Third Edition
Chapter 7
Under the Windows Desktop
McGraw-Hill
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© 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Learning Outcomes
• Define the role of the registry in
Windows, and back up and modify
the registry when needed
• Describe the Windows startup
process
• Install and manage device drivers
• Troubleshoot common Windows
problems
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© 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Understanding the Registry
• The Registry Defined
– Database of configuration settings for
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Device drivers
Services
Installed application programs
Operating system components
User Preferences
© 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Understanding the Registry
• Automatic Registry Changes when:
– Windows starts up or shuts down
– Windows Setup runs
– Changes are mode through a Control Panel applet
– A new device is installed
– Any changes are made to the Windows
configuration
– Any changes are made to a user’s preferences
– An application is installed or modified
– Changes are made to application user preferences
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Adding a new device creates changes in the registry
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Understanding the Registry (cont.)
• Registry Files (hives)
– DEFAULT
– NTUSER.DAT
– SAM
– SECURITY
– SOFTWARE
– SYSTEM
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Understanding the Registry (cont.)
• Registry file locations
– C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG
• All but NTUSER.DAT
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Figure 7-1 This view of the CONFIG folder shows
registry files
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© 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Understanding the Registry (cont.)
• Registry File Descriptions
– SYSTEM
• What to load at startup
• Order of loading at startup
• Settings for drivers, services, OS components
– SOFTWARE
• Settings for installed software
• Other configuration information
– SECURITY
• Security policies
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© 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Understanding the Registry (cont.)
• Registry File Descriptions
– SAM
• Security Accounts Manager
• Local security accounts database
– DEFAULT
• User profile settings
• Used when no user is logged on
• Logon screen
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Understanding the Registry (cont.)
• Registry File Descriptions
– NTUSER.DATA
• User profile for a single user
• Application preferences, screen colors,
and more
• After a user logs on, that user’s NTUSER.DAT
is loaded
• Saved in top-level personal folder for the user
• Hidden file
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Figure 7-2 The default user profile used until a
user logs on
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Table 7-1 Locations of the Hives within the
Registry
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© 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Understanding the Registry (cont.)
• Viewing and Editing the Registry
– View and edit the registry with REGEDIT.EXE
– Navigation similar to Windows Explorer
– Key: a folder containing settings and other keys
– Root keys: five keys at the top of the hierarchy
– Value entry: settings within a key
– Data type: format of a value entry
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Figure 7-3 The registry root keys
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Figure 7-4 Registry components
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Table 7-2 Contents of Registry Root Keys
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Table 7-3 Windows Registry Data Types (The
Short List)
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Understanding the Registry (cont.)
• Backing up the Registry
– Create a Restore Point
• Backs up the registry and the entire OS
– Use REDEGIT to back up all or a portion
• Use Export Registry File option
• Double-click on the .REG file to restore
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The Windows Startup Process
• Phases of the Startup Process
– Power-on Self-test
– Initial Startup
– Boot Loader
• Windows XP Boot Loader Phase
– NTLDR reads BOOT.INI
• Windows Vista and Windows 7 Boot Loader Phase
– BOOTMGR (boot loader) reads BCD
– WINLOAD.EXE is OS loader
– Detect and Configure Hardware
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The Windows Startup Process
• Phases of the Startup Process (cont.)
– Kernel Loading
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NTOSKRNL.EXE loads into memory
Hardware abstraction layer (HAL) loads
System portion of the registry loads
Drivers required at startup load
Kernel initializes services and drivers
and loads other code
• Kernel switches Windows to GUI mode
• CSRSS.EXE user-mode code starts
• PAGEFILE.SYS created and WINLOGON.EXE started
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This Windows 7 screen displays during kernel loading
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The Windows Startup Process
• Phases of the Startup Process (cont.)
– Logon
• User Logon
• Program Startup
• Plug and Play Detection
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Figure 7-5 Log on to Windows 7
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The Windows Startup Process
• Modifying System Startup
– Modifying System Startup for Windows XP
• BOOT.INI must be modified directly
or indirectly
• System Properties | Advanced |
Startup and Recovery
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Figure 7-6 The Advanced System
Settings in
Windows XP
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The Windows Startup Process
• BOOT.INI for a Dual-boot System
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS=”Windows XP
Professional”/fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT=”Windows 2000
Professional”/fastdetect
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The Windows Startup Process
• Simple BOOT.INI
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS=”Windows XP
Professional”/fastdetect
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© 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Windows Startup Process
• Modifying System Startup for Windows Vista
and Windows 7
– Boot configuration database (BCD) is a
hidden part of the registry
• C:\BOOT\BCD
• Contains
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Locale information
Location of the boot disk
Location of the Windows files
Other startup information
© 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Windows Startup Process
• Modifying System Startup for
Windows Vista and Windows 7
– Directly edit BDC using BCDEDIT
– Modify in Startup and Recovery dialog
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