Microsoft Windows XP Professional Resource Kit 2003
ISBN: N/A
EAN: N/A
EAN: N/A
Year: 2005
Pages: 338
Pages: 338
Windows XP Professional provides disk and maintenance tools you can use to prevent problems from occurring. Some of the most useful tools are listed alphabetically in Table D-13. The disk-related tools allow you to view disk information and correct a problem before it becomes a serious issue. My Computer Information and Windows Update allow you to periodically check the status of your computer, apply updates that enhance Windows XP Professional, and might also help resolve problems due to causes such as incompatible device drivers.
| Tool | Function | Tool Type, Interface |
|---|---|---|
| Chkdsk (Chkdsk.exe) | Verifying and repairing the logical integrity of a file system on a Windows XP Professional based volume. | Built-in, command-line, GUI |
| Disk Cleanup (Cleanmgr.exe) | Increasing the amount of disk space that applications and Windows XP Professional can use by deleting unused files. | Built-in, GUI |
| Disk Defragmenter (Dfrg.msc and Defrag.exe) | Contiguously arranging files, folders, and programs, and grouping unused space on the hard disk to optimize disk performance. | Built-in, GUI, command-line |
| Disk Management (Diskmgmt.msc) and DiskPart (Diskpart.exe) | Viewing disk information and performing disk related functions such as extending volumes or partitioning disks. | Built-in, GUI, command-line |
| Fsutil (Fsutil.exe) | Displaying volume and file system information and performing advanced disk-related operations. | Built-in, command-line |
| My Computer Information in Help and Support | Viewing hardware and software status and obtaining Help and troubleshooting information. | Built-in, GUI |
| Windows Update (Wupdmgr.exe) | Obtaining updates, service packs, device drivers, and other enhancements. | Built-in, GUI |
Chkdsk (Chkdsk.exe) is a command-line tool that checks volumes for problems and attempts to repair any that it finds. For example, Chkdsk can repair problems related to bad sectors, lost clusters, cross-linked files, and directory errors. For NTFS formatted disks, the Windows XP Professional version of Chkdsk.exe can provide substantial performance improvements (compared to the versions in Windows 2000 Professional and Windows NT Workstation 4.0) when using the new the /i and /c parameters. These two parameters instruct Chkdsk.exe to skip certain file system checks, which might reduce the time needed to run Chkdsk. You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group to use Chkdsk.
In addition to using the command-line version of Chkdsk, you can run Chkdsk from My Computer or Windows Explorer.
To run Chkdsk from the command prompt
At the command prompt, type chkdsk.
To run Chkdsk from My Computer or Windows Explorer
In My Computer or Windows Explorer, right-click the volume you want to check, and then click Properties.
On the Tools tab, click Check Now.
Do one of the following:
To run Chkdsk in read-only mode, click Start.
To repair errors without scanning the volume for bad sectors, select the Automatically fix file system errors check box, and then click Start.
To repair errors, locate bad sectors, and recover readable information, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box, and then click Start.
Before running Chkdsk, be aware of the following:
Chkdsk requires exclusive access to a volume while it is running. Chkdsk might display a prompt asking if you want to check the drive the next time you restart your computer.
Chkdsk might take a long time to run, depending on the number of files and folders, the size of the volume, disk performance, and available system resources (such as processor and memory).
Chkdsk might not accurately report information in read-only mode.
For more information about using Chkdsk, see Troubleshooting Disks and File Systems in this book.
Disk Cleanup (Cleanmgr.exe) enables you to delete unneeded files and periodically compress infrequently accessed files. Insufficient disk free space can cause many problems ranging from Stop messages to file corruption. To increase free space you can do the following:
Move files to another volume or archive them to backup media.
Compress files or disks to reduce the space required to store data.
Delete unneeded files.
To run Disk Cleanup
At the command prompt, type cleanmgr.
Select the drive you want to clean up, and then click OK.
On the Disk Cleanup tab, select an option.
or
Click the More Options tab to remove restore points and uninstall operating system components or applications.
For more information about restore points, see System Restore earlier in this appendix.
To compress files by using Disk Cleanup
On the Disk Cleanup tab, select the Compress old files check box.
In the Description box, click Options to specify how many days to wait before compressing a file.
For more information about Disk Cleanup, click Tools in Help and Support Center.
Windows XP Professional provides two methods for defragmenting volumes:
The Disk Defragmenter snap-in (Dfrg.msc)
The new Disk Defragmenter command-line tool (Defrag.exe)
Both defragmentation tools rearrange files, folders, and programs so that they occupy contiguous space on the hard disk. The tools also reorder free space, moving it into a contiguous block at the end of each volume. As a result, the operating system can write files to the hard disk sequentially more often, which improves performance. You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group to use the defragmentation tools.
To start the Disk Defragmenter snap-in
In the Run dialog box, type dfrg.msc.
You can also start Disk Defragmenter from the Computer Management tool. For more information about the Computer Management tool, see Computer Management Tool earlier in this appendix.
To start the Defrag.exe command-line tool
At the command prompt, type defrag.
For more information about Disk Defragmenter, see Troubleshooting Disks and File Systems in this book.
Windows XP Professional provides two tools that you can use to view the status of disks and volumes:
The Disk Management snap-in (Diskmgmt.msc)
The command-line tool DiskPart (Diskpart.exe)
Both tools use a number of predefined descriptions to indicate the status of disks and volumes in the computer. For example, if no errors are present on a disk, the tools display an Online status for the disk and a Healthy status for volumes on the disk. By periodically running these tools, you can identify disk or volume problems and repair them before they lead to data loss. You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group to use Disk Management or DiskPart.
To use the Disk Management snap-in
In the Run dialog box, type diskmgmt.msc.
You can also start Disk Defragmenter from the Computer Management tool. For more information about the Computer Management tool, see Computer Management Tool earlier in this appendix.
To start DiskPart and view a list of commands
At the command prompt, type diskpart.
At the DISKPART> prompt, type commands.
DiskPart is a text-mode command interpreter that provides commands for managing disks, volumes, and partitions. The command-line Diskpart.exe tool is separate from the diskpart command that you can use in Recovery Console.
For more information about troubleshooting disk-related problems, see Troubleshooting Disks and File Systems in this book. For more information about using DiskPart, click Tools in Help and Support Center.
Fsutil (Fsutil.exe) is a command-line tool that provides commands for performing file system and volume-related tasks, such as querying or changing file and disk attributes. You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group to use Fsutil.
To obtain a list of Fsutil subcommands
At the command prompt, type fsutil.
To obtain help for an Fsutil subcommand
At the command prompt, use the following syntax:
fsutil subcommand help
For more information about Fsutil, click Tools in Help and Support Center.
My Computer Information in Windows XP Professional Help and Support Center enables you to view your computer s hardware and software status and to gather help and troubleshooting information.
To view My Computer Information in Help and Support Center
Under Pick a task, click Use Tools to view your computer information and diagnose problems.
Under Tools, click My Computer Information, and then follow the instructions displayed on the screen.
Table D-14 lists the type of information available.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| General | Displays details about your computer, such as the processor speed and the amount of physical memory and disk space available. |
| Status | Shows diagnostic information that can help you solve existing problems and read tips that can help you avoid issues. |
| Hardware | Contains detailed information about internal and external hardware installed on your computer. |
| Software | Lists system software installed on your computer. |
| View computer information on another computer | Shows information for a remote computer, if you have administrative permissions on the remote computer. |
For more information about My Computer Information, see Windows XP Professional Help and Support Center.
Windows Update is an online extension of Windows XP Professional, and provides a central location to find product enhancements, such as service packs, device drivers, and system security updates.
To obtain a list of the available updates on the Windows Update Web site
In the Run dialog box, type wupdmgr.
Click Pick updates to install to view the following choices:
Critical Updates
Windows XP
Driver Updates
At a minimum, download and install all updates listed in Critical Updates.
Windows XP Professional provides Automatic Updates, a feature you can enable that eliminates the need to check for new updates posted to the Windows Update Web site. Automatic Updates also conserves network bandwidth by checking for updates during periods of idle network activity.
To enable Automatic Updates
In Control Panel, open System.
Click the Automatic Updates tab.
Under Notification Settings, click the option that you want to use:
Download the updates automatically and notify me when they are ready to be installed.
Notify me before downloading any updates and notify me again before installing them on my computer.
Turn off automatic updating. I want to update my computer manually.
When you enable Automatic Updates, an Install Reminder appears in the notification area of the taskbar when one or more updates are ready to be downloaded or installed. Double-click the reminder icon to display the list of items.
For more information about Automatic Updates, see Windows XP Professional Help and Support Center.
You can restrict user access to the Windows Update Web page by using the Group Policy snap-in. You can use Group Policy settings to remove the Windows Update icon from the following locations:
Windows Explorer Start menu
The Tools menu in Microsoft Internet Explorer
The Add or Remove Programs icon in Control Panel. (The Add programs from Microsoft option that appears when you click Add New Programs.)
To disable access to Windows Update by using the Group Policy snap-in
In Run dialog box, type gpedit.msc.
Expand Local Computer Policy, expand User Configuration, and then expand Administrative Templates.
Double-click Start Menu and Taskbar, and then in the details pane, double-click Remove links and access to Windows Update. Click Enabled, and then click OK.
In the Administrative Templates node, expand Windows Components, double-click Windows Update, and in the details pane, double-click Remove access to use all Windows Update features. Click Enabled and then click OK.
Under Administrative Templates, expand Control Panel, double-click Add or Remove Programs, and in the details pane, double-click Hide the Add programs from Microsoft option. Click Enabled, and then click OK.