Assignment 2:

Compare, install & upgrade operating systems

Finding information about your computer
When troubleshooting PC problems, you need to have an idea of the environment in which the problem occurred. In
Windows, you can use About Windows and System Information tools to learn more about your system and OS.

1. Use the “winver” command to find more information about the version of Windows installed on your computer.

Complete the following table:

a.) Manufacturer Microsoft

b.) Version Windows 10, Version 1507
c.) Edition Enterprise
d.) Latest build (or service pack) installed 10240
Screenshot of About Windows:
2. Use the “msinfo32” command to open System Information.

Complete the following table:

a.) System Name RGLEPPAN-L
b.) PC or Laptop Manufacturer LENOVO
c.) System Type (32 or 64 bit?) 64
d.) Processor specifications Intel Core i5-5200U CPU @ 2.20GHz, 2195 Mhz, 2 Cores
e.) BIOS version LENOVO J5ET41WW (1.12)
f.) BIOS date 8 December 2014
g.) BIOS mode UEFI
h.) Size of installed RAM 8 GB
i.) Total physical memory 7.92 GB
j.) Available physical memory 2.01 GB
k.) Total virtual memory 13.6 GB
l.) Available virtual memory 3.67 GB
Screenshot of System Information:
Operating System versions, new features and upgrading
When deciding which OS to buy, you need to know the different versions and features available. When performing
an upgrade, you need to know whether an in-place upgrade or a clean installation is necessary. You also need to
know about the different options regarding licensing agreements when buying an operating system.

3. Which version of Windows introduced the Windows Software Development Kit (SDK), thereby boosting the
number of applications developed for the Windows platform?

Windows 3.0

4. Which version of Windows introduced Plug and Play technology, thereby making hardware installations easier?

Windows 95

5. Which version of Windows did not require DOS to be installed first?

Windows 95

6. Which operating system, released in September 2000, was the last one built on the MS-DOS kernel?

Windows ME

7. Which version of Windows introduced a WYSIWIG (What You See Is What You Get) interface?

Windows 3.1

8. Which version of Windows introduced the Cortana personal assistant?

Windows 10

9. Which version of Windows was controversially released with Internet Explorer 4.0 pre-installed?

Windows 98

10. Which version of Windows introduced a tablet interface, compatible with touchscreen technology?

Windows 8

11. Which operating system introduced Time Machine, and what does this utility do?

Apple Mac, backup utility

12. Which version (and Edition) of Windows started

a. Remote Assistance

Windows XP Home

b. Remote Desktop

Windows XP Professional

13. What is the difference between OEM, Retail and Volume Licensing?

Licensing type Description

OEM Pre-installed by computer manufacturer. Cannot be transferred to another computer
Retail Purchased from computer retailers. Allows installation on less than 5 devices. Can be migrated
Volume Organisations who need to deploy operating systems on many networked PCs
14. Find out the type of Licence by using the command slmgr -dli in the Administrator Command Prompt.

15. Which of the Windows 10 Editions will you be upgraded to if you have…?

Current OS Windows 10 Edition with a direct upgrade path

a.) Windows 7 Starter Windows 10 Home
b.) Windows 7 Home Basic Windows 10 Home
c.) Windows 7 Home Premium Windows 10 Home
d.) Windows 7 Professional Windows 10 Pro
e.) Windows 7 Ultimate Windows 10 Pro
f.) Windows 8.1 Windows 10 Home
g.) Windows 8.1 with Bing Windows 10 Home
h.) Windows 8.1 Professional Windows 10 Pro
16. Since 2014, Microsoft uses the Windows Insider Program to let users test beta versions of Windows 10 before a
public release. Find out more about this program at https://insider.windows.com/en-us/how-to-overview/ and
https://www.windowscentral.com/all-you-need-know-about-windows-insider-rings.
a. Distinguish between Fast -, Slow -, Release Preview - and Production Rings

Type of rings Description

a.) Fast Updates released every fortnight. New features are released earlier than all other
rings, making the chances of discovering and reporting bugs higher. Updates consist of
new features and changes to some core aspects of the OS. Best suited if you have a
spare computer or phone to register on the program.
b.) Slow Release is less buggy and more stable than fast ring updates. Released every six
weeks. Same features and core changes as fast, but with bugs reported from fast ring
already fixed.
c.) Release Preview Patches released to the public once or twice a month. Does not involve new features
or changes to the core code of the OS. Update include bug fixes, security patches or
general enhancements to the current release. Update gets pushed to your device
before the general public.
d.) Production Only available if you are enrolled in one of the other three rings. This is the way to opt
out of the other three insider rings. In production ring, you revert back to receiving
updates with the rest of the population.
 b. Distinguish between Major builds vs Minor/Servicing builds

Type of build Description

a.) Major Includes new features, updates to existing features, bug fixes, application or other
changes. Number incremented after each build. The build number recorded is the one
that passed promotion criteria of the internal ring.
b.) Minor/servicing Smaller set of changes within the publicly released major build. Includes bug fixes and
minor updates. Adds a .number after the major build number.
c. If you wish to join the Windows Insider Program, register at https://insider.windows.com/en-us/.
(WARNING: It is a risky business joining this program, since you may end up installing a build with major
flaws. Only join if you’re willing to risk the effort it will take to reset you PC or phone back to proper working
order of before the installation.)
17. FOR NOTING ONLY (No submission): Find out how to use Windows update to install critical updates in Windows
10, 8, 7 and XP (see https://kb.wisc.edu/page.php?id=2121).

Operating System naming conventions

18. Find out the naming convention and numbering scheme used for Apple macOS versions. How does it differ from
Windows? Complete the table with the latest information for macOS that matches the Windows example.

Component of name Latest MS Windows Latest Apple macOS

Name used for marketing Windows 10 macOS Monterey
Editions • Home, (Technically not Editions in the
• Pro, Pro for Workstations, sense of different software
• Education, Pro Education, features, but the equivalent for
• Enterprise, Enterprise LTSC, Apple is hardware supported)
• IoT, Team • MacBook (Retina, Air, Pro);
• Mac Mini,
• iMac, iMac Pro,
• Mac Pro
System types\Platform 32-bit and 64-bit 64-bit
Version 1809 12.3 RC
Major and Minor Build\Release 17763.348 21E230
Licensing OEM, Retail or Volume Apple Public Source Licence
(APSL) & Apple End User Licence
Agreement (EULA)

Operating System installation and update process

19. FOR NOTING ONLY (No submission): Go to the following links to view installation of Windows 10 and macOS
Mojave.
a. Microsoft Windows 10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtHZueEZe9s
b. Apple MacOS Mojave: https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/clean-install-macos-10-14-mojave
20. Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
a. When was the last time your device was updated?

26 February 2019 @ 8:18 AM

 b. Make a screenshot of the most recent updates in the Update History.

c. TRUE or FALSE? It is possible to uninstall updates

TRUE. There is a link on the Update History window.

d. FOR NOTING ONLY (No submission). Go to the Windows Update log files article to learn how to extract
information from these log files.
(See https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/update/windows-update-logs)