Installing Windows XP Professional

• All hardware should appear on the Windows Hardware Compatibility List (HCL)
• Windows XP Professional supports Symmetric Multi-processing with a maximum of two processors, and up to 4 GB of RAM.

Attended installations

Setup stages

1. Setup Program (text mode)- preps hard drive for following stages of install and copies files needed for running Setup Wizard. Requires reboot. (Clean installations only.)
2. Setup Wizard (graphical mode) - prompts for additional info such as product key, names, passwords, regional settings, etc.
3. Install Windows Networking - detects adapter cards, installs networking components (Client for MS Networks, File & Printer Sharing for MS Networks), and installs TCP/IP protocol by default (other protocols can be installed later). Choose to join a workgroup or domain at this point (must be connected to network and provide credentials to join a domain). After all choices are made, components are configured, additional files are copied, and the system is rebooted.
4. Post installation – create user accounts and activate retail versions of Windows XP (customers using the Corporate Edition do not need to activate their product). This stage is sometimes referred to as the “Out of Box Experience” (OOBE).

Installing from CD-ROM

• Microsoft assumes that your system either has the ability to boot directly from a CD-ROM or that you will use a Windows 95/98/ME boot floppy to begin installing from a CD.
• The ability to create setup floppies has been dropped from Windows XP.
• If installing using an MS-DOS or Win95/98 boot floppy, run winnt.exe from the \i386 folder to begin Windows XP setup.
• Setup will not prompt the user to specify the name of an installation folder unless you are performing an unattended installation or using winnt32 to perform a clean installation.

Installing over a Network

• Create a distribution server that has a file share containing the contents of the \i386 directory from the Windows XP CD-ROM.
• Allocate 1.5 GB minimum plus 100 - 200 MB free hard drive space to hold temporary files during installation.
• Install a network client on the target computer or use a boot floppy that includes a network client (KB# Q142857). Run winnt.exe from a file share on the distribution server if installing a new operating system or winnt32.exe if upgrading a previous version of Windows.
• The client system must have a pre-existing FAT16 partition (MS-DOS & Win 95) or FAT32 partition (Win95 OSR2 & Win98) to hold setup files copied across the network.

Modifying Setup using Winnt.exe

Modifying Setup using winnt32.exe

Unattended installations

Working with Answer Files

• Unattended installations rely on an answer file to provide information during setup process that is usually provided through manual user input. (KB# Q183245)

Answer files can be created manually using a text editor or by using the Setup Manager Wizard (SMW) which is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 – The Setup Manager Wizard

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• SMW can be found on the Windows XP Professional CD in the \SUPPORT\TOOLS folder in a file called DEPLOY.CAB. Extract these to a folder on your hard drive (I use WinZip 8.0 for this).
• SMW allows for creation of a shared Distribution Folder and OEM Branding
• If you had a CD in drive D:\ and an unattended installation answer file named salesans.txt in C:\, you could start your install with this command:
  D:\i386\winnt32 /s:d:\i386/unattend:c:\salesans.txt
  (KB# Q216258)
• There are five levels of user interaction during unattended installs:
  1. Provide Defaults - Administrator supplies default answers and user only has to accept defaults or make changes where necessary.
  2. Fully Automated - Mainly used for Win2000 Professional desktop installs. User just has to sit on their hands and watch.
  3. Hide Pages - Users can only interact with setup where Administrator did not provide default information. Display of all other dialogs is suppressed.
  4. Read Only - Similar to above, but will display information to user without allowing interaction to pages where Administrator has provided default information.
  5. GUI Attended – User has some interaction with the setup program. Text mode is automated; user must respond to screens in the setup wizard.

• When performing an unattended installation using the XP Product CD, you must name your answer file winnt.sif and place it in the root directory of a floppy disk inserted into drive A: of your computer. Setup will automatically locate the winnt.sif file and process it so long as it is named correctly.
• The sysdiff tool for installing software applications as part of unattended installations is not supported in Windows XP. You will need to use Group Policy to deploy software or a software management tool such as Systems Management Server.
• You can enter the CD product key manually under the [UserData] section of the answer file:
  ProductID=”XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX”
• You can activate a retail version of Win XP under the [Unattended] section of the answer file:
  AutoActive=Yes (KB# Q291997)

Creating Uniqueness Database Files (UDF)

Answer Files are only useful for installing one machine at a time. If you’re installing 50 machines in one go and you want each one to have a unique identity on the network, you will have to create fifty separate Answer Files – that’s a lot of work.

Instead of creating a separate Answer File for each installation, an easier way to go about things it to create a Uniqueness Database File (UDF). The UDF file is used in conjunction with the Answer File and can provide multiple answers for installations done from a single Answer File.

UDFs provide keys and values for each machine that are used to replace corresponding keys and values in an Answer File. When you start the unattended installation you will provide an ID for the machine being installed so that Setup knows which section of the Uniqueness Database File to use.

The Setup Manager Wizard creates a UDF automatically whenever you enter more than one computer name, as shown below in Figure 2.

Figure 2 – Entering multiple Computer Names into the Setup Manager Wizard

Here is the Uniqueness Database File that the Setup Manager Wizard created using the input shown above:

;SetupMgrTag
[UniqueIds]
CRAMCLIENT001=UserData
CRAMCLIENT002=UserData
CRAMCLIENT003=UserData
CRAMCLIENT004=UserData
CRAMCLIENT005=UserData

[CRAMCLIENT001:UserData]
ComputerName=CRAMCLIENT001

[CRAMCLIENT002:UserData]
ComputerName=CRAMCLIENT002

[CRAMCLIENT003:UserData]
ComputerName=CRAMCLIENT003

[CRAMCLIENT004:UserData]
ComputerName=CRAMCLIENT004

[CRAMCLIENT005:UserData]
ComputerName=CRAMCLIENT005

You will need to specify the ID of the system being installed as well as the location of the UDF file in the form of a switch when performing an unattended installation. Here is an example of what an installation from a command line would look like:

winnt /s:\\CORPSVR5\I386/u:\\CORPSVR5\ANSWR\unattend.txt
/udf:CRAMCLIENT001,\\CORPSVR5\ANSWR\udf.udb

How UDF files are processed

The keys and values specified in a Uniqueness Database File will always override a corresponding section in an Answer File. The Answer File may override a key that is not specified or assigned in the UDF resulting in the user performing the installation being prompted for input. The scenarios and their results are shown in the table below:

If the UDF is specified on the command line with winnt or winnt32 it can be given any name. However, if you specify the ID of the computer on the command line but fail to specify the name of a UDF file, you will need to supply the UDF on a 3.5-inch floppy disk using a specific name. The file must be named $Unique$.udf or setup will not be able to locate it and the user is prompted for it.

Deploying WinXP by using Remote Installation Services (RIS)

Overview:

Remote Installation Services (RIS) is used to lower the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of Windows by simplifying the process of installing new client workstations. Currently, only Windows XP Professional clients can be installed using RIS.

RIS Server requirements:

• DHCP Server Service
• Active Directory
• DNS Server Service
• At least 2 GB of disk space. Hard disk must have at least two partitions, one for the Operating System and one for the images. Image partition must be formatted with NTFS. RIS packages cannot be installed on either the system or boot partitions. They also cannot be on an EFS volume or DFS shared folder.

Steps for setting up RIS Server:

• Install Remote Installation Services using Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs > Windows Components.
• Start the RIS Setup Wizard by running risetup. Specify the Remote Installation Folder Location. For Initial Settings, choose Do not respond to any client requests (default setting - RIS Server must be authorized first). Specify the location of the WINXP Professional source files for building the initial CD-based image. Designate a folder inside the RIS folder where the CD image will be stored. Provide a friendly text name for the CD-based image.
• Setup Wizard creates the folder structure, copies needed source files to the server, creates the initial CD-based WINXP Professional image in its designated folder along with the default answer file (Ristandard.sif), and starts the RIS services on the server.
• Server must now be authorized. Open Administrative Tools > DHCP. Right-click DHCP in the console tree and choose Manage authorized servers. When dialog appears, click Authorize and enter name or IP of the RIS server (user must be a member of the Enterprise Admins group to do this).
• You may now configure your RIS Server to respond to client requests.
• Assign users/groups that will be performing RIS Installations permissions to Create Computer Objects in Active Directory.
• The Client Computer Naming Format is defined through Active Directory Users & Computers. Right-click the RIS Server and click Properties > Remote Install > Advanced Settings > New Clients. Choose a pre-defined format or create a custom one. Variables are: %Username (user logon name), %First (user first name), %Last (user last name), %# (incremental number), %MAC (NIC hardware address). (KB# Q244964)
• Associate an answer file (.SIF) with your image.

Creating a RIPrep Image

• Procure a source computer and install Windows XP Professional. Configure all components and settings for your desired client configuration, keeping everything on a single partition (RIPrep Wizard can only image a single partition).
• Install your applications and configure them. Do not install unnecessary applications - remember that RIS requires Active Directory, which can be used to publish or assign software as needed using Group Policy.
• As you created and configured the system using the Administrator profile, you will need to copy your configuration to the Default User profile so that your custom settings will not be lost.
• To launch the RIPrep Wizard, click Start > Run and type the following into the Open box: \\RISServerName\reminst\admin\i386\riprep.exe. Provide the name of the RIS Server where the image will be stored, the folder that will hold the image, and a friendly text description.

RIS Client requirements: (KB# Q228908)

• Client machine must meet minimum hardware requirements for Windows XP Professional and clients receiving RIPRep images must use the same Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) as the image file.
• Must have a network adapter that meets the Pre-boot Execution Environment standard (PXE) version 99c and higher (there is a confirmed problem with v99j - KB# Q244454) or a 3 1/2" floppy drive and PCI network adapter supported by the RIS Startup Disk utility's list of supported adapters. (KB# Q244036 & Q246184)

Comparing RIPrep images with CD-based images

Troubleshooting Remote Installations

• If computer displays a BootP message but doesn't display the DHCP message, check to see if it can obtain an IP address. If it cannot, make sure a DHCP server is online, is authorized, has a valid IP address scope, and that the DHCP packets are being routed (you may need to install a DHCP relay agent if your DHCP server is located on a different network segment than the RIS client - KB# Q174765)
• Computer displays the DHCP message but does not display the Boot Information Negotiations Layer (BINL) message. Make sure the RIS server is online and authorized and that DHCP packets are being routed. (KB# Q235979)
• BINL message is displayed but system is unable to connect to RIS server. Try restarting the NetPC Boot Service Manager (BINLSVC) on the RIS Server.
• If the Client cannot connect to RIS Server using the Startup disk, check to make sure you used the right network adapter driver in rbfg.exe.
• If the installation options you expected are not available, there may be Group Policy conflicts. Check to make sure another Group Policy Object did not take precedence over your own.

Miscellaneous:

• You cannot create RIPrep images on a server unless it already has an existing CD-based image.
• The Remote Boot Floppy Generator utility (rbfg.exe) only works on Windows 2000 and Windows XP systems (KB# Q246618). To create boot floppies, click Start > Run and then type:
  \\RISServerName\reminst\admin\i386\rbfg.exe
  and click OK
• The answer file (.SIF) supports the new [RemoteInstall] section. Setting the repartition parameter to yes causes the install to delete all partitions on the client computer and reformat the drive with one NTFS partition.
• Pre-staging images using the GUID of PXE-based workstations prevents unauthorized users from illegally installing Windows XP onto their systems.
• The MAC address of the network adapter can be entered into the GUID field and padded with zeros.

System preparation tool (SYSPREP.EXE): (KB# Q302577)

• Removes the unique elements of a fully installed computer system so that it can be duplicated using imaging software such as Ghost or Drive Image Pro. Avoids the NT4 problem of duplicated SIDS, computer names etc. Installers can use Sysprep to provide an answer file for "imaged" installations.
• Target computers must have the same Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) as the original cloned computer and use the same disk controller type.
• sysprep.exe must be extracted from DEPLOY.CAB in the \support\tools folder on the Windows XP Professional CD-ROM.
• Adds a mini-setup wizard to the image file that is run the first time the computer it is applied to is started. Guides user through re-entering user specific data. This process can be automated by providing a script file. (KB# Q196667)
• Use Setup Manager Wizard (SMW) to create a SYSPREP.INF file. SMW creates a SYSPREP folder in the root of the drive image and places sysprep.inf in this folder. The mini-setup wizard checks for this file when it runs. (KB# Q216937)
• Specifying a CMDLINES.TXT file in your SYSPREP.INF file allows an administrator to run commands or programs during the mini-Setup portion of SYSPREP. (KB# Q238955)
• If you want to activate a copy of Windows XP through Sysprep you will need to do so through an answer file.

Sysprep switches

• There are four modes that have been added to Sysprep under Windows XP: (KB# Q282190)
  1. Audit – lets a system builder boot up and verify that the operating system is configured properly while running in factory floor mode.
  2. Factory – used to customize a pre-install on the factory floor by using a Bill of Materials file to automate software installations, software, and driver updates, updates to the file system, the registry, and INI files such as Sysprep.inf. Invoked via the sysprep -factory command.
  3. Reseal – used by an OEM after running Sysprep in factory mode to prepare a system for delivery to a customer. Invoked using sysprep –reseal command. You can send the customer to the mini-setup wizard or OOBE screen by using the –mini and –msoobe switches respectively.
  4. Clean – Used to clean out the critical device database. Only those devices installed in the computer are left intact. Invoked using the sysprep –clean command.

Performing Upgrades:

Upgrade paths

The following operating systems can be directly upgraded to Windows XP Professional. The setup routine will preserve and migrate all possible software and settings:

• Windows 98
• Windows Millennium Edition
• Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 6
• Windows 2000 Professional

Earlier versions of Windows must be upgraded to a supported operating system first before upgrading to Windows XP Professional:

• Windows 95 à Windows 98
• Windows NT earlier than NT4 SP6 à Windows NT4 SP6

Before upgrading

Microsoft suggests performing the following steps before upgrading a system to Windows XP:

• Make sure all hardware in the system appears on the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) at http://www.microsoft.com/hcl.
• Ensure hardware meets the minimum system requirements.
• Run the Windows Readiness Analyzer and generate a Compatibility Report to make sure that all hardware and software is supported on the system being upgraded. Use winnt32 /checkupgradeonly to run the Windows Readiness Analyzer.
• Backup all files.
• Scan for viruses and then disable antivirus software as it may interfere with the upgrade process.
• Uncompress any compressed drives. The only compressed drives that can be safely upgraded are the ones using NTFS file system compression.
• If you are upgrading an NT4 system using spanned or striped sets, you must backup the data, delete the spanned or striped sets in Disk Manager, upgrade to XP, convert the disk to Dynamic (covered later), create spanned or striped volumes, and then restore backed up data.

Performing the upgrade

• Insert the XP product CD and run winnt32.exe from the \i386 directory to upgrade from a previous version of Windows or select Upgrade to Windows XP Professional (Recommended) from the autorun dialog that may appear after the CD is inserted. (KB# Q199349)
• Upgrade installations from a network file share are not supported in Windows XP (this *can* be done, but only by using SMS). You must either do a CD-based upgrade or perform a clean installation of Windows XP and re-install needed applications.
• Because of registry and program differences between Win95/98 and XP, upgrade packs (or migration DLLs) might be needed. Setup checks for these in the \i386\Win9xmig folder on the Windows XP CD-ROM or in a user specified location. (KB# Q231418)
• Run winnt32 /checkupgradeonly to check for compatible hardware and software without starting the installation process. This procedure generates a report indicating which system components are Windows XP compatible.

Upgrade types

You will be presented with two upgrade options, Express and Custom. Here are the differences:

• Express upgrade – upgrades Windows installation using current system folder (e.g. c:\winnt) and maintains all current settings. MS recommends using the Express upgrade.
• Custom upgrade – this allows you to modify the installation folder, language options, and gives you an opportunity to upgrade file systems formatted with FAT or FAT32 to NTFS.

Upgrade Gotchas

• With Windows 98/ME upgrades, Windows XP provides you with an opportunity to uninstall the new operating system and revert to the old one, but only if you maintain the current FAT or FAT32 file systems. Converting your file system to NTFS will remove this uninstall option.
• You will receive an Upgrade Report as part of the upgrade process. Most warnings will involve specific software programs. You will most likely be able to run this program using Compatibility Mode and can safely continue with the upgrade in most instances.
• The version of the NTFS file system used by Windows NT 4 is automatically upgraded to the version of NTFS used by Windows XP. Custom filters created for the older version of NTFS (used by some anti-virus software) may stop working under Windows XP.

Uninstalling Windows XP

• To uninstall Windows XP from an upgraded system, navigate to the Add/Remove Programs applet in Control Panel, highlight Windows XP, and click the Change/Remove button.
• You cannot uninstall Windows XP if you have converted your FAT partition to NTFS, or upgraded from Windows NT 4 Workstation or Windows 2000 Professional.
• Programs that have been modified since the upgrade to Windows XP may not function properly after the un-installation, particularly if they hook into registry settings unique to Windows XP.

Dynamic Update

Dynamic Update is a cool new feature that is only found in Windows XP. In a nutshell, it lets you connect directly to a network source, either the Windows Update site or a shared folder on your own network, to find critical fixes and drivers needed to minimize setup difficulties. There are some caveats...

• Dynamic Update needs an Internet connection or the ability to connect to a network share containing updates that were previously downloaded from the Windows Update Corporate Catalog.
• For upgrade installations, the version of Windows being upgraded must contain the WINENET.DLL and SHLWAPI.DLL files from Internet Explorer 4.01 or later (this may affect some Windows NT 4 Workstation systems that never had a recent browser installed because they weren’t used for Web access).
• Dynamic Update takes place by default when performing an unattended upgrade, but can be disabled by adding the following key and value to your answer file: DUDisable=yes.
• You can disable Dynamic Update by using the /dudisable switch. This will also override and answer file that is set to allow Dynamic Update.
• You can minimize traffic on your outbound Internet connection by downloading update files from the Corporate Windows Update site and mounting them on a network share (e.g. \\CORPSVR5\DYNUPDATE) and using the switch:
  winnt32.exe /dushare: \\CORPSVR5\DYNUPDATE for an upgrade installation.
• The /dushare switch (used in conjunction with the /duprepare switch) can be used to copy all files downloaded by Dynamic Update to a network share for use by subsequent installations. You must create a shared folder on a server ahead of time.

Dynamic Update downloads consists of two types of files:

1. Device Drivers – These are only downloaded for devices that are connected to the computer but for which there is no existing driver on the CD-ROM or distribution point. If there is an existing driver already, the updated version will not be downloaded unless it has been tagged as a “critical fix”.
2. Replacement Files – Dynamic Update checks to see if there are any critical fixes or updates for files currently available on the installation CD or distribution point. Updated files are downloaded, but any new files that don’t appear on the CD are ignored.

Dual-booting Windows XP with other Operating Systems

MS-DOS, Windows 3.x, and Windows 95/98/ME

These operating systems face the following limitations when dual-booted with Windows XP:

• The active partition that the computer is started from must be formatted with a file system that is recognized by these legacy operating systems. MS-DOS, Windows 3.x, and Windows 95 use the FAT file system. Windows 95 OSR2, Windows 98, and Windows ME use both the FAT and FAT32 file systems. None of these operating systems recognize the file system – you cannot format the active partition with the NTFS file system without rendering older operating systems unbootable.
• Partitions formatted as NTFS cannot be accessed by these operating systems.
• These operating systems must be installed before Windows XP.
• Neither MS-DOS, Windows 3.x, nor Windows 95/98/ME are compatible with Dynamic Disks.
   

Windows NT 4

Here are some things to be aware of when dual-booting Windows NT and Windows XP:

• When Windows XP is installed on a computer running Windows NT 4 all existing NTFS partitions will be updated to the version of NTFS used by Windows XP.
• For your Windows NT 4 configuration to access the upgraded NTFS volumes it must be running Service Pack 4 or higher. This service pack allows it to read the NTFS volumes without giving NT4 access to newer features such as Encrypting File System, Disk Quotas, Volume Mount Points, etc.
• Windows NT 4 cannot access disks that have been converted to Dynamic.
   

Windows 2000

Here are issues to be aware of when using Windows 2000 and Windows XP in a dual-boot scenario:

• Both Windows 2000 and Windows XP can access Dynamic Disks, but a set of Dynamic disks can only belong to one operating system at a time. Never use Dynamic disks in a dual-boot scenario.
• Systems participating in a Windows 2000 or Windows XP security domain must have different computer names.

Migrating User Settings

File and Settings Transfer Wizard (FAST)

This is a GUI tool that allows a user upgrading their system to migrate their files and settings over to Windows XP. It is intended for situations where a single computer is being upgraded or the computer’s owner is performing the upgrade.

Because this tool only exists on systems running Windows XP you will need to run it from the XP product CD, use a direct cable connection between systems, or create a Wizard disk on a 3.5-inch floppy disk.

You can choose to copy the files being transferred to either large removable media or a shared network location.

To run the Wizard from the XP product CD run fastwiz.exe from the \SUPPORT\TOOLS directory.

To run the Wizard from a newly created Wizard disk, click Start > Run and then type a:\fastwiz.exe.

The user can now select the files and settings they wish to transfer using the wizard and move them to the shared network location or to the removable media.

User State Migration Tool (USMT)

This is a command line tool that is used to help administrators migrate settings from systems running Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows ME over to Windows XP. This tool is not used with Windows 2000. This works with the most popular Microsoft software applications by default but can be customized to work with other applications. USMT can be scripted and is used for mass deployments.

File types transferred by default

Folders transferred by default

• Desktop
• Favorites
• My Documents
• My Pictures

Windows settings transferred by default

• Accessibility Options
• Browser/Mail Settings
• Display Settings
• Folder/Taskbar Options
• Fonts
• Mapped Network Drives
• Mouse/Keyboard Settings
• Network Printers

Application settings transferred by default

1. Microsoft Access
2. Microsoft Excel
3. Microsoft Office
4. Microsoft Outlook
5. Microsoft PowerPoint
6. Microsoft Word
7. Stored Mail and Contacts

Preparing a server for USMT

1. Create a shared folder called USMT.
2. Give the migrating user read access to USMT and the Admin account on the destination computer read/write access.
3. Create another folder called MigStore – share it with the same name. Both the migrating user and admin account on the destination computer require read/write access.
4. Create a sub-folder in USMT called Scan.
5. Create a sub-folder in USMT called Load.
6. Insert the Windows XP product CD and copy these files from \VALUEADD\MSFT\USMT to \USMT\SCAN; scanstate.exe, *.inf, *.dll.
7. Copy the following files from \VALUEADD\MSFT\USMT to \USMT\SCAN; loadstate.exe, *.dll, MigUser.inf.

Scanning the source computer

1. Log on as migrating user.
2. Map a drive to USMT folder on server.
3. From a command prompt, go to USMT/Scan folder on server.
4. Run scanstate.exe using this command line:
   scanstate /i .\migapp.inf /i .\migfiles.inf /i .\sysfiles.inf
   \\servername\MigStore
5. Once the program has finished running move to the destination computer.

Migrating files to destination computer

1. Log on as Admin, not migrating user.
2. Make sure migrating user does not have an account on destination computer.
3. Map drive to USMT folder on server.
4. From command prompt go to USMT/Load folder.
5. Run loadstate.ext using this command line:
   loadstate /i .\miguser.inf \\servername\MigStore
6. When program finishes, logon as migrating user to verify successful migration. Classic Windows shell should appear, as it is part of migration.

Product Activation

To reduce the amount of software piracy it has to cope with, especially “casual copying” amongst home users, Microsoft has introduced Product Activation. Product Activation essentially ties your Windows software to specific computer hardware, preventing you from installing the same copy of Windows on multiple computers. After installing Windows XP, you have 30 days in which to activate your product with Microsoft. This can be done over the Internet or via a phone call.

Once your copy of Windows is activated you won’t have to worry about this feature again unless you have a habit of changing your hardware around frequently. Windows XP puts special weight on your computer’s network adapter. If you don’t change your NIC, you can change up to five items without having to re-activate. If your computer doesn’t have a NIC, or you change your NIC, you’re allowed up to three hardware changes before you have to re-activate your operating system.

If you suffer a catastrophe and have to re-install Windows XP from scratch, you won’t have a problem with Product Activation unless you’ve changed your hardware around a bit. Then you’ll be informed that your copy of Windows is already registered to another system and will have to phone up Microsoft and beg and plead a bit. Microsoft allows up to four activations a year for people who like to tinker with their systems. After that, who knows?

This is obviously an annoying feature to cope with, especially in large corporate environments where deployments are done on a large scale. Microsoft offers volume licensing for large corporations. Those corporations participating in this Volume Licensing Plan can obtain a Corporate Edition of Windows XP Professional that only requires a valid product key, but not Product Activation.

You can activate your copy of Windows XP Professional at the Windows Welcome Screen, by choosing Start > Activate Windows, or by typing oobe/msoobe /a at a command prompt.

Product activation uses TCP/IP ports 80 (HTTP) and 443 (HTTPS).

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Troubleshooting failed installations

Common errors

Log files created during Setup

Implementing and Conducting Administration of Resources

Understanding FAT and NTFS File Systems

• NTFS provides optimum security and reliability through its ability to lock down inPidual files and folders on a user-by-user basis. Advanced features such as disk compression, disk quotas and encryption make it the file system recommended by 9 out of 10 MCSEs. (KB# Q244600)
• FAT and FAT32 are only used for dual-booting between Windows XP and another operating system (like DOS 6.22, Win 3.1 or Win 95/98). (KB# Q184006)
• Existing NT 4.0 NTFS system partitions will be upgraded to Windows XP NTFS automatically. If you wish to dual-boot between NT4.0, Windows 2000, or Windows XP you must first install Service Pack 4 on the NT4.0 machine. This will allow it to read the upgraded NTFS partitions, but advanced features such as EFS and Disk Quotas will be disabled. (KB# Q197056 & Q184299)
• Use convert.exe to convert a FAT or FAT32 file system to NTFS. NTFS partitions cannot be converted to FAT or FAT32 - the partition must be deleted and recreated as FAT or FAT32 (KB# Q156560 & Q214579)
• You cannot convert a FAT partition to FAT32 using convert.exe. (KB# Q197627)

NTFS file and folder permissions: (KB#S Q183090, Q244600)

File attributes when copying/moving within a partition or between partitions:

Miscellaneous:

• NTFS in Windows 2000 and Windows XP Professional features enhancements not found in Windows NT 4.0 version 4: Reparse Points, Encrypting File System (EFS), Disk Quotas, Volume Mount Points, SID Searching, Bulk ACL Checking, and Sparse File Support. (KB# Q183090)
• Volume Mount Points allow new volumes to be added to the file system without needing to assign a drive letter to it. Instead of mounting a CD-ROM as drive E:, it can be mounted and accessed under an existing drive (e.g., C:\CD-ROM).
• Sparse File Support prevents files containing large consecutive areas of zero bits from being allocated corresponding physical space on the drive and improves system performance.
• NTFS partitions can be de-fragmented in Windows XP (as can FAT and FAT32 partitions). Use Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter.
• Local security access can be set on a NTFS volume.
• Files moved from an NTFS partition to a FAT partition do not retain their attributes or security descriptors, but will retain their long filenames.
• Permissions are cumulative, except for Deny, which overrides anything.
• File permissions override the permissions of its parent folder.
• Anytime a new file is created, the file will inherit permissions from the target folder.
• The cacls.exe utility is used to modify NTFS volume permissions. (KB# Q237701)
• Windows XP supports disk-based quotas. Quotas can be set on NTFS volumes, but not on FAT or FAT32 volumes. Quotas cannot be set on inPidual folders within a NTFS partition. Quotas can be set on both Basic and Dynamic disks. (KB# Q183322)
• Disk information is stored on the physical disk itself, facilitating moving hard drives between systems. As managing disk numbering can become quite complex, the dmdiag.exe utility has been provided. (KB# Q222470)

Basic and Dynamic Storage: (KB# Q222189)

Windows XP supports both Basic and Dynamic storage. In basic storage you Pide a hard disk into partitions. Windows XP recognizes primary and extended partitions. A disk initialized for basic storage is called a Basic disk. It can contain primary partitions, extended partitions and logical drives. Basic volumes cannot be created on dynamic disks. Basic volumes should be used when dual-booting between Windows XP and DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 95/98 and all version of Windows NT. (KB# Q175761)
 

Dynamic storage (Windows 2000 and Windows XP only) allows you to create a single partition that includes the entire hard disk. A disk initialized for dynamic storage is called a Dynamic disk. Dynamic disks are Pided into volumes that can include portions of one, or many, disks. These can be resized without needing to restart the operating system. (KB# Q225551)

While both Windows 2000 and Windows XP can both read Dynamic Disks, you should not use them in a dual-boot scenario between the two operating systems. Only one of the operating systems can “own” the set of Dynamic Disks. Never use Dynamic disks in any dual-boot scenario.

Translation of terms between Basic and Dynamic Disks

There are three Dynamic Volume types

Simple volume - contains space from a single disk.

Spanned volume - contains space from multiple disks (maximum of 32). Data storage first fills one volume before going to the next. If a volume in a spanned set fails, all data in the spanned volume set is lost. Performance is degraded as disks in spanned volume sets are read sequentially.

Striped set - contains free space from multiple disks (maximum of 32) in one logical drive. Increases performance by reading/writing data from all disks at the same rate. If a disk in a stripe set fails, all data is lost.

Dynamic Volume States

Miscellaneous

• Cannot be directly accessed by DOS, Win95/98 or any versions of Windows NT if you are dual-booting, as they do not use the traditional disk organization scheme of partitions and logical volumes.
• The MBR on dynamic disks contains a pointer to disk configuration data stored in the last 1 MB of space at the end of the disk. (KB# Q197738)
• Dynamic volumes that were upgraded from basic disk partitions cannot be extended, especially the system volume that holds hardware-specific files required to start Windows XP and the boot volume. Volumes created after the disk was upgraded to dynamic can be extended. (KB# Q222188)
• When installing Windows XP, if a dynamic volume is created from unallocated space on a dynamic disk, Windows XP cannot be installed on that volume. (KB# Q216341)
• Not supported on portable computers or removable media. (KB# Q232463)
• The disk sector size must be 512 bytes to convert a Basic Disk to Dynamic. Use the chkdsk command to make sure your disk has the right sized sectors.
• A boot disk that has been converted from Basic to Dynamic cannot be converted back to basic. (KB# Q217226)
• There is NO fault-tolerance with Windows XP Professional. Fault-tolerance (RAID levels 1 and 5) is only available in Windows 2000 and the upcoming Windows .NET Server families. (KB# Q113932)

When using the Disk Management Snap-in Tool

• Whenever you add a new disk in a computer it is added as Basic Storage (shown in Figure 3)
• To manage disks on a remote computer you must create a custom console focused on another computer. Choose Start > Run and type mmc. Press Enter. On console menu click Add/Remove Snap-in. Click Add. Click Disk Management then click Add. When Choose Computer dialog box appears choose the remote system.
• Every time you remove or add a new disk to your computer you must choose Rescan Disks
• Dynamic Disks that have been removed from another computer will appear labeled as Foreign. Choose "Import Foreign Disk" and a wizard appears to provide instructions.
• For multiple Dynamic Disks removed from another computer, they will appear as a group. Right-click on any of the disks and choose "Add Disk".
• Disks can be upgraded from Basic to Dynamic storage at any time but must contain at least 1 MB of unallocated space for the upgrade to work.

Figure 3 – Disk Management

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Using Diskpart.exe

Diskpart is a new command-line tool that duplicates most of the functionality of the GUI Disk Management MMC snap-in. Because diskpart is a command-line tool, its operation can be scripted making it enormously powerful.

When you first start diskpart you must select the disk you are using by its object number. For example:

Diskpart
select disk 0
assign letter c

...selects the first fixed disk in my system and assigns it the drive letter C. All commands I give to diskpart now will be performed on this disk until I select another disk. Here is the syntax of a diskpart command:

diskpart [/add | /delete] [device_name | drive_name | partition_name] [size]

You cannot format disks using diskpart – you must do this using the format command from the command line.

A complete list of diskpart commands can be found in the deploy.chm file that is included in DEPLOY.CAB on the XP product CD.

Windows File Protection Feature (WFP): (KB# Q222193)

• Introduced in Windows 2000, this feature has been carried over to Windows XP. It prevents the replacement of certain monitored system files (important DLLs and EXEs in the %systemroot%\system32 directory).
• Uses file signatures and code signing to verify if protected system files are the Microsoft versions.
• WFP does not generate signatures of any type.
• Critical DLLs are restored from the %systemroot%\system32\dllcache directory. Default maximum size for Professional is 50MB. Editing the Registry can increase this. (KB# Q229656)

Local and network print devices

• Windows XP Professional supports the following printer ports: Line Printer (LPT), COM, USB, IEEE 1394, and network attached devices.
• Print services can only be provided for Windows and UNIX clients on Windows XP Professional. (KB# Q124734)
• Windows XP Professional automatically downloads the printer drivers for clients running Windows XP, Win2000, WinNT 4, WinNT 3.51 and Windows 95/98. (KB# Q142667)
• Internet Printing is a feature found in both Windows 2000 and Windows XP. You have the option of entering the URL where your printer is located. The print server must be a Windows XP Server running Internet Information Server or a Windows XP Professional system running Personal Web Server - all shared printers can be viewed at: http://servername/printers.
• Print Pooling allows two or more identical printers to be installed as one logical printer.
• Print Priority is set by creating multiple logical printers for one physical printer and assigning different priorities to each. Priority ranges from 1, the lowest (default) to 99, the highest.
• Enabling "Availability" option allows the Administrator to specify the hours the printer is available.
• Use Separator Pages to separate print jobs at a shared printer. A template for the separator page can be created and saved in the %systemroot%\system32 directory with a .SEP file extension. (KB# Q102712)
• 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. (KB# Q123747)
• To remedy a stalled spooler, you will need to stop and restart the spooler services in the Services applet in Administrative Tools in the Control Panel. (KB# Q240683)
• Use the fixprnsv.exe command-line utility to resolve printer incompatibility issues. (KB# Q247196)

Implementing, Managing, and Troubleshooting Hardware Devices and Drivers: (KB# Q199276)

Miscellaneous

• Windows XP fully supports the Plug and Play (PnP) standard. (KB# Q133159)
• Use the "System Information" snap-in to view configuration information about your computer (or create a custom console focused on another computer - powerful tool!!).
• "Hardware Resources" under System Information allow you to view Conflicts/Sharing, DMAs, IRQs, Forced Hardware, I/O and Memory.
• Hardware is added and removed using the "Add/Remove Hardware" applet in the Control Panel (can also be accessed from Control Panel > System > Hardware > Hardware Wizard).
• All currently installed hardware is managed through the "Device Manager" snap-in.
• To troubleshoot a device using Device Manager, click the "Troubleshoot" button on the General tab.