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Peter Norton’s Complete Guide to Windows™ NT 4 Workstation


Peter Norton
John Paul Mueller

201 West 103rd Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46290

This book is dedicated to my Uncles Willis and Danny who provided so many years of joy on the farm.

Copyright © 1996 by Peter Norton


FIRST EDITION

All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. For information, address Sams Publishing, 201 W. 103rd St., Indianapolis, IN 46290.

International Standard Book Number: 0-672-30901-7

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 95-72348

99 - 98 - 97 - 96 ------ 4 - 3 - 2 - 1

Interpretation of the printing code: the rightmost double-digit number is the year of the book's printing; the rightmost single-digit, the number of the book's printing. For example, a printing code of 96-1 shows that the first printing of the book occurred in 1996.

Printed in the United States of America

All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Sams Publishing cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.

Publisher and President:

Richard K. Swadley

Acquisitions Manager:

Greg Wiegand

Development Manager:

Dean Miller

Managing Editor:

Cindy Morrow

Marketing Manager:

Gregg Bushyeager

Acknowledgments


Thanks to my wife Rebecca, for working with me to get this book completed. I really don't know what I would have done without her help in researching and compiling some of the information that appears in this book. She also did a fine job of proofreading my rough draft.

Jeff Perkins and Vincent Mayfield did an excellent job in technically editing the book.

I would like to thank Scott Clark for his help and direction. His input was instrumental in helping this book achieve the depth of information required.

Matt Wagner, my agent, deserves credit for helping me get the contract in the first place and taking care of all the details that most authors really don't think about.

Finally, I would like to thank Dean Miller, Grace Buechlein, Brian-Kent Proffitt, Fran Blauw, and all the other people at Sams for their assistance in bringing this book to print.

About the Author


John Mueller is a freelance author and technical editor. He has writing in his blood, having produced 29 books and almost 200 articles to date. The topics range from networking to artificial intelligence and from database management to heads-down programming. Some of his current books include a Delphi programmer's guide and a Windows NT advanced user tutorial. His technical editing skills have helped more than 22 authors refine the content of their manuscripts. In addition to book projects, John has provided technical editing services to both Data Based Advisor and Coast Compute magazines.

When John isn't working at the computer, you can find him in his workshop. He's an avid woodworker and candle maker. On any given afternoon, you can find him working at a lathe or putting the finishing touches on a bookcase. One of his favorite projects is making candle sticks and the candles to go with them. You can reach John on CompuServe at 71570,641.

Introduction


When I started doing the research for this book, I thought I was going to be looking at one set of issues: how Microsoft had improved Windows NT from the 3.51 version to its current form. One of the bigger issues was how Windows NT would work with the new interface that Microsoft had pioneered for Windows 95. It's the new interface that I had expected to attract people to Windows 95—it appeared as if Windows NT would remain a product destined for the desktops of power users. However, as I read the various trade presses and started seeing the reception that Windows 95 was receiving for myself, it became evident that this would also have to be a book of contrasts.

Here's the contrast between Windows 95 and Window NT in a nutshell. If you want reliability, then you need to use Windows NT. On the other hand, if you need flexibility, then Windows 95 is probably the answer to your computing needs. Obviously, it's not as simple as all that, and we'll fully explore this issue.

I'll also explore the new features you'll find in Windows NT, much as I had originally expected to. The new Explorer interface will make a lot of people happy. I'll show you how to use it to its full potential. With its new interface, Windows NT won't only be the reliability champ of the world of Windows, but it'll be just as easy to use as Windows 95.

When I was writing this book, I took the opportunity to really look at Windows NT. Not only did I look at the user interface, but I also looked at the architectural changes Microsoft made. I appreciated the differences you can't readily see. One of the factors that's still in favor of Windows 95 is the Plug and Play support it offers. Mobile computer users will find that they need Windows 95 to get the job done. You'll find that Microsoft has added many of the new architectural features of Windows 95 to Windows NT as well, however. We'll explore Telephone Application Programming Interface (TAPI) support and what it means to you as a user, for example. We'll even see a few new features, such as Internet Server support, that Microsoft has added to Windows NT that don't appear in Windows 95. (From a graphics programmer's perspective, Windows NT provides a wealth of support that Windows 95 users only dream about.)

Whether you like the changes you can see—or those that you can't—everyone will agree that Windows NT is a superior operating system for the corporate user. Corporate America just isn't very interested in flexibility; they want reliability above everything else. This perception isn't based on surveys or interviews I've performed—it's an obvious fact from the dollars that Corporate America is spending on Windows 95. Microsoft (and everyone else, for that matter) was taken by surprise when it became evident that Windows 95 was a big success in the home market, but it didn't really penetrate the corporate market very well at all.

As you read this book, you'll learn about all the new things Windows NT has to offer. I'll also spend some time telling you about the features that haven't changed, those that need a bit more work, and some of the unexpected ways that you can use the new features that do work well.

Who Should Read This Book


The intended audience for this book is the intermediate to advanced Windows NT user who needs to get the last ounce of computing power from his or her machine. I’ll provide you with tips and techniques to make Windows NT easier to use, enhance overall system performance, and improve system stability. Of course, every Windows NT user will have something to gain from this book; even if it only means that you’ll gain a better understanding of how Windows NT works. We’ll also spend some time looking at the internal workings of Windows NT. Not only will you learn about where Windows NT is today, but I’ll help you understand how Windows NT differs from its predecessor and how these differences will help you become more productive. If you want the most detailed description of Windows NT available, this is the book for you.

What You Will Learn


Here are some of the more important topics I cover in this book:

We'll also spend some time learning about some of the fun parts of computing. Appendix A deals exclusively with the features provided by both the Microsoft Network (MSN) and CompuServe, for example. I'll even provide a few tips that should help you decide which one to subscribe to. This appendix also includes some important information you need to know about Windows Users Group Network (WUGNET)—an organization that every Windows user needs to know about.

I spend a great deal of time talking about the Windows NT architecture in various chapters. There are two reasons for this extensive exposure. First, you, as a user, really do need to know how the operating system works—or at least get an overview—so that you can maximize the way you use its features. Second, you need to know what Windows NT provides that Windows 3.x and Windows 95 don't. Exploring the architecture is one of the best ways to meet this goal.

How This Book Is Organized


This book divides Windows NT into functional and task-oriented areas. These parts of the book break apart each piece of Windows NT to see how it ticks and what you can use it for. Of course, many chapters help you understand what's going on under the hood too. Without this information, it would be difficult at best to make full use of the new features that Windows NT offers.

One of the things I'd like to point out now is that this book is tuned for Windows NT Workstation—the version of the operating system that most people will use on their PC. I've also taken the corporate view in many areas, because the current Microsoft strategy points to a corporate orientation for this product. Don't get me wrong, though; you'll still see some server product information here and I'll definitely compare Windows NT Workstation to Windows 95. That way, even a noncorporate user will get some value from the information I provide.

I'd like to offer one final piece of advice. Windows NT is a very user- and data-oriented operating system. Unlike Windows 95, it won't give up on security for the sake of making your favorite game run, but from a business use point of view, it's actually miles ahead of Windows 95. Windows NT is probably the most business user-tuned product available right now for the PC. This doesn't mean that Windows NT is perfect, nor does it mean that everything is as it seems. Sometimes, you'll find something that's so difficult to use that you'll wonder why Microsoft did it that way. I found the registry really difficult to work with, for example, until I discovered all the tools that Microsoft provides to make the job easier. You should take the time to really explore this product and figure out which techniques work best for you. Windows NT offers more than one way to do every task. You need to find the one that's best for you.

Introducing Windows NT


Before you start a journey, it always helps to know where you are and where you’re going. The first chapter of this book, "A Decade Spent with Windows," tells you where we are now. It also gives you a little history on why we’re here. The second chapter of the book, "Exploring the Interface," starts to tell you where we’re going by giving you an overview of Windows NT from the user point of view. We'll take a look at what you should expect from Windows NT as a user and how some of the new features, such as the Explorer interface, will make you more productive. Both these chapters work together to help you put Windows NT into context. We look at important issues, such as how it compares to past versions of Windows and what you can expect from it today. I also spend a little time predicting where we might go in the future.

Power to Spare


There are three chapters in this section. The first chapter, "Performance Primer," deals with tuning tips. Getting the best performance and highest reliability is the concern of everyone who's just starting to use a new operating system. Windows NT offers many ways to tune your system. It would seem that all these controls could help you get a tuned system with a very minimal amount of effort. Actually, the exact opposite is true. All these controls interact—and you have to take these interactions into account as you change settings. Optimizing one area usually means detuning another area by an equal amount.

This section of the book will help you determine what type of tuning you need to perform and how that tuning will affect your system. I'll help you explore what tasks you plan to use your machine to perform and how you need to tune it to get the maximum performance in that situation. A little turn here and a bump there can really make a big difference in how your system performs. The idea is to tune each area of Windows NT in moderation. You also need to take your special needs into account. Even the type of network you use will affect the way you tune your system. Fortunately, Windows NT provides more ways to monitor the changes you make to its configuration than Windows 95 does, greatly reducing the complexity of getting the job done once you figure out which performance parameters are most important for your setup. I'll show you how to use these monitoring tools as well.

One thing is certain: Windows NT offers more in the way of reliability and performance features than Windows 3.x did. It's also a lot more reliable than Windows 95, but at the cost of flexibility. Your job now is to decide how to use those features to your benefit. Getting that high-performance system together is the first goal you'll want to achieve under Windows NT. After that, the data-centric approach to managing your system should make operating it a breeze.

The second and third chapters of this section include setup tips and startup shortcuts. You’ll find the setup tips in Chapter 4. Chapter 5 handles the startup tips. There are a number of ways to set up Windows NT. The Microsoft documentation tells you most of the mechanical information you need but provides very little in the way of trade-offs. What do you have to give up in order to use a server setup? How does a floppy disk setup differ from a CD-ROM setup? These are some of the questions we'll look at in this section. I'll also be covering some corporate-specific topics in Chapter 5. We'll look at what you need to do to create a multi-user setup on one workstation, for example, and how you can install Windows NT from a server.

Of course, I'll also offer a few tips on actually getting the installation done based on real-world experience rather than what should theoretically happen. Sometimes you'll want to do the opposite of what the Microsoft documentation says to do, just to get a more efficient setup. This section of the book looks at some of the tips and techniques I've accumulated over months of beta testing Windows NT Workstation.

A Look Under the Hood


Learning to use an operating system often means learning a bit about how it works inside. For some people, a quick overview of Windows NT's internals will be enough, especially if you only plan to use Windows NT in a single-user mode and really don't need to get every ounce of power from your machine. The six chapters in this section begin with an overview of what I'll describe in detail throughout the rest of the chapter. If you only want to know the basics, you'll be able to look at this overview and get everything you need.

But if you do have to manage a large number of machines or need to really get inside and learn how things work from a programmer's point of view, you'll really appreciate the detailed information in this section of the book. I don't go into a bits-and-bytes, blow-by-blow description, but this section blows the lid off all the architectural aspects of Windows NT. We'll examine every major component of Windows NT, from the file system to the API. You'll also find the chapter on the Windows NT registry enlightening. Most of the questions I've seen pop up on the various on-line forums I monitor revolve around the issue of configuration and performance. Learning about the registry is the most important step you can take to resolve issues of this type.

Advanced Users Guide to Windows NT


Some people learn to use a computer but never learn to use it well. The problem, in many cases, is that they lack knowledge of some of the hidden features a product provides. In other cases, a lack of system optimization is to blame. Still other people have problems understanding the documentation that comes with the product.

This section of the book is filled with tips and techniques that are so often missing from the vendor documentation. There's a big difference between the way things should work and the way they really do. Use this section of the book to gain the real-world information you'll need to really use Windows NT to its full potential.

The five chapters in this section take a look at the five user topics I consider essential to using Windows NT to its full potential: DDE and OLE, software optimization, hardware optimization, printing, and multimedia. I'm not going to tell you about every intricate feature of Windows NT—the Microsoft documentation already does that to a certain degree, and you can always get the Windows NT Resource Kit if you need more information. What I am going to do is show you how to make the best use of those features to perform everyday tasks—something the Microsoft documentation doesn't really tell you very much about.

A Look Outside


The trade presses are just packed with stories about the Internet and, to a lesser degree, every other on-line service available. Companies are paying serious attention to the resources the Internet can make available to their workers. Retail companies are looking at the Internet as a new method for marketing their wares. Some companies are even looking at a new idea, the intranet, as a replacement for the WANs many of them are supporting right now.

No matter what reason your company is looking at the Internet or other on-line services, you need to know how to make connections. After you establish a connection, you need to know how to access from within your applications. That's what this section of the book is all about. We'll take a look at what you have to do to get connected in today's worldwide communications environment.

What if you want to go further than just communicating with the outside world? What if you want to become an active participant in the Internet community? We'll cover that possibility too. Chapter 20 tells you some of the basics of creating your own Internet server. I won't go into all the low-level details here. My goal is to give you the basic information you'll need to be able to understand the other tomes out there on the topic of creating an Internet server. Suffice it to say that we'll cover communication in every way possible, but I won't get involved in areas outside the Windows NT environment to any great extent.

Networking with Windows NT


The entire reason for creating Windows NT was to provide a stable, bulletproof environment for networks. The fact that Microsoft has split Windows NT into two products—one server and one workstation—doesn't change this orientation. That's why an entire section on this particular topic is so important.

I'm going to cover networking from several viewpoints in this section. Those of you in a smaller company or who work within a workgroup will appreciate the peer-to-peer network coverage, for example.

We'll also take a look at the big network scene. I'll show you what you'll need to know about the client/server network model. This section of the book will feature Novell's NetWare. It even includes information on one of the big topics on everyone's mind: NetWare Directory Services (NDS). Anyone who has worked with Windows 95 knows that this was a big issue because Microsoft didn't include NDS support as part of that product.

Security is an obvious source of problems, no matter what kind of network you use. We'll spend some time looking at the ways that Windows NT protects your data. I'll also show you how the Windows NT method of managing security is far superior to that provided by Windows 95. (Anyone who has written 32-bit applications knows all about the lack of security API support in Windows 95.)

Troubleshooting Windows NT


Have you ever installed something and gotten it to work right the first time? That's what I thought. I usually have some problems too. Unlike the original Macintosh, the PC is made up of parts that come from myriad vendors. All these parts are supposed to work together, but sometimes they don't.

A lot of hardware and software installation-related problems have nothing to do with hidden agendas or vendor ineptitude. Some problems occur because of a poorly written specification. One vendor interprets a specification one way, and another uses a very different interpretation. The result is hardware and software that really don't work together. Each one follows the "standard," and each one follows it differently.

Other times, a user will shoot himself in the foot. How many times have you thought that you did something according to the instructions, only to find out that you really didn't? It happens to everyone. Even a bad keystroke can kill an installation. Take the Windows registry. It's all too easy to misstep when editing it and end up with an operating system that won't boot.

Even if you do manage to get a fully functional system the first time through and you keep from shooting yourself in the foot, what are the chances that the installation will stay stable forever? It's pretty unlikely. Your system configuration changes on a daily basis as you optimize applications and perform various tasks.

As you can see, the typical computer has a lot of failure points, so it's no wonder that things fall apart from time to time. This section of the book will help you quickly diagnose and fix most of the major problems you'll run into with Windows NT. We'll even look at a few undocumented ways to determine what's going on and how to interpret the information you get.

Conventions Used in This Book


I've used the following conventions in this book:

File | Open Menus and the selections on them appear with a vertical bar. "File | Open" means "Access the File menu and choose Open."
monospace It’s important to differentiate the text that you’ll use in a macro or type at the command line from the text that explains it. I’ve used monospace type to make this differentiation. Every time you see monospace text, you’ll know that the information you see will appear in a macro, within a system file like CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT, or as something you’ll type at the command line. You’ll even see the switches used with Windows commands in monospace text.
italic monospace At times, you’ll need to supply a value for a Windows or DOS command. When you use the DIR command, for example, you might need to supply a file name. It’s convenient to use a variable name—essentially, a placeholder—to describe what kind of value you need to supply. The same holds true for any other kind of entry—from macro commands to dialog box fields. Every time you see italic monospace text, you know that the name is a placeholder that you’ll need to replace with a value. The placeholder simply tells you what kind of value you need to provide.
<Filename> A variable name between angle brackets is a value that you need to replace with something else. The variable name I use usually provides a clue as to what kind of information you need to supply. In this case, I'm asking for a file name. Never type the angle brackets when you type the value.
[<Filename>] When you see square brackets around a value, switch, or command, it means that this is an optional component. You don't have to include it as part of the command line or dialog box field unless you want the additional functionality that the value, switch, or command provides.
italic I use italic text wherever the actual value of something is unknown. I also use italic text when more than one value might be correct. You might see FILExxxx in text, for example. This means that the value could be anywhere between FILE0000 and FILE9999. Italic text is also used to introduce new terms.
ALL CAPS Commands use all capital letters. Some registry entries also use all caps, even though they aren't commands. Normally, you'll type a command at the DOS prompt, within a PIF file field, or within the Run dialog box field. If you see all caps somewhere else, it's safe to assume that the item is a case-sensitive registry entry or some other value. File names also appear in all caps.

Icons


This book contains many icons that help you identify certain types of information. The following paragraphs describe the purpose of each icon.



Note: Notes tell you about interesting facts that don't necessarily affect your capability to use the other information in the book. I use note boxes to give you bits of information that I've picked up while using Windows NT.



Tip: Everyone likes tips, because they tell you new ways of doing things that you might not have thought about before. Tip boxes also provide an alternative way of doing something that you might like better than the first approach I provided.

Warning: This means watch out! Warnings almost always tell you about some kind of system or data damage that will occur if you perform a certain action (or fail to perform others). Make sure that you understand a warning thoroughly before you follow any instructions that come after it.



Peter's Principle: I usually include a Peter's Principle to tell you how to manage your Windows environment more efficiently. Boxes with this icon might also include ideas on where to find additional information or even telephone numbers that you can call. You'll also find the names of shareware and freeware utility programs here. A Peter's Principle may even include some useful tidbits of information that enhance the current topic discussion, but which you don't necessarily have to know to use Windows NT.



Looking Ahead: It's always good to know what you'll find along the road. Whenever you see a Looking Ahead box, I'm providing a road sign that tells you where we're headed. That way, you can follow the path of a particular subject as I provide more detailed information throughout the book.

Gaining good access to the features provided by Windows 95 is important for everyone—especially to those who are physically challenged. I applaud Microsoft's efforts in taking this first step toward making Windows NT the operating system that everyone can use. You'll see the Accessibility icon wherever I talk about these special features. Don't be surprised at how many of them you can use to get your work done faster or more efficiently, even if you're not physically challenged.

Knowing how something works inside is important to some people, but not so important to others. Whenever you see the Architecture icon, you know that I’m going to spend some time talking about the internal workings of Windows NT. Knowing how Windows NT performs its job can help you determine why things don’t work as they should.

Whenever you change something as important as your operating system, there will be problems with older devices and applications that were designed for the older version. The Compatibility icon clues you in to tips, techniques, and notes that will help you get over the compatibility hurdle. I'll also be using this icon for places where there is a compatibility issue between various versions of Windows. I mentioned the contrast between Windows 95's flexibility and Windows NT's reliability previously in this introduction, for example. You'll see issues of that type addressed in compatibility sections of the book.

Even home users need to worry about networking these days. It's no surprise, then, that this book provides a wealth of networking tips and techniques that everyone can use. Expect to find one of these tidbits of knowledge wherever you see the Networking icon.

I use the Performance icon to designate a performance-related tip. There are many throughout this book, and they cover a variety of optimization techniques. You'll need to read them carefully and decide which ones suit your needs. Not every performance tip is for everyone. Most of them require a trade-off of some kind, which I'll mention.

Square pegs that had to fit in round holes. That’s what some products were in the past. Recent standards efforts have helped reduce the number of square pegs on the market. I think it’s important to know what those standards are so that you can make the best buying decisions possible. Getting a square peg at a discount rate isn’t such a good deal when you need to spend hours making it round. Every time you see the Standards icon, you’ll know that I’m talking about some standard that defines a product that will fit into that round hole with relative ease.

Technical details can really help you localize a problem or decide precisely what you need in order to get a job done. They can also help improve your overall knowledge level about a product. Sometimes they’re just fun to learn. However, at times, you just need an overview of how something works—getting the details just gets in the way. I use the Technical Note icon to tell you when some piece of information is a detail. You can bypass this information if you only need an overview of a Windows process or feature for the moment. These icons also provide you with clues of where you can look for additional information later.

Finding problems is one of the things that all of us do from time to time. It doesn’t matter if the problem is hardware- or software-related if it’s keeping you from getting your work done. Every time you see the Troubleshooting icon, you’ll know that I’m providing you with a tool you’ll need to find a problem.

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