CN1176 Computer Support

1. CN1176Computer Support Kemtis Kunanuraksapong MSIS with Distinction MCTS, MCDST, MCP, A+

2. Agenda • Chapter 4: Working with Disks and Devices • Exercise / Lab • Quiz

3. Working with Disks • Select a partition style • Master boot record (MBR) • GUID (globally unique identifier) partition table (GPT) • Select a disk type • Basic disks / Dynamic disks • Divide the disk into partitions or volumes • Format with a file system • NTFS / FAT32 / exFAT

4. GPT Partition Style Comparison MBR 4 primary partitions, or 3 primary and an extended Supports volumes up to 2 terabytes Uses hidden sectors to store system information Replication and CRC are NOT features of MBR’s partition table • Supports up to 128 primary partitions • Supports volumes up to 18 exabytes (1 billion GB) • Uses partitions to store system information • Replication and cyclical redundancy check (CRC) protection of the partition table for reliability

5. Disk Types – Basic Disk • Compatible with other versions of Windows • Consists of primary and extended partitions • Supports up to four partitions (per single hard drive) • Windows can only be installed on basic storage type partitions • During system installation • System partition • Hardware-related files that the computer uses to start • Boot partition (active partition) • Operating system files, which are stored in the Windows folder

6. Extended Partitions • Cannot host an OS • Cannot be active partition • Basic disk can only host 1 Extended but unlimited logical partitions • Do not format extended partition, but only the logical drives

7. Disk Types – Dynamic Disks • Can combine two or more physical disks into one dynamic disk • Unlimited number of volumes • Not supported on: • Portable computers / Removable disks • External USB or Firewire Drives • Windows 7 Starter or Home editions • Only the OS that convert the disk can access a dynamic disk

8. Volume Types • Simple volume • Spanned volume • Striped volume (RAID-0) • Mirrored volume

9. Volume Types - Spanned volume • At least 2 - 32, physical disks • Combine the space from multiple dynamic disks into a single large volume • A spanned volume does not: • Increase the read/write performance • Provide fault tolerance • If one disk fails, all of the data in the entire volume is lost

10. Volume Types - Striped volume • The system writes data one stripe at a time to each successive disk in the volume • Improved performance • Do not provide fault tolerance • Cannotextend them after creation • If one disk fails, all of the data in the entire volume is lost

11. Volume Types - Mirrored volume • Consists of an equal amount of space from two disks, both of which must be dynamic disks • Each disk holds an identical copy of the data written to the volume as a fault tolerance measure • If one disk fails, the data remains accessible from the second disk

12. File Systems • NTFS • Preferred file system for Windows 7 • Partitions up to 4 TB • Security (encryption and permissions) • FAT (FAT16) – Partitions up to 4 GB • FAT32 – Partitions up to 32 GB • exFAT (FAT64) – Intended for large USB drives, not hard drives

13. Using the Disk Management Snap-In • Initializing disks • Selecting/Creating a partition style • Converting basic disks to dynamic disks • Extending, shrinking, and deleting volumes • Formatting partitions and volumes • Assigning and changing driver letters and paths • Examining and managing physical disk properties

14. Using Disk Tools • Disk Cleanup • Defragmenting disks • Checking for disk errors • Diskpart.exe

15. Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) • VHD file format • Contains the entire contents of a hard disk in a single, portable file • Functions exactly like a hard disk drive does in a physical machine • Can be created with Disk Management tool or Diskpart.exe

16. Native Boot • Supported by • Windows 7 Enterprise • Ultimate • All versions of Windows Server 2008 • Enables you to create and modify VHDs • Boot Windows 7 from a VHD without having to run a virtual machine manager

17. Advantages of Native Boot • Offline image updates • Mount VHDs in Windows 7 • Image format standardization • Image deployment testing • Workstation configuration management • Less overhead compared to VPC or Hyper-V

18. Create VHDs • Disk Management Snap-in • Diskpart.exe • diskpart • create vdisk file=e:\filename.vhd maximum=20000 • select vdisk file=e:\filename.vhd • attach vdisk

19. Attaching and Detaching VHDs • Creating a new VHD automatically mounts it into the Windows 7 file system via Disk Management snap-in • Mounting of a VHD is not persistent • You must attach the VHD every time you restart the machine

20. Booting from a VHD • Booting directly from a VHD is a new feature of Windows 7 • Deploy an image to a VHD file just like to a physical disk • ImageX / MDT / WDS • Add the VHD to the boot menu using BCDedit • See Figure 4-29/4-30 on Page 134 • bcdedit /copy {default} /d “vhs boot (locate)” • bcdedit /set {guid} device vhd=[locate]\filename.vhd • bcdedit /set {guid} osdevicevhd=[locate]\filename.vhd

21. Device Drivers • Software that provides the OS with information about the devices • Vary in complexity depending on the complexity of the device • Signed drivers assure that a driver comes from an authentic publisher and has not been altered

22. Creating a Driver Update Policy • “latest is the greatest” VS “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it” • Hardware manufacturers release driver updates to • Address problems with the previous driver release(s) • Implement new features • Enhance performance of the device

23. Understanding Driver Signing • Windows 7 will give one of the following messages if it perceives a problem • Windows can’t verify the publisher of this driver • The driver has been altered • Windows cannot install this driver

24. Supplying Drivers During Installation • When the installation program fails to identify a device • A generic driver is installed • The device is left without a driver • Permits you to supply an alternate driver or halts

25. Updating Drivers with Windows Update • Passed Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) testing • Manual update • Supplies a list of updated drivers for installed hardware (optional) • Automatic update • Downloads device drivers only for hardware with no drivers installed

26. Device Manager • Tool for managing devices and their drivers • Get information about the devices installed on the computer • Install, update, roll back, and troubleshoot device drivers

27. Device Manager (Cont.) • Open the hardware and Sound control panel • click the Device Manager link • Open the Computer Management console • click Device Manager in the scope (left) pane. • Run the Microsoft Management Console shell application (Mmc.exe) • Select File > Add/Remove Snap-in, and select Device Manager from the list of snap-ins provided. • Open the Start menu, type the file name of the Device Manager snap-in (Devmgmt.msc) in the Search programs and files box

28. Troubleshooting Drivers • Launch a troubleshooter from inside the Properties sheet of the device • Delete the device in the Device Manager and restart to allow it to be detected again • Use Safe Mode to load generic drivers to allow you into the system to troubleshoot

29. Assignment • Fill in the blank • True/false • Case Scenario • Case 4-1