Chapter 10. Configuring and Troubleshooting the Desktop Environment

Objectives

This chapter helps you to prepare for the exam by covering the following Microsoft-specified objectives for the Configuring and Troubleshooting the Desktop Environment section of the Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows XP Professional exam:

Configure and manage user profiles and desktop settings.

• Windows XP Professional is capable of supporting multiple users of a computer, each with his or her own profile that can be delivered from the local hard disk or from a network drive. This objective tests you on your ability to implement individual settings and profiles on the network, so that they can be used on any Windows XP Professional computer on the network.

Configure support for multiple languages or multiple locations.

• Enable multiple-language support.

• Configure multiple-language support for users.

• Configure local settings.

• Configure Windows XP Professional for multiple locations.

• When users travel, or when a user speaks another language natively, a network computer may need to support two or more locations or languages. An administrator needs to be able to support visiting users and those who travel to international sites.

Manage applications by using Windows Installer packages.

• Windows Installer is a service that enables original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to package application installations and to deliver them in a way in which they can be configured and distributed through Active Directory. You should understand how to publish and assign packages to computers and users, as well as the effects of selecting a variety of delivery configurations.

Outline

Introduction	416
Configuring and Managing User Profiles and Desktop Settings	416
Transferring Files and Settings Between Computers	421
Implementing Roaming Profiles	424
Establishing Mandatory Profiles	429
Configuring Support for Multiple Languages or Multiple Locations	430
Enabling Multiple-Language Support	430
Configuring Multiple-Language Support for Users	432
Configuring Local Settings	433
Configuring Modem Connections for Multiple Locations	434
Managing Applications by Using Windows Installer Packages	435
Understanding MSI Features and Support	438
Using Group Policy to Deploy MSI Packages	439
Chapter Summary	441
Apply Your Knowledge	442

Study Strategies

• When investigating how to handle multiple users and profiles, you will require a server to store profiles and allow a common logon for part of the testing process. Create several users with separate desktop configurations, such as different wallpaper for each, as well as different icons on the desktop. Configure roaming profiles for the users. Log on to at least two different computers attached to the network using the same user ID and note how the profile works. Repeat for another user. Log off from the server, create and join a workgroup, and create two local workgroup users. Log on to at least two different computers as the same workgroup user. Repeat for another user.

• The second objective looks at the settings required for people who move between two or more locations that may require different languages. Review the Control Panel options for regional and language settings. Create a profile that uses one language and keyboard that is different from a profile that uses another language and keyboard.

• The third objective focuses on being able to deploy applications with Windows Installer. You should have a Windows 2003 domain controller and at least one workstation available to you. Obtain at least two applications, one that uses an .msi package and one that does not. Configure a group policy to deploy the .msi package to a user. Log on as that user and test how the package deploys. Try a variety of configurations. Attempt to deploy a package for the non-Windows Installer application.