UNIT – 4 WINDOWS XP

Self Assessment Questions

1. The speed of the computer is measured in – ANS - Megahertz
2. ____________ is measured against some predetermined standard for
operations without failure.
ANS - Reliability
3. ____________________ means flexible, - ANS - Versatile
4. _________________ is the main source of problem in the previous versions
of windows.
ANS - DLL hell
5. _________________ layer protects key system components from poorly
written programs.
ANS - Hardware abstraction layer
6. In a new/clean installation, the Windows XP has only the Recycle Bin
installed there by default. ANS - TRUE
7. Delete an existing partition is used for clean install on a drive that currently
contains an earlier version of windows. – ANS - TRUE
8. Windows XP includes a new antipiracy feature called – ANS - Windows
product activation
9. State whether the following statements are –
a. Activation is registration – FALSE
b. Zip drive is included in the list of components of hardware fingerprint -
FALSE
10. Windows assigns __________________ to each user account. – ANS -
Security ID
11. Which is the simplified way of describing membership in a security group, a
collection of user accounts? – ANS - Account type
12. Permissions and rights for group members are – ANS – Commutative.
13. ___________________ is a suite of web-based services that help make
using the internet and purchasing online easier and faster. – ANS - NET
password
14. Administrator can delete any account including the one which is currently
logged on – FALSE
15. To lock a computer the short cut used is – ANS – Press windows logo key +
L or press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and Click lock computer.
16. ______________ groups displays topics where the content of the help
information matches the word or phrase entered. – ANS - Full-text search
matches.
17. Microsoft Knowledge Base group is based on a comparison between the
search terms entered and keywords defined in the Help files. – FALSE.

TERMINAL QUESTIONS.
Q1 - Compare Windows XP with other Microsoft operating system.
ANS - Comparison between Professional and Home Edition To understand the
differences between the two editions of Windows XP i.e. Windows
Professional Edition and Windows XP Home Edition, one should must know
that Windows XP Professional contains everything included in Windows XP
Home Edition and much more. The operating system kernel is identical in both
editions. The Web browserworks the same, as do all the file and folder
management tools and techniques in Windows Explorer. Some default settings
are different, depending on the edition in use; for instance, the taskbar is
locked bydefault in Windows XP Home Edition but not in Professional. Key
features available only in Windows XP Professional Edition are given below in
table.
Feature –
1.Support for multiple processors - Windows XP Professional supports
symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) designs that employ up to two CPUs.
2.Support for 64-bit CPUs - Systems built around a 64-bit Intel Itanium
processor must use a 64-bit version of Windows Professional.
3.Advanced security features - Several sophisticated security capabilities are
found only in windows XP Professional, including support for Encrypting File
System and Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) as well as the ability to assign
complex axxess controls to files.
4. Internet Information Services - Using Windows XP Professional Edition, one
can set up a personal Web server using Internet Information Services.
5. Remote Desktop Connection - Using this feature, one can configure a
Windows XP Professional machine to allow remote access, either across a local
area network or over the Internet. The client machine can be running any 32-
bit version of Windows, of Windows, including Windows 95/98/ME, Windows
2000, or any version of Windows XP.
6. Domain membership - On a corporate network, Windows XP Professional
Edition can join a domain and take advantage of domain-based management
features such as group policies and roaming profiles. A system running
Windows XP Home Edition can access domain resources such as printers and
servers, but it does not exist as an object in the domain.
7. Dynamic disks - Windows XP Professional allows creating diskvolumes that
span multiple hard drives; this capability allows increasing the storage capacity
and performance of drives. Windows XP Home.
Features of Windows XP
1. New Windows engine: In windows 2000 the robust and reliable kernel was
the important concern of the two versions of Windows XP. It has the fully
protected memory model which provides tight integrated security. Hardware
abstraction layer (HAL) protects key system components from poorly written
programs. Windows XP is far less likely to crash in everyday use.
2. Robust system protection tools: The main source of problem in the previous
versions of windows is “DLL hell”- the instability that results when poorly
written applications replace crucial system files with out dated or incorrect
versions. Windows XP monitors these crucial system files, preserving the
correct version of the system file while allowing the program just installed to
use its own DLL file. For additional protection, use the System Restore utility.
to create a snapshot of system files and settings so that one can “roll back” to
a previous configuration when a new application or device driver causes
problems.
3. Device driver rollback: Windows XP protects from driver-related woes by
giving warning, when someone try to install an unsigned driver that has not
been certified as compatible with Windows XP. It also offers the capability to
uninstall a driver and restore the previous version-from SafeMode, if
necessary.
4. Security Features: Password-protected logins and the ability to set
permissions on files and folders make it possible to share a PC with others
without allowing them to install unwelcome software or delete important files.
5. Brighter colors: The default Windows XP color scheme is bolder and edgier
than the relatively sedate color combinations used in previous Windows
versions. Windows XP takes full advantage of video hardware that is capable of
24-bit and 32-bit true color settings.
6. 3-D windows and buttons. On choosing the Windows XP style, Windows and
buttons take on a 3-D appearance with rounded edges and sleek shadows. In
addition, there will be subtle shifts in color as the mouse pointer pass over
buttons, tabs, and other interface elements, much the same as those that
characterize hot spots on a Web page.
7. Sharper icons. Every system icon has been reworked for Windows XP. The
new icons are brighter and richer looking, because they support color
resolutions up to 24-bit.
8. Friendly Welcome screen. As the administrator of a Windows XP machine,
one can define a user account for each person allowed to use that computer.
The Welcome screen lists each authorized user, each user clicks his or her
name and enters a password to jump to a personalized desktop and unlock
access to private files. On a shared PC, one can switch between users without
having to close down running programs or stop a download.
9. Fast User Switching. On a shared home computer, the capability to switch
quickly between accounts without having to log off is the single best reason to
prefer either edition of Windows XP to previous Windows versions.
10. Start menu improvement. The redesigned Windows XP Start menu, shown
in figure 4-3, use two columns instead of one, it organizes shortcuts to the
programs that are used most often, to locations where the personal files are
stored, and to system folders and tools.
11. A cleaner desktop. In a new/clean installation, the Windows XP has only
the Recycle Bin installed there by default. A wizard sweeps across the desktop,
offering to move icons that haven’t been used recently into an Unused
Desktop Shortcuts folder. Similarly Windows XP group taskbar buttons to avoid
the common problem of buttons being so small as to be unusable.
Q2 - What is an activation process? Discuss about it.
ANS - Activating Windows XP Windows XP includes a new antipiracy feature
called Windows Product Activation (WPA). As in previous Windows versions,
one must enter a 25- character product key during the Setup process. WPA
adds a new requirement: After setup completes, it should must be activated
within 30 days, either by connecting to a Microsoft activation server over the
Internet, or by calling a toll-free number and speaking with a customer service
representative at a WPA clearinghouse. WPA is a mechanism designed to
enforce licence restrictions by preventing the most common form of software
piracy, casual copying. Typically, a Microsoft Windows XP license entitles to
install the operating system software on a single computer. If someone use the
same CD and product key to install Windows XP on a different system, he will
be unable to activate the software automatically.
More about WPA:
 Under most circumstances, activation is automatic and instantaneous. If a
shrink-wrapped copy of Windows XP is purchased and installed on a new
computer, it can be activated over the Internet, and the process would take no
more than a few seconds. , Through the phone, the process takes longer,
because one has to read a 50-digit identification key to the customer service
representative and then input the 42-digit confirmation ID supplied by the
clearinghouse representative.
 Activation is not registration. The activation process is completely
anonymous and does not require any personal information unless choose to
registration copy of Windows XP.
 Reinstall Windows for unlimited number of times on the same hardware.
During the activation process, Windows transmits an encrypted file that serves
as a “fingerprint” of key components in the system. To reinstall Windows XP on
the same hardware, the activation server checks the new fingerprint against
the one stored in its database. If they match, activation is automatic.
 Multiple hardware upgrades may require reactivating Windows the
activation software is designed to prevent attempts to “clone” an activated
copy of Windows and install it on other computer. If anyone replace or
upgrade four or more components from a list of 10 components on the
computer in a period of 120 days or less, the activation mechanism may
mistakenly assume that he has installed the operating system on a new
computer. In that case, he will be required to call the WPA clearinghouse and
get a new activation code. The list of components included in the hardware
“fingerprint” includes video card, primary hard disk, disk controller, CD-ROM
drive, network adapter, CPU, and RAM. It does not include Zip drives, digital
cameras, or similar peripheral devices.
Q3 - What is a user profile? How can it be created? Discuss about how
Roaming User Profile in different from Mandatory user profile.
ANS - User Profile Windows limits access to information through the use of
user profiles. A user profile contains all the desktop settings for a user’s work
environment. In addition to storing the user’s personal registry settings for
everything from desktop background to the author initials used in Microsoft
Word, the profile contains a number of files that are specific to a user, such as
cookies the user receives while using Microsoft Internet Explorer, documents
in the My Documents folder and its subfolders, and shortcuts to network
places.
By default, each user logs on to a computer has a local user profile, which is
created when the user logs on for the first time. Local user profiles are stored
in %SystemDrive%\Documents And Settings. Each user’s profile is stored in a
subfolder with the user name as the folder name.
In general, each user account has full access to its own user profile and can
create, change, and delete files within the profile as well as make settings that
are stored in the profile. Non administrative accounts have only limited access
to profiles belonging to other users; by default, they can view files but not
make any changes to another user’s profile.
The user profile includes the following folders -  Application Data -  Cookies -
 Desktop -  Favourites -  Local Settings -  My Documents -  NetHood - 
PrintHood -  Recent -  Start Menu -  Templates .
DIFFRENCES BETWEEN -
 Roaming user profiles: A roaming user profile is stored on a network server,
which makes it available when a user logs on to any computer on the network.
Windows creates a local copy of the user profile the first time a user logs on to
the computer. If the user makes changes to the profile, Windows merges the
changes into the server copy when the user logs off; therefore, the revised
profile is available the next time the user logs on to any computer. Roaming
profiles are easily managed by and area ideally suited to Windows. NET Server
and Windows 2000 Server.
 Mandatory user profiles: A mandatory user profile is one that can be changed
only by an administrator. Like a roaming user profile, a mandatory profile is
stored on a network server, and Windows creates a local copy when a user
who has been assigned a mandatory profile logs on for the first time. Unlike a
roami9ng user profile, a mandatory profile is not updated when the user logs
off. This makes mandatory profiles useful not only for individual users to whom
the administrator want to severely restrict, but also for multiple to apply
consistent job-specific settings. Multiple users can share a mandatory user
profile without affecting others. Users who have been assigned a mandatory
profile can make profile changes while they’re logged on, but the network copy
remains unchanged. Although a copy of the profile- changes and all remains
on the computer after a user logs off, at the next logon Windows recopies the
original profile from the network share.
Q4 - Discuss various account types in Windows XP.
ANS - Windows XP classifies each user account as one of the four account
types:
Computer administrator Members of the Administrators group are classified as
computer administrator accounts. The Administrators group which by default
includes the Administrator account and all accounts you create during
Windows XP setup, has more control over the system than any other group.
Computer administrators can:
 Create, change, and delete user accounts and groups  Install programs 
Share folders  Set permissions  Access all files  Take ownership of files 
Grant rights to other user accounts and to themselves  Install or remove
hardware devices  Log on in Safe Mode
Limited.Members of the Users group are classified as limited account. By their
own user account
 Use programs that have been installed on the computer  View permissions
(if Simple File Sharing is default, limited accounts can  Change the password,
picture, and associated. NET Passport disabled)  Create, change, and delete
files in their document folders  View files in shared document folders
Guest. Members of the Guests group are shown as guest account .Guests
accounts have privileges similar to limited accounts. A user logged on with the
Guest account (but not any other account that is a member of the Guests
group) cannot create a password for the account.
Unknown. The account type for a user account that is not a member of the
Adminstrators, Users, or Guests group is shown as Unknown. This Unknown
account type is automatically created if the computer is upgraded from an
earlier version of Windows or if used, the Local Users And Groups console or
the Net Local group command to manage group membership.
Q5 -What is user account? Who can create it? Discuss security provided by
user account. Illustrate with example.
ANS - Accessing User Account Through User Account in Control Panel Windows
XP provides a simple method for creating new accounts, making routine
changes to existing accounts, and deleting accounts. If the computer is not a
member of a domain, then launching User Accounts in Control Panel will show
a window.
1.Creating User Account User Accounts in Control panel allows a convenient
Create A New Account link on its home page and it lets to create a new. Only
thing required is to supply a name for the account and decide whether the
account would be a computer administrator account or a limited account.
2 Changing Account Settings Making routine changes is easy with User
Accounts. Don’t bother clicking the Change An Account link, which leads to a
window that shows all the accounts that can be changed. Instead, at the
bottom of the User Accounts home page, simply click the name of the account
to make changes.
 Name: Changing the name after creating a short user name without spaces
allows the user to create a friendly name that appears on screen, start bar.
 Password: User can create a password and store a hint that will provide a
reminder for a forgotten password. If the account is already password
protected. User Accounts allows changing the password or removing the
password.
 Picture: User can change the picture associated with the account name at the
top of the Start menu and in User Accounts. Clicking the change-picture link
show all the pictures stored in AllUsersProfile%\
ApplicationData\Microsoft\User Account Pictures\Default Pictures. Click
Browse For More Pictures. User can select any picture in bitmap format (.bmp
extension), Graphics Interchange Format (GIF), Joint Photographic Experts
Group (JPEG) format.\, or Portable Network Graphics (PNG) format, such as a
picture of a favourite scene.
 Account Type: With User Accounts, one can change the account type to
Computer Administrator (which adds the account to the Administrators group)
or Limited(which adds the account to the Users group\). To add the account to
other groups, use Local Users And Groups or the Net Local group command.
 NET Passport: One can set up his own account to use a .NET Passport or to
change the Passport currently associated with his account.
Types of security provided by user account.
1. Password Protection: Users can set a password for their user account, which
helps prevent unauthorized access.
2. Limited User Accounts: Windows XP allows users to create limited user
accounts, which have restricted privileges and can help prevent malicious
software from making changes to the system.
3. User Access Control (UAC): UAC prompts users for permission before
allowing certain actions that could affect the system, providing an additional
layer of security.
4. File and Folder Permissions: Users can set permissions for files and folders,
controlling who can access, modify, or delete them.
5. Firewall: Windows XP includes a built-in firewall that helps protect the
system from unauthorized network access.