‫گهوڙي سواري ‪ ،‬پڙهڻ‪ ،‬ترڻ ۽ وڙهڻ‬
‫جنهن نه سکيو ننڊپڻ ۾ يار‬
‫جواني ۾ ٿيو خوار‬
‫سائين االنا (اڳوڻو چيئرپرسن سنڌي ٻولي جو بااختيار ادارو)چيو‬
‫هاڻي ڪمپيوٽر به انهي ۾ شامل ڪريو‬
Windows XP
Explore Windows With Kirshan
Microsoft Windows


Microsoft Windows is the name of several
families of software operating systems by
Microsoft.
Microsoft first introduced an operating
environment named Windows in November
1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response
to the growing interest in graphical user
interfaces (GUIs).
Windows

At the 2004 IDC (CONSTRUCTION industrial
development ) Directions conference IDC
Vice President Avneesh Saxena stated
that
Windows had approximately 90% of
the client operating system market
Market share
Source http://en.wikipedia.org
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Windows Version
All versions
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 2000
Windows 98
Windows NT
Windows ME
Windows CE
Windows 95
Market share
92.42%
78.37%
9.19%
2.97%
0.76%
0.63%
0.43%
0.06%
0.02%
HISTORY


In 1983 Microsoft announced its development of
Windows, a graphical user interface (GUI) for its
own operating system (MS-DOS) that had shipped
for IBM PC and compatible computers since 1981.
It was originally going to be called Interface
Manager, but Rowland Hanson, the head of
marketing at Microsoft, convinced the company that
the name Windows would be more appealing to
consumers
HISTORY


The first version of Microsoft Windows,
version 1.0, released in November 20, 1985,
lacked a degree of functionality and achieved
little popularity, and was to compete with
Apple's own operating system.
Windows 1.0 is not a complete operating
system; rather, it extends MS-DOS
HISTORY

Microsoft Windows version 3.0,
released in 1990, was the first
Microsoft Windows version to achieve
broad commercial success, selling 2
million copies in the first six months
HISTORY
HISTORY
Date
16-bit
November 20, 1985
Windows 1.0
December 9, 1987
Windows 2.0
May 22, 1990
Windows 3.0
April 6, 1992
Windows 3.1
October 27, 1992
Windows for
Workgroups 3.1
July 27, 1993
November 8, 1993
32-bit
Windows NT 3.1
Windows for
Workgroups 3.11
September 21, 1994
Windows NT 3.5
May 30, 1995
Windows NT 3.51
August 24, 1995
August 24, 1996
Windows 95
Windows NT 4.0
64-bit
HISTORY
Date
16-bit
32-bit
June 25, 1998
Windows 98
May 9, 1999
Windows 98 SE
February 17, 2000
September 14, 2000
October 25, 2001
April 25, 2003
Windows 2000
Windows Me
Windows XP
Windows Server 2003
December 18, 2003
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2003
October 12, 2004
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
64-bit
HISTORY
Date
16-bit
32-bit
April 25, 2005
June 8, 2006
November 30, 2006
January 30, 2007
64-bit
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs
Windows Vista for Business use
Windows Vista for Home use; released in fifty countries
Q4 2007
Windows Home Server
February 27, 2008
Windows Server 2008
2010
Windows 7
MS-DOS product progression

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MS-DOS and PC-DOS
Windows 95 (MS-DOS 7.0)
Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2.x,
Windows 98 (MS-DOS 7.1)
Windows Millennium Edition (MS-DOS
8.0)
Windows 1.0 product progression

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Windows 1.0
Windows 2.0
Windows 2.1 (aka Windows/286 and
Windows/386)
Windows 3.0, Windows 3.1, Windows 3.1
for Workgroups, Windows 3.11, Windows
3.11 for Workgroups (WfW)
Windows 95 (Windows 4.0)
Windows 98 (Windows 4.1)
Windows Millennium Edition (Windows 4.9)
Current NT line product progression
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Windows NT 3.1, 3.5
Windows NT 4.0
Windows 2000 (Windows NT 5.0)
Windows XP (Windows NT 5.1)
Windows Server 2003, Windows XP 64-bit Edition
2003 (Windows NT 5.2)
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition (Windows NT
5.2)
Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (Windows
NT 5.1)
Windows Vista (Windows NT 6.0)
Windows XP



Windows XP is a line of operating systems
developed by Microsoft for use on generalpurpose computer systems, including home
and business desktops, notebook
computers.
The letters "XP" stand for eXPerience
Windows XP is the successor to both
Windows 2000 Professional and Windows
Me
Windows XP

Development of Windows XP started in
1999 in the form of Windows Neptune.
Windows XP was developed for 18
months, from December 1999 to
August 2001, and was released on
October 25, 2001.
Features
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New user interface
Ability for two users to be logged on simultaneously
Windows Media Player for Windows XP
Windows Messenger
Expanded Help feature
Advanced security features
Integrates features of Windows 9x and 2000
Provides added support for multimedia and
networking technologies
Slightly different look and feel from its predecessors
Plug-in Play Support with new Driver database bank
Criticism



Require High space about 1 GB of
Harddisk
Require large memory
Some time miss match drivers not
valid by microsoft
Windows XP System Requirements
Before Explore

Can you tell what is
Windows XP
Lets learn Windows XP
Recognizing an Windows and Application
Window
Mouse
Pointer
• Pointing to the position you want.
"(POINT)"
• 1 – click is "(CLICK)"
• 2 – click continuously is " (DOUBLE
CLICK)
• Hold the mouse pressing and move the
pointer to another position, then release the
button "(DRAG & DROP)"
Cursors and Pointer
• There are many types of
arrows, pointers, cursors,
and other items, that can
be used to navigate around
in Windows.
•To modify mouse pointers,
go to My Computer >
Control Panel > Mouse >
Pointer.
The Desktop
• The main display screen in Windows is
known as the desktop.
• Also called windows shell
• The Windows desktop has remained
consistent for most versions of Windows
including 95, 98, 98 SE, Millennium (ME),
NT, and 2000.
Windows
1.
2.
1.
2.
3. Start Button
4. Task Bar
Desktop (workspace)
Icon
Let’s talk
about the
windows
components
Windows
The Desktop
• Located at the bottom of the desktop is the
taskbar.
• The taskbar contains the Start button, quick
launch buttons, and the clock.
• The Start button displays the Start menu.
This menu allows access to virtually every
program and function on the PC.
• Quick launch buttons are similar to
desktop icons as they are also shortcuts to
applications.
How can we
work on
Windows?
Commands
It is easy... take a look!
1. Start Button
2. Icons on Desktop
3. Right click – get shortcut menu
Start Menu of Windows XP
Desktop Icons
My Computer
My Documents
Working with Icons
Arranging the Icons
•Icons are
shortcuts to
programs or files
on the computer
desktop that
improve
navigation.
Application Icon
Keeping deleted files
Working with Icons
Working with Windows
Control Menu
Title Bar
Control Buttons
Menu Bar
Tool Bar
Scroll Bar
Status Bar
Recognizing an Application Window
• Application windows typically have a title bar,
tool bar, menu bar, status bar, and scroll
bar.
• WordPad will be used to demonstrate the
features common to most Windows
applications.
• WordPad, or Notepad on some Windows
computers, is a word processing program
located in the Start > Programs >
Accessories directory of a Windows
environment.
Title Bar
• Displays the name of the document and
application. In this example, it is
"Document - WordPad".
• Also located in the title bar are the
Minimize, Maximize, and Exit buttons that
will be discussed soon
Menu Bar Menu
• A list of options to choose from
• A list of commands for manipulating data
Pull-down menu
A list of options that pulls down from
the top of the screen
Fly-out menus
Menus that seem to explode out to
the right
Toolbar
A bar across the top of the display
window, which displays menus and
icons representing frequently used
options
Status Bar
Located at the bottom of the window, the
status bar shows useful information, such
as page number, whether the file is being
saved, how to access the Help feature,
etc.
Scroll Bar
• Moving quickly upward,
downward, or sideways
through the text or other
screen display
• Windows may have scroll bars that
appear on the right side, the bottom
of the window, or both.
• Clicking on the arrows on either end
of the scroll bar moves the images
or text through the window.
Recognizing an Application Window
Things should be made as simple as
possible, but not any simpler.
-Albert Einstein
But
• Practice makes man perfect 
Working with Windows
They are
similar.
Controlling your Window
Click Here
Moving your Window
Point & Click on Windows Bar
and Hold It.
Window Control Buttons
3 magic buttons
Close
Maximize
Minimize to Task Bar
Window Control Buttons
Resizing your Windows
We can resize the window you are working on.
Point your mouse at the window corner, click and
drag the window frame to resize.
Shut down
Do not turn off the
machine immediately
1. Click-Start
2. Choose-Turn Off Computer
3. Choose-Turn Off Option
(Some machines turn off automatically)
Date - Time
What time is it now?
Place your mouse at the
time icon on task bar,
here is the date.
Date - Time
Can we adjust the date and time the
the actual one?
1. Double click here
2. Adjust date from the calendar, time
from the clock and click OK
Desktop Properties
Can we have a new
desktop color?
Of course, you can :
1. Right-click the mouse
on Desktop
2. Choose: Properties you
will get this window
Desktop Properties
3. Choose: Desktop tab
4. Choose: Wallpaper
(backgroup) and
display style
5. Click: OK to confirm the
settings
Screen Saver
Save your screen: By using the
screen saver.
1. Choose: Screen Saver tab and one
style
2. Set: the idle wait time before
the screen saver is activated.
Click OK
Other Properties
SOME SKILLS TO KNOW
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Creating shortcut
Rename any file
Copy , delete , move any file
System information
Setup any application
Getting help
Windows explorer
Searching
Some common task shortcuts
Running DOS
Dialup connection
Standard Applications on Windows
What else can we do on Windows?
a lot!!
We are all familiar
with these. 
Calculator
There are 2 styles:
Standard and Scientific
Click on: View Menu
Calculator.. Just Do it!
5+3=?
3x5
Sin(45) = ?
15
8
=?
256 equals to ?? in binary digit
Standard Applications on Windows
NotePad is a small text editor
application, suitable for taking
notes or memos.
Standard Applications on Windows
WordPad is a small wordprocessing application.
Standard Applications on Windows
Paint is a painting application
with various tools i.e. brush, pen,
etc.
Others Application Software
Windows is an operating system with some standard applications.
We can also install the additional applications on Windows. For
example, Microsoft Office Suite, etc.
Lab Work…
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Write at least 3 input and 3 output units with their
usage.
Design a flag of Pakistan
Design any image of your choice and color
Copy all images from my document to desktop under a
folder names assignment1
Make a folder in start menu and paint , notepad icons in
that
Open help file wordpad and search details on insert
object copy text and past it in Wordpad then color red
where ever object word is, replace microsoft word with
MS.
Microsoft Windows components
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Configuration and maintenance
User interface
Applications and utilities
Windows Server components
File systems
Core components
Services
Games
Configuration and maintenance
Component
Description
Introduced
Control Panel
Control Panel
Allows users to view and manipulate basic
system settings and controls, such as adding
hardware, adding and removing software,
controlling user accounts, changing
accessibility options, and so on.
Windows 1.0
Device Manager
Allows the user to display and control the
hardware attached to the computer, and
control what device drivers are used.
Windows 95
Windows Mobility
Center
Centralizes the most relevant information
related to mobile computing.
Windows Vista
Windows Security
Center
Centralizes and reports on the status of antivirus, Automatic Updates, Windows
Firewall, and other security-related
components of the operating system.
Windows XP SP2
List of Control Panel applets
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In recent versions of Windows, the Control Panel has two
views, Classic View and Category View, and it is possible to
switch between these through an option that appears on the
left side of the window.IL
Applications we see in control panel are called applets.
The control panel then uses these lists to locate the applets
and load them into the control panel program (control.exe)
when started by the user. In addition to using the control
panel a user can also invoke the applets manually via the
command processor, for instance the following syntax in XP
and Vista respectively will run the internet properties applet
Control.exe inetcpl.cpl
control.exe /name Microsoft. InternetOptions
Accessibility Options (Access.cpl)

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Allows users to configure the accessibility of their PC. It
comprises various settings primarily aimed at users with
disabilities or hardware problems.
The behaviour of the keyboard can be modified, this is
aimed at people who have difficulty pressing keycombinations, or pressing a key just once. (StickyKeys,
FilterKeys and ToggleKeys)
Behaviour of sounds can be modified. (SoundSentry
and ShowSounds)
High contrast mode can be activated.
The keyboard cursor can be customized.
The mouse pointer can be controlled using the
keyboard. (MouseKeys)
Add New Hardware (hdwwiz.cpl)

Launches a wizard which allows users
to add new hardware devices to the
system. This can be done by selecting
from a list of devices or by specifying
the location of the driver installation
files.
Add or Remove Programs (appwiz.cpl)

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
The Add/Remove Programs dialog allows the user to manipulate
software installed on the system in a number of ways;
Allows users to uninstall and change existing software packages, as
well as indicating how much space individual programs take and how
frequently they are used.
Allows users to manually install software from a CD-ROM or Floppy
Disk, and install add-ons from Windows Update.
Allows users to change which Windows components are installed, via
the Windows setup Wizard, which includes Internet Explorer, Windows
Media Player and Windows Messenger
Finally, it allows users to specify the default applications for certain
tasks, via the 'set program access and defaults' wizard, such as internet
browsers, media players and email programs and whether access to
these programs is available
Administrative Tools

Contains tools for system
administration, including security,
performance and service configuration.
These are links to various
configurations of the Microsoft
Management Console such as the local
services list and the Event Viewer.
Automatic Updates (wuaucpl.cpl)

This is used to specify how the Automatic
Updates client (wuauclt.exe) should download
updates from the Microsoft Update Website, by
default this is set to download and install daily,
however this can be changed to a more
suitable frequency. This also allows the user to
specify whether to ask permission before
downloading and/or installing updates or to
simply switch of Automatic Updates all together.
Date and Time (timedate.cpl)

Allows user to change the date and
time stored in the machines BIOS,
change the time zone and specify
whether to synchronize the date and
time with an Internet Time Server and
which server to use.
Display (desk.cpl)
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Allows the user to change the display characteristics of their
computer;
Allows users to change the desktop background (wallpaper) to a
picture of their choice and specifies how it should be shown.
Allows the user to change or disable the screensaver, and specify
how long it takes to activate and whether to ask for a password
on resume
Allows the user to specify the colour styles of all elements within
the system, primarily whether to use the Windows XP / Vista
styles (blue by default in XP) or to use the classic Windows 98 /
Me styles, this also allows the user to change the My Computer
and Recycle Bin icons.
Allows the user to change the screen resolution and colour quality,
and provides trouble shooting advice for displays.
Folder Options
(Shell32.dll -RUNDLL 0)

This item allows for configuration of how folders
and files are presented in Windows Explorer.
More specifically it allows the user to specify
general settings like whether folders open in a
new window or the existing window and
whether the common tasks pane is shown, as
well as more advanced tasks such as whether
windows should hide critical system files and
whether to show file extensions. It is also used
to modify file type associations in Windows ie.,
which program opens which type of file and
other settings like actions for each file type and
the file extension
Fonts

Displays all fonts installed on the
computer. Users can remove fonts,
install new fonts or search for fonts
using font characteristics.
Internet Options (inetcpl.cpl)

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Allows the user to change the way the computer manages internet
connections and browser settings for Internet Explorer, it has several tags
specifying different attributes;
General - This specifies the homepage and colour schemes and allows the
user to delete internet usage history.
Security & Privacy - These specify whether the computer should allow
websites to undertake certain processes and download cookies, this panel
also gives access to the inbuilt popup blocker (Windows XP SP2 and later)
and the phishing controls (Internet Explorer 7).
Content - Allows the parental controls and auto-complete to be configured
and also specifies how to deal with certificates.
Connections, Programs and Advanced - These give access to other aspects
of internet settings such as the default modem connection and email client,
proxy settings and other advanced configurations.
Keyboard (main.cpl keyboard)

Lets the user change and test
keyboard settings, including cursor
blink rate and key repeat rate.
Mail (mlcfg32.cpl)

Mail allows for configuration of the
mail client in Windows, usually
Microsoft Outlook. Microsoft Outlook
Express cannot be configured with this
item; it is configured through its own
interface.
Mouse (main.cpl)

Mouse allows the configuration of pointer
options, such as the double click and scroll
speed, and includes visibility options such as
whether to leave trails behind the mouse
pointer and whether the pointer should
disappear when typing. This also allows the
user to specify the pointer appearance for
each task, such as resize and busy.
Network Connections
(ncpa.cpl)

Displays and allows the user to edit or
create network connections such as
Local Area Networks (LAN) and
internet connections. It also offers
troubleshooting functions in case the
computer has to be reconnected to the
network.
Phone and Modem Options
(telephon.cpl)

Manages telephone and modem
connections.
Power Options (powercfg.cpl)

Includes options to manage energy
consumption such as;
– Specify how long it takes to switch off the display
and hard drives and how long it takes for the system
to enter standby, if at all.
– To decide what to do when the computer's on/off
button is pressed, such as whether to shut down or
to enter standby.
– Whether to allow Hibernation (some systems become
unstable when restarting).
– Allows the user to configure UPS (if available).
Printers and Faxes



Displays all the printers and faxes currently
installed on the computer, and has two main uses;
Firstly, it shows the all the jobs queued for each
printer, the file size and status of each job and
which user they belong to, it also allows each job to
be paused, canceled or moved up or down the list.
Secondly, it allows the user to set the printing or
faxing preferences, such as paper size and quality
via the manufacturers own preferences pane and
also specifies how to share the printer across a
network , the device drivers, ports etc.
Regional and Language
Settings (intl.cpl)


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


Various regional settings can be altered, for instance:
The way numbers are displayed (e.g. decimal separator).
How Currency values are displayed, including the Currency sign.
Time and date notations, such as the date separator and whether
the clock should be in 12 or 24 hours.
Cultural location of the user's computer (The time zone is set in Date
and Time).
Language;
– Input language.
– Keyboard layout (mapping between key strokes and characters).
– Display language for Menus and Dialog Boxes.


Whether files necessary for Asiatic language support must be
installed.
Installed code pages.
Security Center (Windows
XP Service Pack 2 and
Newer) (wscui.cpl)

The security center gives the user access to the
inbuilt Windows security components, as well as
providing information about any existing antivirus
software such as McAfee or Zone Alarm. It includes
access to Windows Update, where users can specify
whether the computer should check for updates
regularly (also available through the Windows
Update panel), and options for managing internet
security settings. It also includes links to internet
articles about PC security and current virus threats
and notifies the user when the PCs security is
compromised.
Sounds and Audio Devices
(mmsys.cpl)

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

This panel contains various audio-related functions;
Change the speaker volume and type and specify whether to
show the volume icon in the notification area.
Change the sounds played for the system or specific programs
when a certain event occurs, i.e Windows Startup or Critical
Stop.
Change default devices for music playback, recording, voice
recognition, MIDI etc.
Change the Sound card settings and whether to use Hardware
acceleration.
Display the audio devices installed on the computer, and
allows them to be configured.
Speech (Sapi.cpl)

This applet has two main functions, the first is specify settings
for Speech synthesis, allowing the user to select the voice the
computer should use to narrate text and how fast it should
read. The second is to specify settings forSpeech recognition,
allowing the user to set up different profiles detailing how the
computer should deal with an individuals dialect, for instance;
– The amount of grammatical errors in a persons voice (punctuality
sensitivity).
– The speed at which the person speaks, and the time delay
between words.

This also allows the user to access the voice recognition
training wizard, in which an individual 'teaches' the computer
to recognize a person voice interactively using the microphone.
System (Sysdm.cpl)

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



This is used to view and change core system settings, a user
can for instance:
Display general information on the user's machine such as the
amount of RAM, CPU speed and type, the version of Windows
the system is using and the manufacturer.
Edit the computer name in a network workgroup.
Manage and Configure hardware devices, and view
information such as the manufacturer, user access and driver
version of any hardware device installed on the system via
Device Manager.
Enable/Disable system features such as automatic updates
and System restore monitoring.
Specify advanced features such as performance logs, virtual
memory settings and roaming profiles.
Taskbar and Start Menu
(Shell32.dll -RUNDLL 1)


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


Allows the user to change the behavior and
appearance of the task bar and Start Menu;
Specifies whether to use Windows XP/Vista or
Classic 9x/Me styles on the taskbar and start menu.
Whether the taskbar should Auto-Hide.
Whether to show the clock in the notification area.
Allows the user to manage the tray icons.
Advanced options such as whether to show Printers
& Faxes in the start menu and whether to display
My Documents as a menu or as a link to a new
window.
User Accounts (nusrmgr.cpl)

This allows the user to configure their account and
other accounts used in the system, should they
have sufficient privileges. They can change their
username and password, their picture (if enabled)
and their .net passport. If the current user has an
administrators account they can also add, delete
and modify other user accounts as well as make
changes to core system settings. This panel also
specifies whether the guest account should be
active and whether to use the Welcome screen
while Windows loads.
Peripheral Devices





These are options in the control panel that show
devices connected to the computer. They do not
actually offer a direct interface to control these
devices, but rather offer basic tasks such as
removal procedures and links to wizards (Printers &
faxes is the exception).
Such Applets include;
Scanners and Cameras
Game Controllers
Portable Media Devices
Other Microsoft distributed
applets
Bluetooth Devices (bthprops.cpl)
 Available with bluetooth enabled systems running
XP SP2 or later, this enables users to configure a
Bluetooth connection, showing a list of all bluetooth
devices interacting with the system, an addition to
the following items;
 Allowing users to create incoming and outgoing
'virtual' COM Ports, which allow devices to have
dedicated connections to the system.
 Allowing users to specify general bluetooth
characteristics such as whether the computer is
discoverable and the computers name which is
broadcast.
Color (color.cpl)
Enables a more advanced control of colour settings within Windows than is available in
'display', suitable for developers and visual specialists it allows users to create and load
ICC compliant colour profiles, associate screen colour with printers and cameras and
view a 3D graphics plot of the colour gamut. By default this applet is not installed,
however it can be installed for free from the Microsoft Website
Infrared (irprops.cpl)
Similar to the Bluetooth applet, this is used to configure how the computer manages any
wireless infrared ports installed, including options such as connectivity and security.
CSNW (nwc.cpl)
The Client Service for NetWare applet is used to select a default tree and context in a
Novell Directory Services (NDS) environment, or the NetWare server used most
frequently in a non-NDS environment.
Requirement: Installing the Client Service for NetWare.
Software Explorers
Part of Windows Defender, allows users to view detailed information about software
that is currently running on the computer that can affect the users' privacy or the security
of the computer.
Third Party Applets
Third-party software vendors have released many applets and
it is impossible to mention all of them; some of the more
common ones are:
 Adobe Gamma (Adobe Gamma.cpl), for altering the screen
display with Adobe Imaging Software such as Photoshop
 Java (jpicpl32.cpl), for changing settings with Java Runtime
Console
 Nero Burnrights (NeroBurnRights.cpl), for specifying who is
allowed to use the CD burner with Nero
 nVIDIA Control panel, for changing advanced settings on
systems using nVIDIA GPUs
 Quicktime (quicktime.cpl), for specifying settings of the Apple
Quicktime Player


CONTROL PANEL END
Administrative Tools
Microsoft Management
Console
Provides system administrators and advanced users with
a flexible interface through which they may configure
and monitor the system.
Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack
Windows System
Assessment Tool
A built-in benchmarking tool that analyzes the different
subsystems (graphics, memory, etc), and uses the results
to allow for comparison to other Windows Vista
systems, and for software optimizations. It rates the
computer's performance using the Windows Experience
Index.
Windows Vista
System Restore
Allows for the rolling back of system files, registry
keys, installed programs, etc., to a previous state in the
event of a system failure.
Windows Me
Windows Recovery
Environment
Helps diagnose and recover from serious errors which
may be preventing Windows from booting successfully,
or restore the computer to a previous state using System
Restore or a backup image.
Windows Vista
Windows Disk
Defragmenter
Rearranges files stored on a hard disk to occupy
contiguous storage locations in order to optimize
computer performance.
Windows 95, Windows 2000
Event Viewer
Lets administrators and users view the event logs on a
local or remote machine.
Windows NT 3.1
Reliability and
Performance Monitor
Lets administrators view current system reliability and
performance trends over time.
Windows Vista
Logical Disk Manager
A logical volume manager developed by Microsoft in
conjunction with Veritas Software.
Windows NT 4.0 (as a separate
Tool) 2000 (integrated in the
Management Console)
Registry Editor
Edits the Windows registry.
Windows 3.1
Task Scheduler
Allows users to script tasks for running during
Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95
Administrative Tools
Microsoft Management
Console
Provides system administrators and advanced users with a flexible
interface through which they may configure and monitor the system.
Windows NT 4.0 Option
Pack
Windows System
Assessment Tool
A built-in benchmarking tool that analyzes the different subsystems
(graphics, memory, etc), and uses the results to allow for comparison
to other Windows Vista systems, and for software optimizations. It
rates the computer's performance using the Windows Experience
Index.
Windows Vista
System Restore
Allows for the rolling back of system files, registry keys, installed
programs, etc., to a previous state in the event of a system failure.
Windows Me
Windows Recovery
Environment
Helps diagnose and recover from serious errors which may be
preventing Windows from booting successfully, or restore the
computer to a previous state using System Restore or a backup
image.
Windows Vista
Windows Disk
Defragmenter
Rearranges files stored on a hard disk to occupy contiguous storage
locations in order to optimize computer performance.
Windows 95, Windows
2000
Event Viewer
Lets administrators and users view the event logs on a local or remote
machine.
Windows NT 3.1
Reliability and
Performance Monitor
Lets administrators view current system reliability and performance
trends over time.
Windows Vista
Logical Disk Manager
A logical volume manager developed by Microsoft in conjunction
with Veritas Software.
Windows NT 4.0 (as a
separate Tool) 2000
(integrated in the
Management Console)
Registry Editor
Edits the Windows registry.
Windows 3.1
Task Scheduler
Allows users to script tasks for running during scheduled intervals
Microsoft Plus! for
Windows 95
Software installation and deployment
Windows Update
An online service which provides critical updates, service packs,
device drivers, and other updates. A variation called Microsoft
Update also provides software updates for several Microsoft
products.
Windows 98
Windows
Installer
A packaging format and engine for the installation, maintenance,
and removal of software. Includes a GUI framework, automatic
generation of the uninstallation sequence and deployment
capabilities for corporate networks.
Windows 2000
ClickOnce
Technology for deploying .NET Framework-based software via
web pages, with automatic update capabilities. Intended for peruser only applications.
.NET Framework
2.0
User interface
Component
Description
Introduced
Windows Shell
The most visible and recognizable aspect of Microsoft Windows. The shell is the container
inside of which the entire graphical user interface is presented, including the taskbar, the
desktop, Windows Explorer, as well as many of the dialog boxes and interface controls. In
Windows Vista, a new compositing glass-like user interface called Windows Aero has been
introduced.
Windows 1.0
Windows Explorer
Provides an interface for accessing the file systems, launching applications, and performing
common tasks such as viewing and printing pictures.
Windows 95
Windows Search
Starting with Windows Vista, search is a tightly shell-integrated component of Windows. A
downloadable Windows Desktop Search software is available for Windows XP and older
versions.
Windows
Vista,
downloadable
for older
versions
Special Folders
Folders which are presented to the user through an interface as an abstract concept, instead
of an absolute path. This makes it possible for an application to locate where certain kinds of
files can be found, regardless of what version or language of operating system is being used.
See also, Windows Shell namespace.
Windows 95
Start menu
Serves as the central launching point for applications. It provides a customizable, nested list
of programs for the user to launch, as well as a list of most recently opened documents, a
way to find files and get help, and access to the system settings.
By default, the Start Button is visible at all times in the lower left-hand corner of the screen.
Windows 95
Taskbar
The application desktop bar which is used to launch and monitor applications.
Windows 95
Windows Sidebar
A new panel on the side of the screen to place gadgets.
Windows Vista
File associations
Used to open a file with the correct program. File associations can be uniquely assigned to
specific actions, known as verbs.
Windows 3.0
Applications and utilities
Component
Description
Introduced
Accessories
Windows
Calendar
Calendaring and task tracking application.
Windows Vista
Windows
Contacts
Keeps a single list of contacts that can be shared by multiple programs.
Windows Vista
Calculator
A calculation application.
Windows 1.0
Character Map
Utility to view and search characters in a font, copy them to the clipboard
and view their Windows Alt keycodes and Unicode names
Windows 3.1
Paint
A simple graphics painting program.
Windows 1.0
Notepad
A simple text editor.
Windows 1.0
Narrator
A screen reader utility that reads dialog boxes and window controls in a
number of the more basic applications for Windows.
Windows 2000
Sound Recorder
A simple audio recording program that can record from a microphone or
headset, and save the results in WAVE format and Windows Media Audio
format in some Windows versions.
Windows 3.1
COMMAND.COM and
Cmd.exe
A text-based shell (command line interpreter) that provides a
command line interface to the operating system.
MS-DOS 1.0
WordPad
A simple word processor that is more advanced than Notepad. It
has facilities to format and print text, but lacks intermediate
features such as a spell checker and thesaurus.
Windows 95
Private Character Editor
Utility to create private use characters as defined under Unicode
and various East Asian encoding schemes.
Remote Desktop Connection
A client implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol; allows
a user to securely connect to a computer running Terminal
Services (Remote Desktop on Windows XP and Server 2003) and
interact with a full desktop environment on that machine,
including support for remoting of printers, audio, and drives.
Windows XP,
downloadable for previous
Windows versions
Remote Assistance
Allows a user to temporarily take over a remote computer over a
network or the internet to offer help with and resolve issues.
Windows XP
Internet Explorer
A graphical web browser and FTP client.
See also: Features, History, Criticism, Removal, Browser Helper
Objects
Microsoft Plus! for
Windows 95
An e-mail and news client.
Windows Vista, Outlook
Express was introduced in
Windows 98
Windows Fax and Scan
An integrated faxing and image scanning application.
Windows Vista, older
faxing and scanning
applications were present in
previous Windows versions
Windows Media Player
A digital media player and media library application that is used
for playing audio, playing video and viewing images. In addition
to being a media player, Windows Media Player includes the
ability to rip music from, and copy music to compact discs,
synchronize content with a digital audio player (MP3 player) or
other mobile devices, and let users purchase or rent music from a
number of online music stores.
Windows Me,
downloadable for previous
Windows versions
Windows Mail
Windows Photo
Gallery
A photo management application. Lets users organize their digital photo
collection in its Gallery view, by adding titles, rating, captions, and custom
metadata tags to photos. Photos can be edited for exposure, color
correction, resizing, cropping, red-eye reduction, etc. and also allows
printing photos via the Photo Printing Wizard.
Windows Vista
Windows Movie
Maker
A video editing software that is intended for use in editing home movies.
Source footage can be split into clips, and the final movie created by
combining multiple clips along with effects such as transitions,
titles/credits, separate audio track, timeline narration etc.
Windows Me
Windows DVD
Maker
A DVD movie encoding and authoring software.
Windows Vista
Windows Media
Center
Designed to serve as a home-entertainment hub, to be viewed from a
distance up to 3 meters (~10 feet) and controlled by specially designed
remote controls. Lets users browse and view pictures, videos, and music
from local hard drives, optical drives, and network locations, along with
viewing, recording and deferred-playing live TV. Features an interactive
TV guide with scheduled recording capabilites. Can also be used for
visualization of other information (like sports scores) within the interface.
Windows XP Media
Center Edition
Windows Meeting
Space
A peer-to-peer collaboration program which lets multiple users start
collaboration sessions. Supports desktop sharing , distribution and
collaborative editing of documents, and passing notes to other participants.
Windows Vista
Windows Task
Manager
Provides information about computer performance and displays details
about running applications, processes, network activity, logged-in users,
and system services.
Windows 3.0
Disk Cleanup
A utility for compacting rarely used files and removing files that are no
longer required.
Windows 98
Shadow Copy
A graphical front end for the Shadow Copy service that lets users choose
from multiple versions of a file. The shadow copy service creates multiple
copies of a file as they are changed over time, so that users can revert to
previous versions.
Windows Vista. Windows
Server 2003 included
Previous Versions support
only for client computers.
A screen-capture tool that allows for taking screen shots (called snips).
Experience Pack for
Windows XP Tablet PC
Edition 2005
Snipping Tool
Windows Server components
Component
Description
Supported by
Windows Server
domain
A logical group of computers that share a central directory and user database.
All Windows NTbased versions
Active Directory
A set of technologies introduced with Windows 2000 that allows administrators to assign
enterprise-wide policies, deploy programs to many computers, and apply critical updates to
an entire organization. Active Directory stores information and settings relating to an
organization in a central, organized, accessible database. Networks can vary from a small
installation with a few objects, to global-scale directories with millions of objects.
Related topics: Active Directory Service Interfaces, Flexible single master operation,
IntelliMirror, Active Directory Application Mode
Windows 2000,
Windows Server
2003
Domain controller
A server that responds to security authentication requests (logging in, checking permissions,
etc.) within a Windows Server domain. Prior to Windows 2000, a domain controller was
either a Primary Domain Controller (PDC), of which there could only be one with this role;
or a Backup Domain Controller (BDC). In Windows 2000 and later the concept of primary
and secondary domain controllers were eliminated, partially to emphasize the multi-master
replication technology available in Windows.
All Windows NTbased versions
Group Policy
Provides centralized management of user and computer settings in an Active Directory
environment. Group policy can control a target object's registry, NTFS security, audit and
security policy, software installation, logon/logoff scripts, folder redirection, and Internet
Explorer settings. Policy settings are stored in Group Policy Objects (GPOs), and may be
linked to one or more sites, domains or organizational units.
Related topics: Administrative Templates
Windows 2000
and later
Internet
Information
Services
Web server
Windows NT
family
File systems
Component
File Allocation Table
FAT32
NTFS
Acronym
Description
Supported by
The original file systems used with MS-DOS. The standard file
systems used with Windows 1.0 through Windows 95.
All versions
FAT32
Extensions to FAT supporting larger disk sizes. The standard file
system for Windows 98 and Me.
Windows 95 OSR2,
Windows 98,
Windows 2000,
Windows XP,
Windows Server
2003, Windows Vista
NTFS
Standard file system of Windows NT; supports security via
access control lists, as well as file system journaling and filesystem metadata. Windows 2000 added support for reparse
points (making NTFS junction points and Single instance storage
possible), Hard links, file compression, and Sparse files.
Encryption of data is provided by Encrypting File System.
Symbolic links and transactioning of file operations via
Transactional NTFS are features new to Windows Vista.
Windows 95 also supports reading NTFS partitions, over a
network.
Windows NT,
Windows 2000,
Windows XP,
Windows Server
2003, Windows Vista
FAT, FAT12, FAT16
ISO 9660
Universal Disk Format
HPFS
ISO 9660
("CDFS")
The predominant file system for CD-ROM and DVD-ROM media.
Windows includes support for Joliet extensions and the ISO
9660:1999 standard. ISO 9660:1999 is supported since Windows
XP.
MS-DOS and Windows
9x via extensions, such
as MSCDEX.EXE
(Microsoft CDROM
Extension), natively in
Windows NT
UDF
A file system for storing files on optical media. It is an
implementation of the ISO/IEC 13346 standard (also known as
ECMA-167). It is considered to be a replacement of ISO 9660.
Successive versions of Windows have supported newer versions of
UDF.
Windows 98, Windows
2000, Windows XP,
Windows Server 2003,
Windows Vista
HPFS
High-Performance File system, used on OS/2 computers. Read and
write capability in Windows 95 (where it also listed network
computer NTFS-formatted drives as "HPFS", even though it had no
direct NTFS capabilities). HPFS write support was dropped in
Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 98, and dropped altogether shortly
before the release of Windows 2000.
Windows 95
(Read/write), Windows
98, Windows NT (read),
3.1/3.51
(read/write/boot)
Core components
Component
Acronym
Description
Windows kernel (Windows NT)
Ntoskrnl.exe
The Windows kernel image.
Provides the kernel and executive
layers of the kernel architecture,
and is responsible for services
such as hardware virtualization,
process and memory management,
etc.
hal.dll
Provides and handles the
interaction between software and
hardware via the Hardware
Abstraction Layer.
HAL
Core processes (Windows NT)
SIP
A counter which measures how much idle capacity the CPU has at any given time. The
process runs in the background and monitors processing bandwidth, occupied memory
and the Windows virtual paging file.
Session Manager
Subsystem
SMSS
Performs several critical boot-time operations, such as the creation of environment
variables, starting CSRSS, and performs file-copy operations that were queued up from
before the system was booted (pending file rename operations). During system
operation, it handles the creation of logon sessions via Winlogon and handles Windows
File Protection.
Client/Server Runtime
Subsystem
CSRSS
User-mode side of the Win32 subsystem. Provides the capability for applications to use
the Windows API.
Local Security Authority
Subsystem Service
LSASS
Responsible for enforcing the security policy on the system. Verifies users logging on to
the computer and creates security tokens.
System idle process
Winlogon
Responsible for handling the secure attention key, loading the user profile on logon, and
optionally locking the computer when a screensaver is running. On Windows NT
systems prior to Windows Vista, Winlogon is also responsible for loading GINA
libraries which are responsible collecting logon credentials from the user.
Svchost.exe
A generic host process name for services that run from dynamic-link libraries (DLLs).
Several Svchost processes are typically present on a Windows machine, each running in
a different security context, depending on what privileges the contained services
require.
Windows on Windows and
WOW64
WoW
An abstraction layer that allows legacy code to operate on more modern versions of
Windows; typically this means running 16-bit Windows applications on 32-bit
Windows, and 32-bit applications on 64-bit Windows.
NTVDM
Allows MS-DOS programs to run on Intel 80386 or higher computers when there is
already another operating system running and controlling the hardware. Introduced in
Windows 2.1; not available in any 64-bit edition of Windows.
Virtual DOS machine
System startup (Windows NT)
NTLDR, IA64ldr,
Winload
The boot loader; performs basic system initialization
options such as loading the hardware abstraction layer and
boot-time device drivers, prior to passing control to the
Windows kernel. In versions prior to Vista, NTLDR and
IA64ldr also display menus to the user if multiple operating
systems are defined in boot.ini, or if F8 is pressed.
Recovery Console
Provides the means for administrators to perform a limited
range of tasks using a command line interface, primarily to
aid in recovering from situations where Windows does not
boot successfully.
ntdetect.com
Used during the boot process to detect basic hardware
components that may be required during the boot process.
Windows Boot Manager
In Windows Vista and later operating systems, displays boot
menus to the user if multiple operating systems are configured in
the system's Boot Configuration Data.
Graphical subsystem
Graphics Device Interface
Desktop Window Manager
GDI/GDI+
The kernel graphics component for representing graphical
objects and transmitting them to output devices such as monitors
and printers.
DWM
The compositing manager introduced in Windows Vista that
handles compositing and manages special effects on screen
objects in a graphical user interface.
Services
Display name
Service name
Description
Introduced
Alerter service
Alerter
Sends administrative alerts over the network to client
computers, administrators and users.
Windows NT
Application Layer Gateway
service
ALG
Provides support for plugins that allow network protocols to
pass through Windows Firewall and work behind Internet
Connection Sharing.
Windows 2000
Application Management
Processes requests to enumerate, install, and remove
applications that are installed on the computer or deployed
through an organization’s network.
Windows 2000
Background Intelligent
Transfer Service
BITS
Transfers files between machines using idle network
bandwidth. Used by Windows Update, Windows Server Update
Services, and Systems Management Server to deliver software
updates to clients, as well as by Windows Messenger.
Windows XP
Distributed Transaction
Coordinator
MSDTC
Allows transactional components to be configured through
COM+ by coordinating transactions that are distributed across
multiple computers and/or resource managers, such as
databases, message queues, file systems, and other transaction–
based resource managers.
Windows 2000
and later NTbased
Network Location Awareness
NLA
Manages network configurations and information, and notifies
applications of changes.
Windows XP
NTLMSSP
Uses the NTLM MS-CHAP protocol to encapsulate and
negotiate options in order to provide signed and sealed
communication. Deprecated now in favor of Kerberos
authentication.
Windows NT
Print Spooler
Spooler
Manages printer devices and moves files into memory for
printing.
Windows 95,
Windows NT
Security Account Manager
SamSs
Manages user account security information.
Windows NT
family
NT LM Security Support
Provider
Task Scheduler
Schedule
Lets users setup and schedule automated tasks.
Microsoft Plus!
for Windows
95
Windows Image Acquisition
(WIA)
STISvc
Handles scanner and camera inputs.
Windows Me
Windows Time
W32Time
Synchronizes the system time with external time servers.
Windows NT
family
Wireless Zero Configuration
WZCSvc
Configures and manages 802.11 wireless adapters
Windows XP,
Server 2003
only
Messenger service
Messenger
Allows users to send pop-up messages to other computers over
the network.
Windows NT
family
MSRPC
RPCSs
Provides Remote Procedure Call(RPC) technique via remotely
accessible Named Pipes.
Windows NT
family
Create multiple versions of files that change.
Windows XP,
ability to store
persistent
snapshots in
Windows
Server 2003
Volume Shadow Copy
Service
Windows Firewall/Internet
VSS
SharedAccess
Windows XP
Games
Component
Description
Introduced
Chess Titans
A version of Chess.
Windows Vista
FreeCell
A version of FreeCell.
Win32s
Hearts
A version of Hearts using Black Lady scoring.
Windows for
Workgroups 3.11
Hold 'Em
A version of Texas hold 'em.
Windows Ultimate
Extras
InkBall
A game employing the use of a stylus or mouse to draw lines to
direct balls into holes of corresponding colors.
Windows XP
Tablet PC Edition
2005
Mahjong Titans
A version of Mahjong solitaire.
Windows Vista
Minesweeper
A version of Minesweeper.
Windows 3.1
Purble Place
An educational game for children, teaching pattern recognition,
shapes, and colors.
Windows Vista
Solitaire
A version of Klondike Solitaire.
Windows 3.0
Spider Solitaire
A version of Spider Solitaire.
Microsoft Plus! 98
Questions