may vary). You need to somehow work out which one is the CD-RW, and choose the appropriate one. Or guess - I doubt the effects would be serious if you got the wrong one except the other drive may not work till you correct it. In the right hand window will be an item called "Drive Type" Right click this and change the Dword value from 3 to 2 Click "OK" and exit registry editor. Restart and that should give you the options for burning. At this point my CD-R and CD-RW discs were still not being recognized, but uninstalling the CD burning update (Q309691) solved this. If you have the CD burning update (from Windows Update), go to Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs, and find it near the bottom of the list. It's called "Windows XP Hotfix (SP1) [See Q309691 for more information]". Remove it, restarting if necessary. If you don't have the fix, try downloading it from Windows Update.
5) XP freezing part way through the installation? Try removing all cards except your video card and start the installation again. If that still doesn't work, try upgrading your BIOS.
6) XP can't open documents you used to be able to open? We've received reports from WordPerfect owners that, after upgrading to Windows XP, their copy of Word can no longer open WPD files. Instead, a dialog appears saying that Windows cannot open these files. The help system then suggests visiting a web site to find out what the extensions are.
We have verified that this behavior is "normal" for Windows XP, however, it is easy to change. Word for Windows, as you know (but the Microsoft guy apparently does not!), does open WordPerfect files (versions 5 and 6.x) . You can open Word and, using the File > Open command, select the file you want to open. To permanently set Word to open this file type, you can right-click a WPD document, choose Properties, then click "Change" and choose Word as the program with which to open all WPD documents. Select "Always use..." and click OK to make this selection permanent.
The short answer is "from your backup." If you don't have a current backup of your hard drive, make one now. We recommend PowerQuest's Drive Image or Symantec Norton Ghost, both of which can clone your hard drive(s) to another drive or to one or more CD-R discs. Backing up to CD-R (this, of course, requires a CD writer) is a particularly cost-effective way of safeguarding your data.
If a computer running Windows 98 or Windows Me is upgraded to Windows XP, it should preserve all the existing messages, email addresses, programs and desktop configuration settings. However, if a "clean installation" or "dual boot" configuration is set up, it will not. In any event, it's always a good idea to have a current backup.
Another good choice for PC hard drive backups is Ahead's Nero. Version 6 greatly expands upon the backup capabilities of v5.x.
2) Another of the most common complaints we hear after an XP upgrade is "my
This is a major upgrade for Windows 9x users and there are bound to be some software or hardware components in your collection that will require upgrading. We recommend running the Windows XP Upgrade Advisor. This tool is on the XP program disc, available on a free "Eval Kit" CD from many retailers, or available as a free 34MB download from Microsoft. If you can't find it, a similar compatibility checker is at http://www.pcpitstop.com/. You might also want to check the compatibility listings at http://www.ntcompatible.com/ and Microsoft's own Windows XP HCL Hardware Compatibility List.
3) Unmountable boot volume. This error can occur during some Windows XP installations. Unfortunately, it can lead to a situation where you can't boot Windows XP, nor can you easily uninstall Windows XP and revert to your old operating system (e.g., Windows 98 or Me, etc.). Some people find that updating the BIOS fixes this problem; others find that disabling Ultra DMA, but leaving PIO enabled solves the issue (but slows down the system's disk performance substantially). Still others see problems after trying all of the above, as well as more Draconian (and usually ineffectual) fixes such as reformatting, replacing the master boot record (MBR), running the XP "fixboot" utility, etc., etc.
As it turns out, Microsoft calls the problem a feature "by design" and claims the purpose of this behavior is to prevent potential data loss due to the usage of an incorrect IDE cable for the faster UDMA modes.
This behavior may occur if the following conditions exist:
· You are using an Ultra Direct Memory Access (UDMA) controller with your computer.
· You are using a standard 40-wire connector cable to connect the UDMA drive to the controller instead of the required 80-wire, 40-pin cable.
· The basic input/output system (BIOS) is set to force the faster UDMA modes.
To resolve this behavior, Microsoft recommends replacing the 40-wire cable with an 80-wire UDMA cable,-or-Try loading the 'Fail-Safe' BIOS default and reactivate the most currently used options such as USB Support.
After wading through a vast number of reports, it seems this problem happens most frequently when using AMI BIOSes and VIA chipsets (the latter has been on our "evil hardware" list for most of the last two years). VIA chipsets are well known to suffer from a number of shortcomings, not the least of which is a dependence on the so-called "4 in 1" drivers to enable high performance drive access. It appears these drivers may be an issue here, too.
In general, the best way to install these drivers is to download the newest version (using a different computer if your primary PC is incapacitated) from the VIA website, then install them as noted below and reboot. If this is not possible, you'll find older versions of the VIA 4-in-1 drivers on your motherboard CD.
3 To install 4-in-1 driversa) Extract and Save the drivers on a floppy diskette. b) Near the start of the Windows XP installation routine, the system prompts you to Press F6 to install other drivers. Press F6, then insert the floppy to install the drivers. Windows XP, like Windows 2000, recognizes the drivers as SCSI -- this is normal. With any luck, your installation should then proceed without a hitch.
Our long-term suggestion is to avoid VIA as the maker of your next motherboard's chipset.
See also: http://www.computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/forum/1346.html
4) Unavailable CDRW in WinXP? some users have noticed that CD writing functions of their burner may seem to be mysteriously absent, even though the drive is listed as supported at www.microsoft.com/hcl . The fix, according to a post by "Timble" at NeoWin, is as follows:
Go to Start>Run> type "Regedit" and click "OK". Now click on the + signs for each of the paths as listed below and then follow the branch to the next one. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CD Burning\Drives Then click on the yellow folder icon for "Volume{0c092dc0-c259-11d5-bfe4-806d6172696f}". If you have more than one drive, there may be more than one Volume (and the code may vary). You need to somehow work out which one is the CD-RW, and choose the appropriate one. Or guess - I doubt the effects would be serious if you got the wrong one except the other drive may not work till you correct it. In the right hand window will be an item called "Drive Type" Right click this and change the Dword value from 3 to 2 Click "OK" and exit registry editor. Restart and that should give you the options for burning. At this point my CD-R and CD-RW discs were still not being recognized, but uninstalling the CD burning update (Q309691) solved this. If you have the CD burning update (from Windows Update), go to Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs, and find it near the bottom of the list. It's called "Windows XP Hotfix (SP1) [See Q309691 for more information]". Remove it, restarting if necessary. If you don't have the fix, try downloading it from Windows Update.
5) XP freezing part way through the installation? Try removing all cards except your video card and start the installation again. If that still doesn't work, try upgrading your BIOS.
6) XP can't open documents you used to be able to open? We've received reports from WordPerfect owners that, after upgrading to Windows XP, their copy of Word can no longer open WPD files. Instead, a dialog appears saying that Windows cannot open these files. The help system then suggests visiting a web site to find out what the extensions are.
We have verified that this behavior is "normal" for Windows XP, however, it is easy to change. Word for Windows, as you know (but the Microsoft guy apparently does not!), does open WordPerfect files (versions 5 and 6.x) . You can open Word and, using the File > Open command, select the file you want to open. To permanently set Word to open this file type, you can right-click a WPD document, choose Properties, then click "Change" and choose Word as the program with which to open all WPD documents. Select "Always use..." and click OK to make this selection permanent.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)