| Supporting Windows 9x | |
| Start Windows 9x and explain how it works | |
| Install Windows 9x | |
| Monitor Windows 9x by using the System Monitor |
Win 95 first MS total operating system w GUI
| Windows ME or Millenium is the current "Consumer Operating System". Most new PC's come with it | |
| Millenium came out late 2000 | |
| Preceeded by Win 98 and Win 95 with numerous releases of each. | |
| Previously had GUI ad-ons to DOS Operating system. | |
| Present FAT system, called FAT32 started W95 R2. |
How Windows 9x differs from Windows 3.x and DOS
Core portions of
the
Windows 9x Operating System
| Windows 9x contains some 16-bit code and some 32-bit code | ||
| Preferable to use 32-bit drivers | ||
| Generally much faster | ||
| Can be stored in extended memory | ||
| Can be dynamically loaded | ||
| Multiple logical machines created within one physical machine by Windows | |
| Allow applications to make serious errors within one logical machine without disturbing other programs and parts of the system |
| Swapping blocks of RAM to an area of the hard drive to serve as virtual memory when RAM is low | |
| Managed by the Virtual Memory Manager which controls the page table, swapping 4K pages in and out of physical RAM to and from the hard drive |
How Windows 3.x and Windows 9x manage memory
Loading and running
Windows 9x
| What happens when Windows 9x starts up | |
| How a user can alter startup process | |
| How the Windows 9x desktop can be customized |
Microsoft Windows 9x
Startup menu
| Normal | |
| Logged (\BOOTLOG.TXT) | |
| Safe mode | |
| Safe mode with network support | |
| Step-by-step confirmation | |
| Command prompt only | |
| Safe mode command prompt only | |
| Previous version of MS-DOS |
Managing the Windows 9x desktop
| Automatically load applications at startup | |
| Create shortcuts to files and applications | |
| Make environment more user-friendly |
Installing and configuring Windows 9x
| Installation scenarios | ||
| As an upgrade to DOS with Windows 3.x | ||
| As an upgrade from Window 95 to Windows 98 | ||
| On a clean hard drive | ||
| Create a Startup disk to help prepare for emergencies | ||
Configuring the Windows 9x Startup with Msdos.sys
| Msdos.sys | ||
| Plays different role in boot process of Windows 9x than in DOS boot process | ||
| Can contain several parameters that affect how the OS boots | ||
| Is a hidden, read-only, system file; use ATTRIB command to make file available for editing | ||
Contents of the Msdos.sys file options section
Contents of the Msdos.sys file options section
Contents of the Msdos.sys file options section
Installing Windows 9x over DOS and Windows 3.x
| Advantages of overwriting Windows 3.x and DOS | ||
| Less hard drive space used | ||
| Application information is copied from .ini files of Windows 3.x to Windows 9x Registry | ||
| Programs are added to Start menu | ||
| .dlls exist in same Windows\System folder | ||
| Advantages of installing Windows 9x in separate directory | ||
| Dual boot capability | ||
| Clean Windows\System folder | ||
Plug and Play (PnP) hardware installations
| Criteria | ||
| System BIOS must be PnP | ||
| All hardware devices and expansion cards must be PnP compliant | ||
| OS must be Windows 9x or another OS that supports PnP | ||
| A 32-bit device driver (VxD) must be available | ||
| Main services | ||
| Resource management | ||
| Run-time configuration | ||
| Windows 9x uses four components in implementing PnP architecture | ||
| Configuration manager | ||
| Hardware tree | ||
| Bus enumerator | ||
| Resource arbitrator | ||
When hardware is recognized by Windows
When Windows suggests resources for legacy devices
When Windows does not detect hardware
Selecting the manufacturer and model
Using Device Manager for troubleshooting
Troubleshooting with
Windows Help
| Intended to replace .INI files that Windows and Windows applications software used under Windows 3.x | |
| Uses a hierarchical database with a treelike, top-to-bottom design |
Review of Windows 3.x SYSTEM.INI file
How the Windows 9x Registry is organized
| Happens automatically when software is installed | |
| Rare occasions when manual edit is required |
| Back up System.dat and User.dat | |
| Use Regedit.exe |
Searching for Registry entries
Troubleshooting and monitoring tools
| Hitting F8 during start up allows you to select some Log Start Options | |
| Setuplog.txt Is created during setup of Windows. | |
| Bootlog.txt can be created during start up. Can be read with a text editor. | |
| Detlog.txt Monitors the presence of detected hardware devices and identifies the parameters for them. | |
| Step by Step Confirmation allows user to select what is started and what is not started. |
| Books by Microsoft Press | ||
| Microsoft Windows 95 Resource Kit | ||
| Microsoft Windows 98 Resource Kit | ||
| Microsoft Web sited | ||
| http://support.microsoft.com/search | ||
Microsoft technical support Web site
| Identified similarities and differences between Windows 3.x and Windows 9x | |
| Installed and configured Windows 9x | |
| Used System Monitor to track system performance |