Exam Highlights

Before taking the exam, review the key topics and terms that are presented in this chapter. You need to know this information.

Key Points

• You should memorize the basic hardware requirements for running Windows XP. A 233 MHz processor, 64 MB RAM, and a 2 GB hard disk with 1.5 GB free space are required.

• For the exam, know the features that Windows XP Home Edition does not support. In particular, know that a computer running Windows XP Home Edition cannot join a domain, does not support file level security, and does not support file encryption.

• The only reason to use FAT32 on a computer running Windows XP is if the computer is also configured to run an operating system that cannot interpret NTFS. If a computer runs only Windows XP, you should always use the NTFS format.

• A standard answer file is used to provide the common configuration settings for all computers that are affected during an unattended installation. A UDF provides the unique settings that each computer needs to distinguish it from other computers.

• You should understand the types of settings that you can change in the BIOS, particularly those that control the integrated components on the computer. Often, when an integrated device is not available in Windows, it is because the device is disabled.

• Enabling Automatic Updates and configuring it to download and install updates automatically according to a preset schedule is the recommended way to handle critical updates for Windows XP.

Key Terms

Boot partition The disk partition that possesses the system files required to load the operating system into memory.

Files And Settings Transfer Wizard One of two methods used by administrators to transfer user configuration settings and files from systems running Windows 95 or later to a clean Windows XP installation. The other method is the USMT.

Last Known Good Configuration The configuration settings that existed the last time that the computer started successfully.

NTFS The native file management system for Windows XP. However, Windows XP is also capable of using FAT and FAT32 file systems to maintain compatibility with previous versions of Windows.

Recovery Console A command-line utility that gives you access to the hard disks and many command-line utilities when the operating system will not start. The Recovery Console can access all volumes on the drive, regardless of the file system type. You can use the Recovery Console to perform several operating system troubleshooting tasks.

Safe Mode An alternative startup mode that loads a minimal set of device drivers (keyboard, mouse, and standard mode VGA drivers) that are activated to start the computer.

System partition Contains the hardware-specific files that are required to load and start Windows XP. Normally the same partition as the boot partition.

User State Migration Tool (USMT) Allows administrators to transfer user configuration settings and files from systems running Windows 95 or later to a clean Windows XP installation.