Microsoft 1: Windows OS Intro Ch 11

Myers CompTIA A+ Guide 7th ed, Ch 11

Windows Home

• The most basic of the editions designed for home users.

• Microsoft purposefully limits Windows 10 Home to support only 128 GB of RAM as it doesn’t want it used on servers.

• Only able to use workgroups and not able to join a Windows domain (managed by a server). 

What is the difference between Windows workgroups vs. domains?

• Every computer stores its own local usernames and passwords in a workgroup.

• A Windows domain uses Windows Server OS and individual computers log on to the server itself, which enables Single Sign-On (SSO), allowing a user profile to sign on to any computer on the domain. Windows Server OS and domains have many other features.

Windows Pro

• Most basic edition that will supporting joining a Windows Domain. 

• Windows 10 Pro supports up to 2 TB of RAM. 

• Group Policies feature: can require complex passwords, limit times when users can log on, disable application install privileges, remote access, and more. 

• BitLocker feature: automated drive encryption technology that is practically impossible to break. 

• Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) feature: the primary tool for remote connections between individual Windows systems. 

What are Group Policies?

• Only available on Windows Pro editions and up, NOT Home edition.

• Group Policy provides centralized management and configuration of operating systems, applications, and users' settings.

• Examples of Group Policy Objects (GPO), sets of Group Policy configurations: enforcing a password complexity passwords, preventing remote access, restricting access to certain folders, disabling application installation privileges, etc.   

Windows Workstation / Windows Enterprise

• In addition to the features of Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Workstation OR Enterprise also support up to 6 TB of RAM.

• Enterprise edition offers Long Term Servicing Branch (LTSB) which turns off automatic updates, removes the Microsoft Store, and skips installing the Edge browser.

Clean Install

• Installation of an OS onto an empty hard drive or completely replacing an existing installation.

• Done by setting CMOS to boot from the optical or USB drive before the hard drive.

• Requires backing up the system and reinstalling programs. 

Upgrade Installation

• Microsoft calls this an “in-place upgrade”.

• Installing an OS on top of an earlier installed version to inherit previous hardware and software settings. 

Multi-Boot Installation

Remote Network Installation

Installing an OS from a shared directory on a network server. 

• Will use the Preboot Execution Environment (PXE).

• Often used in medium to large organizations when many computers need to be configured identically. 

Unattended Installation

Automating an OS installation with scripts that select the options and components without user intervention once the installation has been started.

Image Deployment

Installation by copying a complete, pre-installed hard drive volume that contains an OS and desired application software programs.

Preboot Execution Environment (PXE)

• Must be enabled in the BIOS on the screen that configures the NIC. 

• Boot order must be changed so the PC boots from a network location first. 

• Uses multiple protocols such as IP, DHCP, and DNS to enable the computer to boot from a network location rather than a local drive. 

• Commonly used for remote network installations and mass deployments. 

• F12 used for network boot, usually. 

Log Files

• Text files that track the progress of certain processes. 

• Windows installation creates ~20 setup log files by installation phase and creates a setuperr.log to track any errors, which can be found in Event Viewer. 

Patch

A software update designed to fix bugs or security vulnerabilities, improve performance, or add minor new features to an existing software program.

System Restore

• Provides the ability to revert your PC's state to a previous point in time.

• System Restore works by utilizing restore points, which are snapshots of the system's configuration and settings at a specific moment. These restore points can be created automatically by the system during significant events, like software installations or updates, or manually before making major changes.

• Particularly useful when troubleshooting issues caused by recent changes, such as software installations, driver updates, or system settings modifications.

• Called “Backup and Restore” in previous versions

User State Migration Tool (USMT)

Used for large-scale Windows OS deployments in businesses using Windows Server Active Directory domain. 

Sanitizing a drive / low-level formatting

• Hard drive manufacturers disabled low-level formats outside of the factory, but the term is often used to describe the process of returning a drive to a state as close to like-new as possible by writing zeros to every location on the drive.

• Many drive wiping utilities exist to overwrite old data

_______________ is a Microsoft solution that provides whole disk encryption. It is supported on all Windows 10 editions except for Windows Home.

BitLocker

Installing Windows over a network requires you to boot to the _______________, which you might need to enable in system setup.

Preboot Execution Environment (PXE)

A(n) _______________ of an OS involves installing it onto an empty hard drive or completely replacing an existing installation.

Clean Install

Windows tracks the installation progress with a set of text files called _______________.

Log files

If Windows locks up during the installation, how can you determine at what point it locked up?

Review the setup.etl files to track any errors discovered.

Which of the following can lead to lockups or disc, drive, or image errors during the OS installation process?

All of the above