System info & Event Viewer

What tool generates a comprehensive report on the system's hardware and software components?

System Information tool (msinfo32.exe)

What does the System Information tool generate?

A comprehensive report on the system's hardware and software components

What does the System Information tool provide an inventory of?

System resources, firmware and OS versions, driver file locations, environment variables, and network status

Which tool provides system resources, firmware and OS versions, driver file locations, environment variables, and network status?

System Information tool (msinfo32.exe)

What executable opens the System Information tool?

msinfo32.exe

What kind of system details does the System Information tool report on?

Hardware and software components

When Windows detects a problem, what does it generate to aid troubleshooting?

An error message

Where can you look up Windows error messages?

Microsoft Knowledge Base (support.microsoft.com) or third-party support sites

What is Event Viewer (eventvwr.msc)?

A management console snap-in for viewing and managing logs on a Windows host

What does the default Event Viewer page summarize?

System status, displaying recent errors and warnings

What does the left pane in Event Viewer do?

Categorizes log files

What are the four main log files in the Windows Logs folder?

System, Application, Security, and Setup

What does the System log record?

Events affecting the core OS, such as service load failures, hardware conflicts, driver load failures, and network issues

What does the Application log contain?

Information on non-core processes, utilities, and some third-party apps

What does the Security log hold?

Audit data for the system

What does the Setup log record?

Installation events

What can you configure in a log file's Properties?

Default maximum size and overwrite option

What overwrite options can be set for a log file?

Overwrite, do not overwrite, or archive

Why should log preservation be monitored carefully?

Archive logs can grow large if unmonitored

What are Applications and Services Logs useful for?

Troubleshooting specific Windows features, services, or third-party applications

How is each event identified in Event Viewer?

By a source application, an ID, and a severity level

What does a Critical event indicate?

Highest priority issues, often indicating a halted or unresponsive process

What does an Error event indicate?

Less severe issues to investigate after resolving critical ones

What does a Warning event indicate?

Conditions that could lead to errors or critical issues if not addressed

What does an Information event indicate?

Noteworthy operations or states that don't require action

What do Audit Success/Failure events indicate?

Successful actions, like user authentication, or failures, like incorrect password entries

How do you view an event's full description and more information?

Double-click the event