Use
Address Bar as a Command Line
Christopher
Zacharias
Rochester, New York
September
8, 1999
Need
instant access to a command line without the fuss of
clicking your way to the Start Menu's Run command?
Right-click
on the taskbar and add the Address bar to it. At first
glance, it appears you have a simple Web address entry for
Internet Explorer. However, as Internet Explorer is highly
integrated with Windows 2000, you can access pretty much
anything with it. This means that you can type in a command
or a file and it will execute or open it. Hence, the Address
bar can be used quite effectively as a command line.
This
tip works with Windows 2000 Professional and Server. The
Address bar, obviously, accepts Web addresses and search
queries as well.
Use
Automatic Caching To Make Files Available Offline
The Windows 2000 Development Team
September
22, 1999
When
configuring shared folders on Windows 2000 Server, you can
ensure that the shared files are available for users even
when they are disconnected from the network.
On
computers running Windows 2000, caching is allowed and, by
default, configured for Manual Caching for Documents
for shared folders. This allows users to manually specify
any files they want available when working offline.
To
ensure that files a user opens or creates are automatically
downloaded and made available offline, change the Caching
setting for the shared folder to Automatic Caching for
Documents. If you want the files in a shared folder to
be downloaded automatically, but also want to prevent
changes the user makes offline from being synchronized, use
the Automatic Caching for Programs setting instead.
To
change the Caching Settings for a shared folder:
 | Right-click
the shared folder. On the Sharing tab, click Caching.
| | In
the Caching Settings dialog box, click the down
arrow next to the Setting box.
| | In
the list, click the caching setting you want.
| | Click
OK to return to the Properties dialog box for the
folder, then click OK to apply your changes. |
Cable
Modems and Windows 2000 Server
Duane Urban
Starway Enterprises L.C., Dracut, Massachusetts
July
7, 1999
Our
company has a small local area network (LAN), and was
running a single server with Microsoft Windows NT 4.0,
Service Pack 5, which we just updated to Windows 2000
Server. The machine is a custom 233P MMX� with 128MB RAM,
66MHz bus speed and is running almost every service an IT
manager could desire, including Microsoft Internet
Information Server 4.0, for one of our company Websites. It
is also used as a workstation while in server mode. We are
connected to the Internet via an always-on cable modem, a
3Com� 10/100 3C90X-family network interface card (NIC) and
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client.
For
some reason, 3Com didn't anticipate this machine running
Windows 2000, and as a result did not make their Dynamic
Access� software compatible. Needless to say, once the
update was complete neither the LAN nor the Internet
connection were configured properly.
The
easiest way we found to get back online and get our LAN
working was to uninstall the third-party network
configuration software, uninstall both NICs using the
Uninstall Hardware Wizard in Windows 2000, restart, and let
the Found New Hardware Wizard do the rest. Once done, all
the protocols and services needed for connecting to the
Internet and LAN were automatically installed. The only
thing we had to do was add our users and reassign
permissions.
Also,
if you had problems getting an SB AWE 64 Gold card installed
properly with Windows NT 4.0, that isn't a problem with
Windows 2000.
Calling-Card
Dial-Up Setup
Kennon Baker
Rodale Press, Inc., Emmaus, Pennsylvania
July
9, 1999
I
was having a difficult time configuring a calling-card
dial-up setup. It would try dialing the account number too
soon or not enter the card number within the correct timing.
An old modem dial trick is to enter commas directly in the
phone number; each additional comma adds one second of a
pause. However, built into Windows 2000, I discovered that
you can control the type of steps taken and how each step is
handled during the calling-card PIN and account-dialing
process.
Here
are the steps to modify an existing calling card:
| Open
Phone and Modem Options.
| | On
the Dialing Rules tab, click the location to
modify, then click Edit.
| | On
the Calling Card tab, click the card type you
want to modify, then click Edit.
| | Click
the General tab to change the calling card name
or number, or your personal identification number (PIN).
| | Click
the Long Distance, International, or Local Calls
tab to change the access number or dialing steps for the
corresponding type of call. |
Cut
and Paste in the Command Prompt
Janwillem Borleffs
Leiden, Netherlands
August
18, 1999
Using
cut-and-paste in the Command Prompt is easy. In a
text-editing application like Notepad, select and copy the
phrase as you would normally. Next, move your mouse to the
Command Prompt screen. Right-click on the desired location
in this screen and the copied text will appear.
Naturally,
you can also cut and paste in the Command Prompt screen
itself. Select a phrase by moving the mouse over it while
you hold down the left mouse button. Then right-click twice
to paste the selection at the cursor's position.
This
tip works with Windows 2000 Server and Professional.
Use
File and Directory Name Completion in Command Prompt
The Windows 2000 development team
October
13, 1999
If
you work with the command prompt frequently, you can speed
your navigation through the directory structure and file
lists by enabling File and Directory Name Completion.
Completion is invoked when you type either of the two
control characters (CTRL+D for directory names, CTRL+F for
file names) at the command prompt. Some examples of using
completion include:
| Type
the first few characters of a command executable, then
type CTRL+F to cycle through the files that begin
with those characters.
| | Type
CD, then type CTRL+D to cycle through all
of the directory names in the current path. |
Other
tidbits:
| To
move backward through the list, press the Shift
key with the control character.
| | If
file completion is used on any of the built-in directory
commands (CD, MD, or RD), directory completion is
assumed. |
To
enable File and Directory Name Completion for a single
command-prompt session:
| Click
Start, click Run, in the Open box
type cmd /f:on, then click OK
or
| | Start
a command-prompt window and type cmd /f:on, then
press Enter. |
To
enable File and Directory Name Completion for all command
prompt sessions:
| Click
Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories,
then right-click Command Prompt and choose Properties.
| | Under
the Shortcut tab in the Target box, type %SystemRoot%\system32\cmd.exe
/f:on.
| | Click
OK. |
The
Command Prompt shortcut on the Start menu will
now start Cmd.exe with File and Directory Name Completion
enabled.
List
of F1-F9 Key Commands for the Command Prompt
Rodolfo De La Torre Vazquez
Lithium Systems, Guadalajara, Mexico
September
15, 1999
F1:
Repeats the letters of the last command line, one by one
F2:
Displays a dialog asking user to "enter the char to
copy up to" of the last command line
F3:
Repeats the last command line
F4:
Displays a dialog asking user to "enter the char to
delete up to" of the last command line
F5:
Goes back one command line
F6:
Enters the traditional CTRL+Z (^z)
F7:
Displays a menu with the command line history
F8:
Cycles back through previous command lines (beginning with
most recent)
F9:
Displays a dialog asking user to enter a command number,
where 0 is for first command line entered
Note
The
buffer allows a maximum of 50 command lines. After this
number is reached, the first line will be replaced in
sequence.
Works
on Windows 2000 Professional and Server.
Opening
a Command Prompt from Windows Explorer in a Particular
Directory
Dan Green
Sydney, Australia
June
16, 1999
Hi
there. I'm enjoying giving Windows 2000 Professional a spin.
Here's
my tip:
With
the previous versions (of Microsoft Windows NT), I've always
associated Cmd.exe with Windows Explorer folders so I can
immediately open a command prompt in the highlighted
directory in Windows Explorer by right-clicking and
selecting the entry I established for Cmd.exe.
Well,
it was with slight dismay that I discovered that Windows
2000 wouldn't allow me to use my old and trusted technique
to do just that. The old technique being, of course, to go
to the Windows NT Explorer Options/File Types and associate
the File Folder item with Cmd.exe.
As
the File Folder item is not available in the file types list
in Windows 2000, I've resorted to going direct to the
registry. By inserting the simple keys listed below, an item
labeled Command will appear when right-clicking on a folder.
Selecting that item will open a command prompt in that
directory.
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
\Directory\shell\Command]
@=""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
\Directory\shell\Command\command]
@="cmd.exe \\\"%1\\\""
Use
Command-Prompt Properties to Increase Screen Buffer
Tony Hallihan
DBS Computer & Support Group, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
January
5, 2000
Many
professional people in Computer Support and Information
Technology � while appreciative of GUI interfaces �
really live on the command line. Many utilities have all
sorts of esoteric switches that can be hard to remember.
Often,
using program_name /? to tell you what those switches
are returns more information than the screen buffer can
hold. There is always program_name /? | more, or you
can dump the output to a text file using program_name /?
> text_file_name.txt.
A
better way in Windows 2000 (also in Windows NT 4.0) is to
change the command-window Properties.
Here's
how:
| Click
Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories,
then click Command Prompt.
| | Right-click
anywere on the title bar of the Command Prompt window,
then click Properties.
| | On
the Layout tab, under Screen Buffer Size,
increase the Height value. 100 seems about right for me.
Click OK.
| | In
the dialogue box that then appears, choose "Modify
shortcut that started this window" to make this
change permanent for future Command Prompt windows
started from the Command Prompt icon on the Start Menu.
| | Click
OK. |
You
now have a scrollable command window.
Defrag
Hard Disk to Boost Performance
Clinton Davis
Fresno, California
July
21, 1999
If
you're upgrading from Windows 98, and Windows 2000 is
running really sluggish, try defragging your hard drive.
Worked like a charm for me.
Use
Device Manager to Switch from Uniprocessor to Multiprocessor
Support
Kartik Raghavan
Program Manager for Setup, Windows 2000 Development Team
December
8, 1999
A
lot of people don't know this yet: You can easily go from
uniprocessor (UP) to multiprocessor (MP) support in Windows
2000 by using the Device Manager. (To do this in Windows NT
4.0, you have to use a Resource Kit utility called uptomp,
or reinstall the operating system.)
The
steps are:
| In
Control Panel, click System, choose the Hardware
tab, then click the Device Manager button.
| | Select
the Computer node and expand it.
| | Double-click
the object listed there (on my system, it is called Standard
PC), then choose the Driver tab. Click the Update
Driver button.
| | On
the Upgrade Device Driver Wizard, click the Next
button, then select Display a known list of drivers
for this device so that I can choose a specific driver.
Click the Next button.
| | On
the Select Device Driver page, select Show all
hardware of this device class.
| | Select
the HAL that matches your new configuration,
multiprocessor or uniprocessor. Click the Next
button. Check that the wizard is showing the
configuration you want, then click the Next
button to complete the wizard. |
Works
with Windows 2000 Professional and Server.
Show
More Details in My Documents and Windows Explorer
John M. Vittone
Microsoft Windows 2000 MVP and graduate student,
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
November
17, 1999
When
using the Windows Explorer with the view mode set to
Details, Windows 2000 users have the option to display much
more than Name, Size, Date, or Type. Right-click on one of
the column titles in Explorer and you'll see what I mean.
By
doing so, you can add columns that display such fields as
Attributes, Created, Accessed, and Comment. If you select
the More option at the bottom, a dialog box comes up, with
even more fields.
The
Comment column is a great addition. By opening the file
properties of certain file types such as Word documents or
Excel spreadsheets, you can add an explanatory comment on
the Summary tab. If you have selected that column to be
displayed in Detail view, the comment will now be displayed
in the Comment column.
Moreover,
you can enable a folder to display info in the Comment
column by doing the following:
| Open
the folder you wish to have a comment associated with.
Create a text file called desktop.ini. In the text file
add the following lines of text:
[.ShellClassInfo]
InfoTip=This
is where I keep all my secret data
| | Save
the text file and close.
| | Replace
"This is where I keep all my secret data" with
whatever comment you wish to be displayed by Explorer in
the Comment column of Detail view. |
This
tip will also work with disk drives.
Works
with Windows 2000 Professional and Server.
Use
Export List with Administrative Tools
James Sun
American Technology Services, Inc., Falls Church, Virginia
June
23, 1999
I
use this tip constantly on Windows 2000 Server. Haven't
tried it on Windows 2000 Professional, but I assume it
works. (Editor's note Sure does.)
The
Export List command on all the major Administrative Tools
that use Microsoft Management Console windows (e.g.,
Internet Services Manager, Computer Management, Event
Viewer) is a tremendous timesaver.
How
many times have you needed to generate a list of users in a
particular group for a status report, or needed to export a
list of events displayed on the screen to a spreadsheet?
Well,
by using the Export List command, you can create a
comma-delimited or tab-delimited, plain or Unicode, text
list of items displayed on the right list-view pane in the
Microsoft Management Console. One other great feature is the
ability to customize the columns that are displayed on the
list-view pane via the Choose Columns command.
Enabling
Indexing Service
Ryan J. Magyar
Pennsylvania State University, McKeesport Campus
July
14, 1999
This
tip applies to both Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2000
Professional:
Enabling
Indexing Service greatly speeds up searches by maintaining
an index of the files and folders on your computer. This is
especially useful if you do a lot of searching for files or
folders.
To
enable it, click the Start button on the taskbar,
click Search, and choose For Files or Folders.
Then click Search Options (below the Search Now
button), and click the Indexing Service hyperlink at
the bottom of the Search Options box field to open
the Indexing Service window.
Happy
searching!
IPCONFIG
and TCP/IP
Joe Snow
Fresno, California
August
11, 1999
Having
problems with TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol)?
If
you can't find your normal WinIPcfg.exe file that you
relied upon in Windows 98, it would be very helpful to know
that in Windows 2000 the file is now called IPconfig.exe,
and it isn't based on a GUI anymore. Run it from the command
prompt and you'll have all of your TCP/IP network info.
Editors'
note IPCONFIG
is a very handy utility. For usage information, type "IPCONFIG
/?" at a command prompt. This tip works on Windows 2000
Server and Professional.
Use
IPCONFIG to Update DNS Entries
John Parrish
Totally Connected, Inc., DeLand, Florida
June
16, 1999
Something
I found useful to know and that will avoid a reboot:
When
working with Windows 2000 Server and external DNS entry
changes, you may notice that Windows 2000 does not see the
change if you have previously resolved the domain name. This
happens because the server will cache DNS information so
that the lookups are faster for any future requests that are
made. The quick fix for this was to reboot the server.
However,
the correct way to solve this problem is to use the features
of ipconfig. By typing ipconfig /displaydns at
the command prompt (append |more for a step-through
list), you can view a list of DNS entries Windows has
cached. The command ipconfig /registerdns will
refresh all of the entries in the resolver cache. The
entries will be updated and the server should reflect the
appropriate updates. You can also dump all of the cache by
typing the command ipconfig /flushdns.
It
is worth noting that the entries should have a TTL, which
would eventually expire. However, for frequent DNS changes
this info is very helpful.
Thank
you for producing great products that help us produce great
products!
Enable
IP Forwarding Between Subnets
Berry Schreuder
e-office, Utrecht, The Netherlands
October
20, 1999
Here
is my tip for Windows 2000 Server. I found out about this
while I was evaluating Windows 2000 Server in a test lab.
Suppose
you are testing site replication and wish to have multiple
Internet Protocol (IP) subnets without having to install
routers or Routing and Remote Access Services.
Here's
a quick trick to enable IP forwarding:
In
the Registry, set the value IPEnableRouter in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
\SYSTEM \CurrentControlSet \Services \Tcpip \Parameters
to 0x00000001.
This
enables routing between the two subnets. Consider, though,
that this is not safe when routing between public networks.
Remember to set your default gateways!
Shortcut
for Locking the Console
Scott Schnoll
Portland, Oregon
June
30, 1999
You
can lock the console without having to use CTRL+ALT+DEL or a
screensaver.
To
do so, create a shortcut to rundll32.exe
user32.dll,LockWorkStation. Then, launch the shortcut to
lock the console.
This
can be used on both Windows 2000 Server and Professional.
Shortcut
to Microsoft Management Console
J Robert Ray
Futurelight, Fullerton, California
June
30, 1999
To
quickly get to the oft-used Computer Management MMC
(Microsoft Management Console), right-click the My
Computer icon on the desktop, and choose Manage.
This
works on Windows 2000 Professional and Server
Customize
Location of the My Documents Folder
John Hill
Excell Data, Kirkland, Washington
September
22, 1999
After
installing Office 2000 on Windows 2000 Server, I was
surprised that I couldn't change the default document
location in any Office application from My Documents.
Although I couldn't change the default document location, I
can change the location of the My Documents folder:
| Right-click
on My Documents, select Properties and
click the Move button. |
Works
on Windows 2000 Professional and Server.
Organize
Your Pictures into Separate Folders
Fausto de Oliveira Filho
Brazil Interco, Inc., Plantation, Florida
September
15, 1999
For
those who, like me, have a lot of pictures, one fancy
feature of Windows 2000 is the My Pictures folder,
with commands like Print, Zoom In and Out, and Best Fit
Size.
If
you have pictures of many different subjects and you would
like to store them in corresponding folders, yet still have
access to those commands found in My Pictures, do
this:
| Open
My Documents.
| | Make
a copy of the My Pictures folder. You can
right-click on it, click Copy, then click Paste.
| | A
new folder will appear, named Copy of My Pictures.
Rename it (right-click on the folder's icon, choose
Rename) whatever way you want, for example Office
Pics, Boat Pics,My Kat Pics.
| | Place
all the pictures of that subject in the folder you have
just created. |
That's
it!
The
contents will look even better if you see them as
thumbnails, which you can do by going to the View menu and
choosing Thumbnails.
I
am running Windows 2000 Professional, but I believe it works
for both.
Editor's
note The
My Pictures folder is the default storage location
for pictures when you save them from a digital camera to
your computer.
Use
Network Connection Wizard to Transfer Data Easily
Brian Frahm
The Clark Enersen Partners, Lincoln, Nebraska
January
19, 2000
Looking
to transfer data from an old PC to your new PC with Windows
2000 Professional? The direct-connection method is very easy
to set up! I set up a parallel port connection (4 megabits
per second) in just a couple of minutes, and was able to
move files and folders to my new machine without a hitch.
Here's
how to set this up in Windows 2000:
| Open
the Networking and Dial-up Connections folder in
Control Panel.
| | Double-click
Make New Connection to start the Network
Connection Wizard, then click Next.
| | On
the Network Connection Type page, click Connect
directly to another computer, then click Next.
| | Complete
the wizard to specify the role of your computer, Host or
Guest, and the connection device (infrared, serial, or
parallel port) page, who may use the connection, and the
name of the connection. |
Activate
Network Monitor Icon
Michael Rivett
Dublin, Ohio
July
28, 1999
Be
sure to check out the Network Monitor icon. This
nifty feature is not always activated by default.
To
activate the icon and its "lights":
| On
the desktop, right-click My Network Places, then
choose Properties. The Network and Dial-up
Connections window will open. Double-click Local Area
Connection.
| | Click
Properties. Select the check box at the bottom
that says Show icon in taskbar when connected. |
After
setting this, you will have an icon in your taskbar with a
great set of lights that show network activity! It's a great
way to tell if your network is transferring any data.
This
tip works for Windows 2000 Professional and Windows 2000
Server.
Bonus
Tips (from the editors):
Bonus
1:
Place the cursor over the Network Monitor icon to
display a pop-up window that gives you data on the current
status of your connection, including speed and packets sent
and received. Right-click the icon to display a full Status
window or to disconnect the network connection.
Bonus
2:
You can also navigate to the Network and Dial-up Connection
Properties window from the Start menu:
| Point
to Settings, then point to Network and Dial-up
Connections
| | Click
Local Area Connection or Wide Area Connection
| | Click
the Properties button |
Open
Multiple Applications Simultaneously from the Start Menu
Chris Gradwohl
Training Specialist, Microsoft Support
June
2, 1999
| While
performing this tip, hold down the SHIFT key
throughout.
| | Click
Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories,
click Calculator, Notepad, and WordPad.
| | With
the SHIFT key still held and with the Start Menu
expanded, point to Programs and then point to Accessories
then point to System Tools and click Scheduled
Tasks.
| | Release
the shift key. |
Tile
specific applications
Leave
the applications Calculator, Notepad, WordPad, and Scheduled
Tasks open for the next two tips.
| On
the taskbar, click the Show Desktop Icon (located
in the Quick Launch Bar, just to the right of Start) to
minimize all programs.
| | For
this tip you must hold down the CTRL key.
| | On
the taskbar, click WordPad and right-click Notepad
and click Tile Vertically.
| | Only
WordPad and Notepad are tiled vertically. |
Close
specific applications
| On
the taskbar, click the Show Desktop Icon (located
in the Quick Launch Bar, just to the right of Start) to
minimize all programs.
| | For
the following tip, you must hold down the CTRL
key.
| | On
the taskbar, click WordPad, right-click Notepad,
click Close.
| | WordPad
and Notepad are closed.
| | Close
any open programs. |
Quicker
Access to Control Panel and Other Items
Aaron Bertrand
Bluestreak.com, Inc., Newport, Rhode Island
August
25, 1999
Right-click
the taskbar, choose Toolbars/New Toolbar, and choose
a top-level item like My Computer or My Network
Places or Computers Near Me. This makes it that
much quicker to access folders on your system, your CD-ROM,
removeable disks, and other machines on your network.
Here
is the kicker: I love using the Control Panel in this way.
First, right-click your desktop and choose New Folder,
then edit the name, pasting this value exactly:
Control
Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
Now
follow the same steps as above: Right-click the taskbar,
choose Toolbars/New Toolbar, highlight the new Control
Panel folder, and click OK. Voila, now all
your control panel items are one click away (just remember
to not delete that folder from your desktop or
wherever you decide to create it). As shown in the screen
shot, I like to minimize their presence on the taskbar so
that they all become cascading menus.
If
you ever want to remove a toolbar, just right-click the
taskbar, choose Toolbars and uncheck the toolbar in
question.
This
tip works on Windows 2000 Professional and Server.
Send
a Quick E-Mail
Enrico Ng
Naperville, Illinois
July
14, 1999
If
you want to send a quick e-mail, just type mailto: in
the Run box (found in the Start menu), or create a shortcut.
You'll avoid having to go to Outlook Express and click New
Mail Message.
Use
Quick Launch Bar to Start Frequently Used Apps
Jim Mazzulla
Carol Stream, Illinois
August
11, 1999
Now
Windows NT users who are upgrading to Windows 2000 no longer
need to deal with a plethora of icons on their desktops.
Simply
drag an icon on your desktop to the Quick Launch portion of
the taskbar. It will then appear next to the other Quick
Launch icons (e.g., Internet Explorer, Outlook Express).
Now,
drag the icon that appeared on the desktop to the recycle
bin; you won't be needing it any longer, and you'll no
longer need to hunt for the desktop icon to start programs
you commonly run.
Works
on Windows 2000 Professional and Server.
Rescue
and Repair It with the Recovery Console
David Gallant
CAD Resource Centre, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
October
6, 1999
This
morning I was asked by a client to check out some older
software in Windows 98. I did not have that OS installed on
my computer. Before thinking about it, I just started
installing the software, forgetting that Windows 98 would
rewrite my boot record for my system partition, and leave
out the option to boot in Windows 2000.
After
testing the software, I attempted to get back to Windows
2000. I quickly realized that I would have to use a rescue
disk to get back. So I inserted the four Setup disks. I got
a surprise when I came to the Repair section.
We
now have a new tool called the Recovery Console. This works
like a smaller version of a MS-DOS console, with a set of
commands to run. These commands will help fix most common
problems, including fixing the boot record. My problem was
solved and I didn't have to go through the pain of the
rescue procedure.
Thanks.
Editors'
notes
The Recovery Console works with Windows 2000 Server or
Professional. If running the latter, be sure to consult the Windows
2000 Professional Getting Started online book.
There
are two ways to start the Recovery Console:
- If
you are unable to start your computer, you can run the
Recovery Console from your Windows 2000 Setup disks, as
David Gallant did, or from the Windows 2000 Professional
CD (if you can start your computer from your CD drive).
- You
can install the Recovery Console on your computer to
make it available in case you are unable to restart
Windows 2000. You can then select the Recovery Console
option from the list of available operating systems.
Using
the Recovery Console Option in Windows 2000
Ronald
Nutter,
MCSE for TechRepublic.com
Someday
the only thing between you and a total reinstall of
Microsoft� Windows� 2000 may be an emergency repair disk (ERD).
For those who have worked in the trenches with Microsoft
Windows NT� from 3.51 and 4.0, the process is the
same�although how you get there has changed. In this
article, we'll show you how to use the Recovery Console
option�a new feature in Windows 2000, and we'll take you
through the steps of creating an ERD in Windows 2000.
What
is the Recovery Console?
The
Recovery Console is a command-line option that allows you to
repair a system that won't start or load Windows 2000. Just
about the only thing that will prevent you from loading
Windows 2000 will be a bad hard disk or defective memory
modules. You have three options for invoking the Recovery
Console: booting from the Windows 2000 Setup Disk 1, booting
from the Windows 2000 CD, or selecting the Recovery Console
option from the list of available startup options.
Installing
the Recovery Console as a startup option is easier than you
think. Begin by inserting the Windows 2000 CD in your CD-ROM
drive. When you do, Windows 2000 will display one of two
dialog boxes. It will either ask you whether you want
upgrade your current selection, or you'll see a dialog box
where you can add additional components. You can select No
from the Upgrade dialog box or click Exit to close these
windows depending on the options you are presented. Next
you'll need to open an MS-DOS� session and type
d:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons. Be sure to replace d:
with the letter you have selected for the CD-ROM drive in
your system. Then, just follow the prompts. After a few
minutes, the installation process will be complete. The
Recovery Console will be available the next time you reboot
your system.
The
Recovery Console installation process will create a
directory named Cmdcons off the root of the partition from
which Windows NT boots. It will take approximately 5 MB for
the files required to boot Windows 2000 to a text-only
interface. Don't be surprised if you can't see this
directory from the MS-DOS command window. You can see it by
clicking My Computer and clicking the partition from which
Windows NT boots, or by using Windows Explorer.
If
you still can't see the partition, you may need to tell
Windows 2000 to display system and hidden directories. You
can do this by going into Windows Explorer, selecting Tools,
and clicking Folder Options. Click the View tab in the
resulting dialog box and select Hidden Files And Folders.
You will receive one or two warning messages from Windows
2000, but once you get past these, you'll be able to see the
normally hidden directories.
Even
though you have the Recovery Console as a bootable option,
you'll still be able to access it from the CD-ROM drive just
in case the hard disk has problems booting. For a system
with a bootable CD-ROM drive that won't start using the hard
disk, you can boot using the Windows 2000 CD and insert the
Windows 2000 Install floppy disks as requested. Select the
option to repair your Windows 2000 installation, then select
the Recovery Console option when it becomes available.
Using
the Recovery Console
When
you reboot Windows 2000 and select the Windows Recovery
Options, you'll notice a different type of startup. It will
look similar to how Windows NT 4.0 starts, with the dots
going across the screen. Within a minute or so of going
through this process, you'll be prompted for the partition
you want to use to startup Windows 2000. This is a good
option to have; if you have a dual-boot configuration, the
partition you normally boot from is not the one you will
actually boot from this time. You'll need to provide the
partition number you want to boot from before pressing
[Enter]. If you accidentally press [Enter] without providing
a partition number to boot from, Windows 2000 will reboot
and you'll need to repeat the process of starting the
Recovery Console.
The
next prompt you'll see asks for the administrator password.
Make sure to keep track of the passwords you use for each of
your Windows 2000 systems. Remember that this password is
for the local administrator account, not the domain
administrator account.
In
the past, most OEM's haven't set a password on the
Administrator account This isn't a good thing. When you
change the password on the Administrator account, make sure
you either use the same password on each new machine you
install or have a record of the passwords for each machine.
After
you log on to the machine, you'll see a \WINNT prompt.
You're now set and ready to go. You've just booted your
Windows 2000 server to a command prompt just like the good
old days under MS-DOS.
It's
a good idea to get used to the console now before a
situation occurs where you may really need it. Become
familiar with the different commands and how they work. Type
HELP and press the Enter key to display a list of the
commands that you can use in the console. Table A
lists several of these commands.
Table
A Windows 2000 Recovery Console commands.
Attrib
|
Changes
attributes on file or directory
|
Batch
|
Executes
commands from a text file
|
Cd
|
Changes
directory or displays name of current directory
|
Chkdsk
|
Displays
current status of disk
|
Cls
|
Clears
screen
|
Copy
|
Copies
file to another location or name
|
Del
|
Deletes
file(s)
|
Dir
|
Displays
list of file(s) or directories
|
Disable
|
Disables
server or driver
|
Diskpart
|
Manages
partitions on drive(s)
|
Enable
|
Starts/enables
a service or driver
|
Exit
|
Exits
console and restarts computer
|
Expand
|
Extracts
file from compressed version
|
Fixboot
|
Writes
new boot sector
|
Fixmbr
|
Repairs
Master Boot Record
|
Format
|
Formats
drive/disk
|
Help
|
Displays
lists of available commands
|
Listsvc
|
Lists
services/drivers on this computer
|
Logon
|
Logs
on to this system
|
Map
|
Displays
mapped drive letters
|
Md
|
Creates
directory
|
More
|
Pauses
display of text file when screen is full
|
Ren
|
Renames
a file
|
Rd
|
Deletes
directory
|
Set
|
Shows
and sets environment variables
|
Systemroot
|
Sets
the current directory you are in to the systemroot
directory
|
Type
|
Prints
file to screen
|
Using
the Recovery Console won't be limited to times when Windows
NT won't start. You can also use it during startup if a
service either causes Windows NT to stop responding or slows
things down to a point where it takes a half hour or longer
to get Windows NT to where you can log on. In this case, you
can use the listsvc command to see a list of the services
(both started and not started) and their current status.
Once you've identified the service that you need to stop,
you can use the disable command to stop the service.
When
using the disable command, you'll see information regarding
the type of service you are disabling. You should write down
this information so that when you need to re-enable the
service, you'll be able to do it correctly. To see if the
service you disable is the cause of the problem, type exit
to log out and restart Windows NT into the GUI mode it
normally operates in.
Creating
an Emergency Repair Disk
The
Recovery Console can help you get Windows 2000 up and
running when there is a problem. However, in some cases
you'll still need the ERD to get the problem fixed. The ERD
creation process has changed; instead of using a
command-line utility, you'll use a GUI called NTBACKUP. You
access this utility by selecting Start, then Run, typing NTBACKUP,
and pressing [Enter].
Create
the ERD by clicking the Emergency Repair Disk icon in the
NTBACKUP welcome dialog box or by clicking Tools and
selecting Create Emergency Repair Disk. As with earlier
versions of Windows NT, the process used to create the ERD
also creates a repair folder in the directory Windows NT
uses to store its files, usually called WINNT. Do not delete
this repair directory for any reason; the repair process
will also require information stored in this directory.
The
Recovery Console lets you manage partitions and boot
records. In those rare cases when a hard disk drive becomes
so corrupted that you can't access information on it�and
Disk Administrator seems to have a problem accessing or even
deleting the drive�the diskpart command should give you
another option besides low-level formatting the disk and
starting from scratch.
The
commands fixboot and fixmbr may prove helpful in those cases
when Windows 2000 has a problem booting up. Fixmbr provides
a function for Windows 2000 that's similar to the old FDISK
/MBR trick in MS-DOS, which allowed you to rebuild or
replace the Master Boot Record. Fixboot will rewrite the
entire boot sector if necessary. Remember to use any
Recovery Console command carefully and only when
necessary.
Being
Prepared
The
Recovery Console isn't something you'll use a lot, but being
familiar with it will pay off in the long run. The Recovery
Tool beats the hat tricks you to had to perform in earlier
versions of Windows NT to try to fix things without having
to get into the GUI. Just keep it in your back pocket as one
of the resources you have when things aren't working.
Ronald
Nutter is a senior systems engineer in Lexington, KY. He's
an MCSE, Novell Master CNE, and Compaq ASE. Ron has worked
with networks ranging in size from single servers to
multiserver/multi-OS setups, including NetWare, Windows NT,
AS/400, 3090, and UNIX. He's also the help desk editor for Network
World. If you'd like to contact Ron, send
him an e-mail. (Because of the large volume of e-mail
that he receives, it's impossible for him to respond to
every message. However, he does read them all.)
The
above article is courtesy of TechRepublic.
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mentioned in this document are subject to change without
notice.
Recovery
Console Tips for System Admins
Kartik Raghavan
Program Manager for Setup, Windows 2000 Development Team
October
27, 1999
The
Recovery Console allows system administrators to access the
file system of a Windows 2000 computer�even if the hard
disk is formatted using NTFS�by using the Windows 2000
Setup CD. This allows support professionals to fix even a
non-booting Windows 2000 system. Since the Recovery Console
has batch support, it is even possible for system
administrators to create batch files to fix common scenarios
and distribute those batch files for users to run on their
systems.
It's
a good idea to install Recovery Console on all of your
Windows 2000 Server computers, as well as Windows 2000
Professional computers that are more at risk, such as those
used by developers, software testers, or fearless power
users.
To
install the Recovery Console on your system:
winnt32 /cmdcons
To
install the Recovery Console unattended (you can script this
as part of a setup):
winnt32 /cmdcons /unattend
Cool
use of the Recovery Console:
Fix
the Master Boot Record (MBR) in case it was corrupted by a
virus or another problem. Previously, this might have
involved using DOS FDISK (fdisk /mbr). The command: fixmbr.
Other
cool stuff you can do:
Create
a batch file for recovery commands to automate common
recovery tasks:
For
example, you can automate the disabling of several services
(e.g., Telnet, Server, Telephony, Messenger) simultaneously,
or automate replacement of the registry. The command: batch<nameofbatchfile>
<file to contain output of batchfile>
One
limitation is that a batch file cannot contain another batch
file. This is a really neat scenario for an IT manager:
having batch files that solve common problems that may
require a lot of steps.
Enable
all paths for the Recovery Console:
Use
the Security & Configuration Analysis Snap-in or the
Group Policy Editor to enable the SET Command. This allows
you to copy files to removable media and gives you access to
all paths.
You
can also enable Auto-Logon for the Console, using the Group
Policy or the Security Configuration and Analysis MMC
snap-in.
Partition
and format a disk:
Use
the diskpart and the format commands to
partition and format a disk NTFS, FAT, or FAT32.
Incidentally, this can be scripted. See the Recovery Console
Help.
Expand
a file out of the driver.cab:
Since
the Windows 2000 driver files are in a .cab file, you can
use the console's Expand command to view and extract
a file out of a CAB.
Use
Run As to Start Administrative Tools While Logged On as a
User
Ryan Calafato
Program Manager, Microsoft
June
2, 1999
Have
you ever been working while logged on with your regular user
account, and had to close down all of your applications and
windows to perform an administrative task? The Windows 2000
Secondary Logon service lets you run commands "as"
the user, instead of having to log on as that user.
The
following works for shortcuts to all administrative tools
and most application shortcuts on the Start menu:
The
application is now running in the security context of the
user name you specified. If you specified administrator
logon credentials, you may perform administrative tasks with
the application.
Scheduled
Tasks Wizard
Richard Justus
J.A.S.I., Jeffersonville, New York
June
23, 1999
Hello.
I am using Windows 2000 Professional Beta 3 and I love it.
I've been using Windows since the very first version, and
have also beta-tested Windows 95.
One
of the tips that I would like to share is using the
Scheduled Tasks wizard.
With
it, you can schedule disk maintenance, such as cleanup, to
be done at specific intervals -- to keep your machine
running optimally. You can also use it to run numerous other
programs at scheduled times that you select.
To
use Scheduled Tasks, click Start, and point to Programs/Accessories/System
Tools/Scheduled Tasks. Click Add Scheduled Task,
and follow the instructions in the wizard.
P.S.:
Keep up the great work.
Editor's
Note This
tip is accurate for the released version of Windows 2000.
More
on Scheduled Tasks Wizard: Check Remote Sites
Gary
Lockwood
Fenton, Missouri
October
20, 1999
Do
you ever get tired of having to double-click on your
programs to get them to start up when you log on the
morning? Or do you find it difficult to put programs into
your Startup menu? I found that the Scheduled Tasks wizard
is easy and convenient to use.
What
I use it for is when I log on in the morning. I need to
check to see if two of my remote locations are up and
running. So I asked the Scheduled Tasks wizard to do a ping
of the remote sites, using a batch file. Then I know as soon
as I get on the network if everything is fine remotely.
Use
Cascading "My Computer" in the Start Menu
Mark Allen
Liant Software Corporation, Austin, Texas
August
18, 1999
I
found this little trick when using Active Desktop� with
the option to Show Desktop Icons disabled. I still needed to
get to the My Computer icon on a regular basis.
Drag
the My Computer icon to the Start button, and it will
automatically create a cascading shortcut to My Computer
that will expand to reveal your drives, folders, and files.
This is similar to the Expand Control Panel option new to
Windows 2000. With the emphasis on tooltips that Windows
2000 now incorporates, you can also hold your cursor over a
partition in the Start Menu for a moment to view its free
space and capacity. You can execute a file just by single
clicking on it in the Start Menu, and open a folder by
double clicking.
This
tip works on Windows 2000 Professional and Server.
Create
a Shortcut to Task Manager
Jacob van der Meulen
DeTrain WebDesign, North Holland, Netherlands
February
2, 2000
Wouldn't
it be handy to have a shortcut on your desktop (or in your
Quick Launch bar) which points directly to the cool new
Windows 2000 Task Manager?
Here's
how:
Right-click
anywhere on your desktop, and point to New, then
click Shortcut. In the wizard that appears, type taskmgr.exe.
Click Next, and type the name you want for this
shortcut. Click Finish, and you're done!
Bonus
tip: If you want to have the Task Manager running minimized,
but you don't want to have it on the taskbar, you can choose
to keep it running in the system tray.
To
do this, start Task Manager, click Options, and click
on Hide when minimized to turn this feature on. Now
you can minimize Task Manager without it being in your way,
and you'll always see your CPU usage in the system tray!
Telnet
Tip
Rodney Gordon
Eagle Point, Oregon
August
25, 1999
Go
to Start/Run, then type in telnet for Windows 2000's
built-in Telnet client! It is pretty nice because it now
does ANSI terminal emulation, which is very neat for
administering remote systems that you need to telnet into.
This
tip works with Windows 2000 Server and Professional.
Customize
the Mouse Pointer and Other Visual Effects
Christopher J. Ivan
Picker International, Cleveland, Ohio
September
8, 1999
Are
you bothered by the Shadow effect behind the mouse pointer?
Well,
it's easy to turn off or on. Simply go to the Control Panel,
then double-click Mouse. Click on the Pointers
tab, and, at the bottom of the box, uncheck Enable
pointer shadow. While you're here, you can customize
your mouse pointers to your liking.
Also,
if you're annoyed at the length of time it takes to display
a pop-up menu due to the Fade effect, you can turn that
feature off or change it. Go to the Control Panel, then
double-click Display. Under the Effects tab,
uncheck Use transition effects for menus and ToolTips.
Or, if you like, you can change the Fade effect to Scroll
effect. Again, while you're here, you can change other
visual effects.
Works
in Windows 2000 Professional and Server.
|
