Using Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools

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Another great resource for Windows utilities is the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit. As with the support tools, the resource kit tools are available for installation on Windows Server 2003 systems and can be used with all versions of Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP Professional.

The resource kit tools are distributed on CD-ROM as part of the boxed resource kit set and also available as a free download from the Microsoft Windows Download Center. You can install the resource kit tools by completing the following steps:

1. Insert the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive or double-click the executable file, Rktools.exe, that you downloaded from Microsoft.

   Caution

   Because the resource kit modifies Windows consoles, including the Help And Support Center, you should close any programs you are running prior to installing the resource kit. If you don’t do this, the installation may fail completely or it may simply fail to update the shared components of programs that are currently running (which may lead to unpredictable results).

2. When the Windows Resource Kit Tools Setup Wizard starts, click Next.

3. Read the End User License Agreement and then, if you agree and want to continue, click I Agree and then click Next.

4. Enter your user information, and then click Next.

5. Select the destination directory for the support tools. The default location is %ProgramFiles%\Windows Resource Kits\Tools. If you don’t want to use the default location, type a new directory path or click Browse to search for a location. The resource kit uses about 37 MB of disk space.

6. Click Install Now.

7. Click Finish on the Completing The Windows Resource Kit Tools Setup Wizard page.

When the installation is complete, you can access the resource kit tools through the Windows Resource Kit Tools Help. Click Start, click Programs or All Programs as appropriate, click Windows Resource Kit Tools, and then select Windows Resource Kit Tools Help. As with support tools, resource kit tools are organized by file name, tool name, and category. Clicking a tool name accesses a help page that displays the online help documentation for the tool and that you can also use to run the tool.

You will find the executables for the resource kit tools in the installation directory, which by default is %SystemDrive%\Program Files\Windows Resource Kits\Tools, and once again, the system path is updated to include the resource kit installation directory. This allows you to run the tools at any command prompt regardless of the current directory. Type the command name followed by a space and /?, such as creatfil /?, to display the command syntax. Keep in mind, however, that not all commands have help documentation that can be accessed in this way.

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