System Administration and Maintenance

Windows

Mahesh Kumar
Assistant Professor (Adhoc)

Department of Computer Science

Acharya Narendra Dev College
University of Delhi
 Windows - Outline

1 Introduction
2 Users
3 Process and Disk Management
4 Services
5 Network Administration
6 Administrator Tools
7 Misc.
 1. Introduction

1 Windows as Operating System

2 History

3 Versions

4 Difference between Windows XP/Windows 7 and Windows server2003/2008

 Windows as Operating System

1 DOS - The Precursor

1 The first OS Microsoft sold was as MS-DOS 1.0
2 Disk Operating System text-based system (CLI) released in 1981
3 It had no built-in GUI, and it worked with basic typed commands. Many of these
commands still exist in the most current Windows OS
4 The were no document scanner, USB, microphones, game controllers, or digital
cameras.
5 The primary function of the OS was to allow for the loading of applications and
the management of disks or storage
6 The DOS OS was popular from 1981 all the way to 1999. After 1999 and the
release of Windows 2000, the GUI-based OSs became more popular in business
settings
 Windows as Operating System (2)

7 DOS was originally developed by Microsoft for IBM

8 The first version of MS-DOS (version 1.0) supported:
A maximum of 128 kilobytes of RAM
FAT Filesystem

9 Output of the
CHKDSK command
 Windows as Operating System (3)

10 DOS applications could have a graphical interface, but the DOS system itself
provided no greater graphical functions than a simple ASCII character–based
interface.

11 DOS ASCII-based
application: the
ScanDisk application
 Windows as Operating System (4)

12 The DOS OS used four elements in the boot process:

Boot Sector( or boot code) – stored on the boot drive
[Link] file should be loaded to start the OS

The [Link] file – calls and loads [Link] file

When the OS loaded, the command interpreter is loaded as final part of the OS,
command interpreter is contained within the COMMAND .COM File

13 Most modern OSs still use the boot sector or boot code, but this code loads
different files to start the OS.
Windows 7 system, the boot code loads the Windows Boot Manager ([Link])
file to begin the OS load
 Windows as Operating System (5)

14 During the boot process, DOS systems uses two primary configuration files to
determine the drivers and settings for the machine:

[Link] file: The first file loaded and processed

This text-based configuration file is used to set system parameters and load
device drivers.

[Link] file: The second file loaded and processed

This text-based configuration file could perform any function a standard batch
file could perform.

It is also used to load device drivers and initial applications on the machine.
 Windows as Operating System (6)

15 Several versions of DOS were released from 1981 to the final release of version
6.22 in 1994

16 DOS was the underlying OS in all versions of Windows from Windows 1.0 to
Windows ME, including the very popular Windows 95 and Windows 98
operating systems of the 1990s.

17 The version of DOS used in Windows 95 through Windows 98 is often called

DOS 7.0, and the version used in Windows ME is often called DOS 8.0

18 Many vendors released their own DOS distributions that could be used as an
alternative to MS-DOS
Dr. DOS IBM PC Dr. DOS
Novell DOS PTS DOS
 Windows as Operating System (7)

2 WINDOWS 3.1 - The GUI

1 Windows shipped with several different GUIs from version 1.0 through version
3.0
2 The Windows 3.1 system became popular in the early to mid-1990s and set the
path that modern Windows systems are still on today.
3 The Windows 3.1 system included:
Menus
Windows – the could be resized
Program Manager – the launching system, which supported program groups and icon
shortcuts
4 Many of the concepts used in the Windows 3.1 environment are still used in the
modern Windows GUI(7,8,10) today
 Windows as Operating System (8)

5 The Windows 3.1

GUI showing the
Program Manager
and the File
Manager
 Windows as Operating System (9)

3 WINDOWS 95

1 Next version of Windows based on tha DOS and Windows 3.1 systems

2 It drastically changed the launching environment to include a desktop with

icons, a taskbar, and a Start menu, which took the place of Program Manager
and Program groups

3 Microsoft implemented a new interface that has lasted for more than 15 years.
Even Windows 7 uses an interface very similar to the one offered by Windows 95
 Windows as Operating System (10)

4 The Windows 95
Desktop and Start
Menu
 Windows as Operating System (11)

4 WINDOWS NT(New Technology)

1 Designed as a Network Operating System
2 A 32-bit OS (initial versions)
3 NT used the same GUI as Windows 3.1
4 In 1996, Microsoft released Windows NT 4.0, the first version of the NT-based
OS to use the Windows 95–style interface

5 The Windows NT–based OSs were not based on DOS, as Windows 3.1 and
Windows 95 were. Instead, these more robust OSs include their own boot
loaders and kernels.
 Windows as Operating System -Version History

1 Early versions(Windows 1.0, 2.0, 2.1x)

2 Windows 3.x (3.1, 3.2,3.3)
3 Windows 9x (95, 98)

4 Windows NT (XP, Vista, 7, 8,8.1, 10)

Windows as Operating System -Timeline
Windows as Operating System – Market share
 How the Past is Still in the Present

1 Command Prompt: Still very useful in Windows 10.

Based on the functionality of command interpreter, [Link], that was
part of MS-DOS
You can still use many of the same commands today that people used in the
1980s
2 Use of Icons: Xerox and Apple computers first introduced them
They are still the primary way that we launch files and applications, this is
true for all the classes of computers (desktop, laptop, handheld devices)

3 Concept of Control Panel: From Windows 3.1 to Windows 10

The Windows 3.1 had 11 applets in its Control Panel, Windows 10 has
hundreds of applets in it, but the Control Panel just remains the same.
 Windows Evolution

The Windows OS evolution alongside PC hardware evolution

 Understanding the OS Architecture

The architecture of an OS defines how it works instead of what it can do.

The features define what it can do, but those features must work on top of an
operational methodology i.e., the architecture.

The current Windows OS architecture is based on the original architecture in the

Windows NT OS first released in 1993.

Windows (7,8,10), introduces significant changes in several areas of the architecture.

 The Layers in Windows

The basic Windows architecture components. 1 The Window OS is divided into

layers or modes of operations.

2 The first is Kernel mode and

the second is User mode.

3 Kernel mode is where the

operating system kernel and
other low-level processes
operate.

4 User mode is where your

applications, such as Microsoft
Word or Excel, and
environment subsystems run.
 The Layers in Windows

Most processors used in computers today are CISC processors

5 Kernel mode operations take
place in something called Ring 0.
6 User mode operations take place
in the processor's Ring 3.
7 The different rings of operation
simply define the level of access
granted to the processes running
in that ring.
8 Rings 1 and 2 are not used in
Windows systems
9 Often called as Protection Rings
 The Layers in Windows – Components

1 System Support processes

1 Includes system processes that do not run as services.
the logon process ([Link])
the Session Manager subsystem ([Link])
2 The Session Manager is the first User mode process that starts when the OS
loads
3 The Session Manager launches environment subsystems and the [Link]
process.
2 Service processes
1 Those system or application processes that do run as services.
System services (Task Scheduler, Print Spooler)
Non-system services (SQL Server)
 The Layers in Windows – Components

1 System Support processes

1 Includes system processes that do not run as services.
the logon process ([Link])
the Session Manager subsystem ([Link])
2 The Session Manager is the first User mode process that starts when the OS
loads
3 The Session Manager launches environment subsystems and the [Link]
process. A service is an application or innate operating system component that
provides services (capabilities) to the network, the local machine, or both.
2 Service processes
1 Those system or application processes that do run as services.
System services (Task Scheduler, Print Spooler)
Non-system services (SQL Server)
 The Layers in Windows – Components

3 User Applications
1 User applications are the actual applications that users execute
2 Five application types are supported in the Windows OS 16-bit applications are
Windows 32-bit and 64-bit application not supported on the
64-bit editions of
Windows 3.1 16-bit applications (on 32-bit editions of Windows 7,8) Windows.
MS-DOS 16-bit applications (on 32-bit editions of Windows 7,8)
Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX) 32-bit applications through the use of the
Subsystem for Unix-based Applications

4 Environment Subsystems
1 The environment subsystems and the subsystem dynamic link libraries (DLLs),
work together to allow different application types to function on the system
2 For example: Windows 32-bit environment subsystem allows 32-bit Windows
applications to work on a 64-bit edition of Windows 7,8,10
 The Layers in Windows – Components

5 Subsystem DLLs
1 These translate application function calls into internal native system service calls
2 The subsystem DLLs communicate with the Kernel mode processes on behalf of
the applications and may communicate with the applications through the
environment subsystems as well.
6 Executive
1 This component is responsible for:
Process and thread management Security Functions
memory management Input and output (I/O)
Networking Interprocess communication

2 The executive consist of subcomponents responsible for specific tasks.

 The Layers in Windows – Components

7 Windows and Graphics Functions

1 A key feature of Windows is the graphical user interface, and these functions are
implemented in Kernel mode
2 The drawing of windows and user interface control objects (such as buttons,
scroll bars, and title bars) is controlled here.

8 Kernel
1 The kernel is in charge of thread scheduling.
2 It decides which thread gets processor time and on which processor it gets time
at any moment
3 It is also responsible for synchronization when multiple processors are used
and for interrupt handling through the interrupt objects, which work in relation
to the I/O Manager.
 The Layers in Windows – Components

9 Device Drivers
1 Device drivers are Kernel mode components that provide a communication
interface between the I/O Manager within the executive and the actual hardware
for which they are written
2 Device drivers place calls to the Hardware Abstraction Layer, to communicate
with the hardware
3 Device drivers may be used to communicate with specific hardware or with
filesystems, networks, and other protocols
ACPI – Advanced Configuration and Power Interface
10 Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) APIC – Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller
1 it abstracts the OS from the core hardware, such as the processor architecture

2 Because of the HAL, Windows can run on systems that support 32-bit
processing (x86) or 64-bit processing (x64)
3 PCs that use the ACPI HAL are single-processor machines. PCs that use the APIC
HAL are multiple-processor machines.
 The Layers in Windows – Important Files

Several files work together to provide the core functionality of the Windows OS.
These files include the following:
[Link] One of the primary Windows subsystem DLLs providing access to APIs for
Registry access, system shutdowns and restarts, and management of user accounts.

[Link] One of the primary Windows subsystem DLLs providing graphics functions.

[Link] The Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) DLL that allows the Windows OS to run on
different hardware platforms.

[Link] One of the primary Windows subsystem DLLs providing kernel functions.

[Link] The DLL that exposes many of the Windows native API functions to User mode
applications.
 The Layers in Windows – Important Files

[Link] The kernel image for the Windows OS; the kernel is responsible in part for
process and memory management.

[Link] The same as [Link], but used on systems with Physical Address
Extension (PAE) support.

[Link] One of the primary Windows subsystem DLLs providing access to the keyboard
and mouse as well as window management (the actual application windows as opposed to
the OS name).

[Link] The Kernel mode portion of the Windows subsystem.

 3. Process and Disk Management

1 Windows Task Manager

2 File Systems – NTFS, FAT

 Windows Task Manager

Windows Task Manager is an application available on all Windows operating

systems

It provides information about: running applications, processes, and services, as well

as computer performance, network activity, and memory information.

It allows users to end processes, adjust priorities, and even shut down Windows

The Windows Task Manager is a powerful tool packed with useful information, from
your system’s overall resource usage to detailed statistics about each process.
 Windows Task Manager – How to Launch

1 Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete

Windows
security Screen
 Windows Task Manager – How to Launch

2 Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc

While using
Remote Desktop
or working
inside a virtual
machine
 Windows Task Manager – How to Launch

3 Press Windows+X to Access the Power User Menu

Power User
menu
 Windows Task Manager – How to Launch

4 Right-Click the Taskbar

Right-click any
open space on
your taskbar
 Windows Task Manager – How to Launch

5 Run “taskmgr” from the Run Box or Start Menu

Run Box
(Windows + R)
or Start Menu
Serarch box
 Windows Task Manager – How to Launch

6 Browse to [Link] in File Explorer

Open up File
Explorer and
navigate to the
following location:

C:\Windows\
System32
 Windows Task Manager – How to Use

The Simple View 1 Switch to: Switch to the

application’s window, bringing it to
the front of your desktop and
putting it in focus.

2 End Task: End the process.

3 Run New Task: Open the Create
New Task window, where you
can specify a program, folder,
document, or website address
and Windows will open it.
4 Always On Top: Make the Task
Manager window itself “always
on top” of other windows on
your desktop, letting you see it
at all times.
 Windows Task Manager – How to Use

The Simple View 5 Open File Location: Open a File

Explorer window showing the
location of the program’s .exe file.
6 Search Online: Perform a Bing
search for the program’s
application name and file
name. This will help you see
exactly what the program is
and what it does.
7 Properties: Open the
Properties window for the
program’s .exe file.
 Windows Task Manager – Tabs

1 Processes
 Windows Task Manager – Tabs

1 Processes
A list of running applications and background processes on your system along
with CPU, memory, disk, network, GPU, and other resource usage information.

The Processes tab shows you a comprehensive list of processes running on your
system

Three Categories are there:

The Apps group - list of running applications as shown in “Fewer details” simplified view.
Background processes – antivirus programs, background update processes.
Windows processes – part of windows OS.
 Windows Task Manager – Tabs

1 Processes
 Windows Task Manager – Tabs

1 Processes
 Windows Task Manager – Tabs

2 Performance
 Windows Task Manager – Tabs

2 Performance
The Performance tab shows real-time graphs displaying the usage of system
resources like CPU, memory, disk, network, and GPU.
If you have multiple disks, network devices, or GPUs, you can see them all
separately.
In addition to resource information, the Performance page shows information
about your system’s hardware:
CPU
Memory
Disk
Wi-Fi or Ethernet
GPU
 Windows Task Manager – Tabs

2 Performance
 Windows Task Manager – Tabs

3 App History
 Windows Task Manager – Tabs

3 App History
The App History tab only applies to Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps.

It doesn’t show information about traditional Windows desktop apps, so most

people won’t find it too useful.

At the top of the window, you’ll see the date Windows started collecting resource
usage data.
 Windows Task Manager – Tabs

3 App History
CPU Time: The amount of CPU time the program has used within this time frame.
Network: The total amount of data transferred over the network by the program within this time
frame.
Metered Network: The amount of data transferred over metered networks. You can
set a network as metered to save data on it. This option is intended for networks you have limited
data on, like a mobile network to which you’re tethering.
Tile Updates: The amount of data the program has downloaded to display updated live tiles on
Windows 10’s Start menu.
Non-metered Network: The amount of data transferred over non-metered networks.
Downloads: The amount of data downloaded by the program on all networks.
Uploads: The amount of data uploaded by the program on all networks.
 Windows Task Manager – Tabs

4 Controlling Startup Applications

 Windows Task Manager – Tabs

4 Controlling Startup Applications

The Startup tab is Windows 10’s built-in startup programs manager

It lists all the applications that Windows automatically starts for your current user
account.

For example, programs in your Startup folder and programs set to start in the
Windows registry both appear here.
 Windows Task Manager – Tabs

4 Controlling Startup Applications

Name: The name of the program.
Publisher: The name of the program’s publisher.
Status: “Enabled” appears here if the program automatically starts when you sign in. “Disabled”
appears here if you’ve disabled the startup task.
Startup Impact: An estimate of how much CPU and disk resources the program uses when it starts. A
lightweight program will show “Low,” and a heavy program will show “High.”
Startup Type: This shows whether the program is starting because of a registry entry (“Registry”) or
because it’s in your startup folder (“Folder.”)
Disk I/O at Startup: The disk activity the program performs at startup, in MB. Windows measures and
records this each boot.
CPU at Startup: The amount of CPU time a program uses at startup, in ms. Windows measures and
records this at boot.
 Windows Task Manager – Tabs

4 Controlling Startup Applications

Running Now: The word “Running” appears here if a startup program is currently running. If this
column appears entry for a program, the program has shut itself down, or you’ve closed it yourself.
Disabled Time: For startup programs you’ve disabled, the date and time you disabled a program
appears here.
Command Line: This shows the full command line the startup program launches with, including any
command line options
 Windows Task Manager – Tabs

5 Checking on Users
 Windows Task Manager – Tabs

5 Checking on Users
The Users tab displays a list of signed in users and their running processes

If you’re the only person signed into your Windows PC, you’ll see only your user
account here

If other people have signed in and then locked their sessions without signing out,
you’ll also see those—locked sessions appear as “Disconnected.”

This also shows you the CPU, memory, disk, network, and other system resources
used by processes running under each Windows user account.

You can disconnect a user account by right-clicking it and selecting “Disconnect”

or force it to sign off by right-clicking it and selecting “Sign Off.”
 Windows Task Manager – Tabs

5 Checking on Users
ID: Each signed in user account has its own session ID number. Session “0” is reserved for system
services, while other applications may create their own user accounts. You usually won’t need to
know this number, so it’s hidden by default.
Session: The type of session this is. For example, it will say “Console” if it’s being accessed on your
local system. This is primarily useful for server systems running remote desktops.
Client Name: The name of the remote client system accessing the session, if it’s being accessed
remotely.
Status: The status of the session—for example, if a user’s session is locked, the Status will say
“Disconnected.”
CPU: Total CPU used by the user’s processes.
Memory: Total memory used by the user’s processes.
Disk: Total disk activity associated with the user’s processes
Network: Total network activity from the user’s processes.
 Windows Task Manager – Tabs
1 Set priority: Set a priority for
6 Managing Detailed Processes the process: Low, Below
normal, Normal, Above
normal, High, and Realtime.
Processes start at normal
priority. Lower priority is ideal
for background processes, and
higher priority is ideal for
desktop processes.
2 Set affinity: Set a processor
affinity - in other words, on
which processer a process
runs.
3 Analyze wait chain: View
what threads in the
processes are waiting for.
 Windows Task Manager – Tabs

7 Working with Services

 Windows Task Manager – Tabs

7 Working with Services

The Services tab shows a list of the system services on your Windows system.

These are background tasks that Windows runs, even when no user account is
signed in
They’re controlled by the Windows operating system

Depending on the service, it may be automatically started at boot or only when

necessary.
 Windows Task Manager – Tabs

7 Working with Services

Name: A short name associated with the service
PID: The process identifier number of the process associated with the service.
Description: A longer name that provides more information about what the service does.
Status: Whether the service is “Stopped” or “Running.”
Group: The group the service is in, if applicable. Windows loads one service group at a time at
startup. A service group is a collection of similar services that are loaded as a group.
 Windows Task Manager – Tabs

R Reference for this topic

[Link]
 File Systems – File Management

Files are used to store:

Data
Application execution code
Anything else that needs to be stored.

File management tools are an important collection of features in any OS.

Windows operating systems provide support for:

Multiple filesystems
Use of data encryption and compression
A special management feature called libraries
 Understanding Filesystems

Originally, Microsoft's OS was called the Disk Operating System (DOS)

The DOS indicated its primary function: providing access to disks and the data
stored on them.

Of course, over the years the OS has evolved, offers many features, Disk
management is still a primary feature of all versions.

Important things to learn in the filesystem:

The purpose of a filesystem
The various filesystems supported by Windows
The issues related to 32-bit and 64-bit systems

Filesystems are used on storage devices and media.

 The Purpose of a Filesystem

A filesystem defines the methods used to store and retrieve data using storage
devices.
The filesystem usually includes the following features or components at a minimum:
A defined structure for storing data on the storage unit
A method for referencing the location of the data on the storage unit
Constraints on factors such as file sizes, number of files, and filenames

Beyond those minimum requirements, when selecting a filesystem you must ensure
that you use one that meets your needs. For example:
if a filesystem does not support long filenames and you require them, you would not select
that filesystem
If a filesystem does not support permission management and you require this feature, you
would not select that filesystem
 The Features or Components of a Filesystem

1 A defined structure for storing data

The filesystem may store data in allocation units or clusters.
If an allocation unit size is 4 kilobytes, and a 7 kilobyte file is written to the disk, 8 kilobytes
will be consumed because an entire allocation unit is required for storage
Many filesystems allow for variable allocation unit sizes that can be configured at the time
of formatting the storage media.

2 The referencing method for locating data on the storage unit.

This is essentially a database that indicates the filename and the physical drive sectors
where the file is stored.
It is used by the OS to look up and retrieve the physical data for a file when it is required by
an application.
 The Features or Components of a Filesystem

3 The set of constraints that limit file sizes, the total number of files, and the
filenames that can be used.
Some filesystems are case sensitive. For example, you can name one file [Link] and
another file [Link] while placing them in the same folder or directory. Other filesystems
do not allow this.

As for the file size limit, this is mostly related to the bit level of the filesystem. For example,
32-bit filesystems can support larger files than 16-bit filesystems, and so on.
 Comparing Windows Filesystem !

Windows 7 supports several filesystems.

Some of these filesystems are well known; others are legacy systems still used even
though many advanced support professionals are not aware of their existence.
The following filesystems are supported in Windows 7, where the number indicates
the bit level of the filesystem:
FAT12
FAT16
FAT32
NTFS
CDFS
UDFS
 Comparing Windows Filesystem !

1 FAT12 (12-bit File Allocation Table)

This is the original version of FAT, and it is still used in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008
R2 today.
When a drive or volume smaller than 16 MB is formatted in Windows, it will be formatted
with FAT12.
The most common use of FAT12 today is for formatting floppy disks, although even this is
becoming less common.

2 FAT16 (16-bit File Allocation Table)

FAT16 is also still used, but only for backward compatibility with older systems that still
require it.
Such older systems include Windows 3.1 and DOS.
 Comparing Windows Filesystem !

3 FAT32 (32-bit File Allocation Table)

If you do not require compatibility with these older systems, FAT32 should be used instead
whenever the FAT filesystem is needed
FAT32 supports much larger drives than FAT16 (up to 32 GB compared to only 4 GB) and
uses more efficient storage allocation units for larger drives.

4 The New Technology Filesystem (NTFS)

Also be called NTFS64, as it is a 64-bit filesystem
In addition to supporting very large volumes, NTFS provides support for enhanced features
like compression, encryption, and file-level permissions.

5 6 The Compact Disk Filesystem (CDFS) and Universal Disk Format System (UDFS or
simply UDF) are used on CD and DVD media. UDFS may also be used on additional
media types.
Comparing Windows Filesystem !
 Comparing Windows Filesystem !

In most cases, you only have to choose the filesystem when formatting internal or
removable drives larger than a few megabytes (16 MB to be specific)

Windows 7 also introduces several new features to NTFS, including the following:
Files can now be read from a disk at the same time that data is being flushed to the disk
using the disk cache manager, which enhances overall system performance.

Short filenames can now be disabled on a volume basis, whereas earlier versions required
that they be disabled globally or not at all.

Filesystem metadata related to sparse files and the Encrypting Filesystem (EFS) can now be
defragmented.
6. Administrator Tools
 6. Administrator Tools

Administrative Tools (a folder in control panel) is the collective name for several
advanced tools in Windows that are used mainly by system administrators.
The Administrative Tools suite is available in:
Windows 10 Windows Vista
Windows 8 Windows XP
Windows 7 Windows Server Operating System

1 What Are Administrative Tools Used For?

Schedule a test of your computer's memory
Manage advanced aspects of users and groups
Format hard drives
Configure Windows services
Change how the operating system starts
Much, much more..
6. Administrator Tools
 6. Administrator Tools

The tools in the folder might vary

depending on which edition of
Windows you are using.
6. Administrator Tools
6. Administrator Tools
 6. Administrator Tools

2 How to Access Administrative Tools?

Administrative Tools is a Control Panel applet and so can be accessed via Control Panel.
To open Administrative Tools, first, open Control Panel and then choose Administrative
Tools.
6. Administrator Tools
 6. Administrator Tools

3 How to Use Administrative Tools?

Administrative Tools is basically a folder that contains shortcuts to the various tools that
comprise it.

Double-clicking or double-tapping one of the program shortcuts in Administrative Tools will

start that tool.

In other words, Administrative Tools itself doesn't do anything. It is just a location that stores
shortcuts to related programs that are actually stored in the Windows folder.

Most of the programs available in Administrative Tools are snap-ins for the Microsoft
Management Console (MMC).
 6.1 Computer Management

Computer Management is an MMC snap-in used as a central location to manage

local or remote computers.
Computer Management includes Task Scheduler, Event Viewer, Local Users and
Groups, Device Manager, Disk Management, and more, all in a single location.

Makes it really easy to manage all the important

aspects of a computer.

Computer Management is included within

Administrative Tools in Windows 10, Windows 8,
Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.
The Computer Management tool is split into three
major sections: System Tools, Storage and
Services, and Applications.
 6.1 Computer Management

Many ways to open the Computer Management tool in Windows (all versions)
Use search (all Windows versions) - from Taskbar/ Start Menu / Start screen
Use the Control Panel (all Windows versions) – Control Panel>System and Security>Ad. Tool
Use Cortana (Windows 10 only) - on the right side of the search box from the taskbar, click or
tap the microphone icon to make Cortana listen to you.
Use the Run window (all Windows versions)
Use Command Prompt or PowerShell (all Windows versions)

Use Task Manager (all Windows versions) – File Menu>Run New Task
 6.1 Computer Management - Uses

1 Schedule tasks with

Task Scheduler
 6.1 Computer Management - Uses

2 Check system events

with Event Viewer
 6.1 Computer Management - Uses

3 Verify your network

shares with Shared
Folders
 6.1 Computer Management - Uses

4 Manage user accounts

with Local Users and
Groups

this tool is not available if you use

a Home edition of Windows 7 or
Windows 10, or if you use a basic
edition of Windows 8.1.
 6.1 Computer Management - Uses

5 Analyze your system's

performance with
Performance Monitor
 6.1 Computer Management - Uses

6 View and manage

drivers with Device
Manager
 6.1 Computer Management - Uses

7 Manage disk drives

1 See information about drives

and partitions

2 Create partitions on your drives

3 Format partitions
4 Resize the partitions
5 Delete partitions
6 Change the drive letters of your
partitions

7 Change the drive labels of your

partitions
 6.1 Computer Management - Uses

8 Manage Windows
services
 6.2 Local Security Policy

Local Security Policy is an MMC snap-in used to manage Group Policy security
settings.
One example of using Local Security Policy would be requiring a minimum
password length for user passwords, enforcing a maximum password age, or
making sure any new password meets a certain level of complexity.

Pretty much any detailed restriction you can imagine

can be set with Local Security Policy.

Local Security Policy is included within Administrative

Tools in Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7,
Windows Vista, and Windows XP.
 6.2 Local Security Policy

Opening Local Security Policy console in Windows (1)

Please note that in Windows 8 and 8.1, Local Security Policy is available in Start screen
search results only if you have enabled the displaying of Administrative Tools
Windows Vista, 7 and 10 users can also type this into Start menu Search box and press
ENTER.
 6.2 Local Security Policy

Local Group Policy Editor - more detailed configuration console available (2)
 6.2 Local Security Policy

Defining a password policy in Windows

If you want to make sure that you and other users of your computer have secure passwords
and that passwords are changed after a certain number of days, you need to set up a
password policy.
Password policy settings affect local accounts only.
Microsoft accounts in Windows 8, 8.1 and 10 do not
use this configuration.
 6.2 Local Security Policy

Defining a password policy in Windows (2)

Maximum password age - default is "42". This specifies how long a user can use the same
password for his/her local Windows account.

Minimum password age - default is "0", meaning that local users can change their
passwords whenever they like. If you set this to "1", it means that a password must be in
effect for at least 1 day (24 hours) before a user can change it again.

Minimum password length - set to at least "8", but "12" is recommended.

Password must meet complexity requirements - set to "Enabled". This means that a
password must include at least two opposite case letters, a number and a special character
(punctuation marks, for example).

Store passwords using reversible encryption - always leave to "Disabled". If you enable
this policy, all users' passwords are easy to crack.
 6.2 Local Security Policy

Defining an Account Lockout Policy in Windows

A strong password is good, but when a malicious program (or someone behind keyboard) is
trying to break your password, the attempts must be stopped quickly.
By default, anyone or anything can enter any password any number of times without getting
stopped by Windows.
You can stop it by creating an Account Lockout Policy - when a user enters a wrong password
several times, the account will be locked out for a specified period of time.
The user then cannot log on during this time. Every attempt to login during the lockout
period extends the period.
 6.2 Local Security Policy

Defining an Account Lockout Policy in Windows (2)

Specify the number of times a user can
enter a wrong password before
Windows locks the user account.
 6.2 Local Security Policy

Account lockout duration and Reset account lockout counter after settings.
How long a user account stays locked after entering a wrong password too many times
(during that time, the user cannot log on to the computer) and after which period of time the
count of wrong passwords entered will be set back to zero.

Specify the number of times a user can enter a wrong password before Windows locks the
user account.
 6.3 Performance Monitor

Performance Monitor is an MMC snap-in that's used to view real-time, or previously

recorded, computer performance data.
Advanced information about your CPU, RAM, hard drive, and network are just a few
of the things you can view via this tool.
Performance Monitor is included within
Administrative Tools in Windows 10, Windows 8, and
Windows 7.
In Windows Vista, the functions available in
Performance Monitor are part of Reliability and
Performance Monitor, available from Administrative
Tools in that version of Windows.
In Windows XP, an older version of this tool, simply
called Performance, is included in Administrative
Tools.
6.3 Performance Monitor
 6.4 Task Scheduler

Task Scheduler is an MMC snap-in used to schedule a task or program to run

automatically on a specific date and time.
Some non-Windows programs may use Task Scheduler to set up things like a disk
cleanup or defrag tool to run automatically.

Task Scheduler is included within Administrative

Tools in Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, and
Windows Vista.

A task scheduling program, called Scheduled Tasks, is

also included in Windows XP but is not part of
Administrative Tools.
6.4 Task Scheduler
 Administrator Tools

R Reference for this topic

[Link]
in-windows-10
[Link]

[ Computer Management ]
[Link]
administrative-tool
[ Local Security Policy ]
[Link]

[ Administrative Tools Explained ]

[Link]