Windows NT Tech Support
ITP 9985 --Lenny Bailes (M,W,F 4/23-5/2; 6-9:30pm)


 

First Day Agenda

Student & teacher intros
Discussion of class resources
Fill out and hand-in skills survey


Strategic overview of NT Tech Support
We have several basic tools:
Using Event Viewer (handout, p. 3, Tech Support manual, p. 650)
Using Windows NT Diagnostics
Start NT Diagnostics from the Administrative Tools group
NT Diagnostics can be used to view information about computers, remotely.
Exercise: gather information about your computer.
System Recovery (Tech Support manual, p. 670)
When a severe error (called a STOP error, or fatal system error, or blue screen) occursw, Windows NT allows you to configure the way your system respondes. This is accomplished through the Recovery options found on the Startup/Shutdown tab of the System applet in Control Panel. You can:
a) write an event to the system log
b) send an administrative alert to users and computers specified in Alerts dialog box (Server applet in Control panel).
c) write a debug file to a specified filename (If pagefile is configured properly and of sufficient size)
d) Restart the system automatically
Microsoft Knowledge Base (http://support.microsoft.com)
Creating an Emergency Repair Disk (RDISK.EXE, p. 634 of Tech Support manual)
The Emergency Repair folder and disk are used to return a computer running Windows NT to the state of the last Emergency Repair update. The disk can repair missing or corrupt Windows NT files and restore parts of the registry (including the Security Accounts Manager (SAM) database), disk configuration information, and software registry entries. Rdisk.exe is located in the \systemroot\System32 folder.
Note: the emergency repair disk does not back up the SAM and Security files (with user account information) by default. But you can do this by entering RDISK /S at the command prompt.
To perform the emergency repair process, you need: the original installation CD or installation folder. Boot from the original NT setup floppy disks or create a new set by typing WINNT /ox or WINNT32 /ox. At the installation prompt on the blue screen, type "R" to indicate that you want to repair your Windows NT files, then follow on-screen instructions.
[Break]


Installing Windows NT 4.0 Workstation and Server (handout, p. 4)
See Microsoft help files (XSH_05 to 08.DOC in the \help directory on your Windows NT Installation disk)
Hardware requirements
Upgrade issues (old OS to Winnt vs. new installations)
Planning and preparation:
Blue Screen installation (part 1 -- go through hardware steps)
GUI installation (part 2 -- go through software configuration steps)
Review Training Materials simulations
Install Windows NT Server on computers at the side of the room.