MCDST : Supporting Users and Troubleshooting a Microsoft Windows XP Operating System Chapter 5: User Environment and Multiple Languages

Guide to MCDST Objectives Understand and customize user profiles Configure and troubleshoot fast-user switching Configure support for multiple languages or multiple locations Protect user data

Guide to MCDST User Profiles Collections of desktop and environmental configurations on a Windows XP system Stored by default in \Documents and Settings folder on each client Material stored in a user profile includes: –Application Data –Cookies –Desktop –Favorites

Guide to MCDST User Profiles (continued)

Guide to MCDST Mandatory Profile Created by manually renaming the Ntuser.dat file to Ntuser.man Edit the mandatory profile –Temporarily rename the profile’s Registry file back to Ntuser.dat –Edit the Registry directly Control Panel –Collection of tools and utilities where most system- and hardware-level installation and configuration take place

Guide to MCDST Mandatory Profile (continued)

Guide to MCDST Default User and All Users Profiles User profile –Created by automatically duplicating the contents of the Default User profile All Users profile –Contains common elements that appear in every user’s environment Default User profile and All Users profile –Appear as subfolders of the \Documents and Settings folder

Guide to MCDST Local Profiles Local profile –Set of specifications and preferences for an individual user stored on a local machine –Established by default for each user who logs on to a particular machine Two ways to create a user profile –Log on as a user and configure desktop environment as desired –Assign a mandatory profile to user from an existing definition

Guide to MCDST Roaming Profiles Windows XP Professional local users have only local profiles Roaming profile resides on a network server to make it broadly accessible Default path designation for a roaming profile is \\computername\username

Guide to MCDST Troubleshooting User Profiles Troubleshooting steps: –Attempt to discover if problem is experienced by all users or just a specific user –Create new user account and log on with that new account –If network is a domain and user accounts have roaming profiles, try logging on to another client using the same user account that was experiencing the problems

Guide to MCDST Customizing a User Profile Start menu –Left column of icons includes a quick link to a Web browser and client Improved Taskbar and Quick Launch Icon Bar –Active application buttons are grouped by type Notification Area –Improved system tray icon management

Guide to MCDST Customizing a User Profile (continued)

Guide to MCDST Customizing a User Profile (continued) Enhanced Desktop –Customer is allowed to customize desktop functionality Customization Settings –Most are retained in the user profile Start Menu and Taskbar –Configuration settings are defined through the Taskbar and Start Menu applet in Control Panel

Guide to MCDST Customizing a User Profile (continued)

Guide to MCDST Customizing a User Profile (continued) Taskbar Tab –Contains configuration settings Start Menu Tab –Used to select the view of the Start menu and to customize the configuration of the selected view Desktop Configuration –Desktop can be used to host shortcuts to applications, folders, or files

Guide to MCDST Customizing a User Profile (continued) Folder Options applet –Sets functional and visual parameters of folders on system Accessibility Options –Accessibility Options applet –Accessibility Wizard

Guide to MCDST Customizing a User Profile (continued) Keyboard and Mouse –Keyboard applet modifies keyboard functions –Mouse applet modifies mouse settings (switching functions of left and right buttons, double-click speed, graphics used for pointers)

Guide to MCDST Customizing a User Profile (continued)

Guide to MCDST Configure and Troubleshoot Fast-User Switching Fast User Switching –Allows Windows XP Professional to switch users without logging off or closing any open applications To configure or enable Fast User Switching: –Open User Accounts applet from Control Panel –Click Change the way users log on or off –Check the Use Fast User Switching check box

Guide to MCDST Configure Support for Multiple Languages or Multiple Locations Windows XP is capable of supporting most known languages Mechanisms supporting various languages –Localization setting for most Windows XP versions is fixed and cannot be changed –Regional and language options allows any version of Windows XP to view, edit, and print Unicode- enabled documents

Guide to MCDST Windows XP Multilingual User Interface Pack Used to create customized language editions of Windows XP Standard Windows XP Professional version is not fully capable of supporting other languages on the same level as a fully localized version

Guide to MCDST Windows XP Multilingual User Interface Pack (continued) Localized version –Created for a specific country, region, locale, and language United States local version –The standard English version

Guide to MCDST Regional and Language Options Regional and Language Options applet –Used to change the standards and formats used by the system for currency, number formatting, etc. Regional Options Tab –Used to define location-specific uses or requirements for numbers, currency, time, dates, and more

Guide to MCDST Regional and Language Options (continued) Languages Tab –Used to configure the default input language to use for text entry and keyboard settings Advanced Tab –Allows you to configure language support for non- Unicode programs Input locale –A combination language and keyboard layout used to define how data is entered into the computer

Guide to MCDST Troubleshooting Language Issues Perform the following steps: 1.Verify the localization version of Windows XP being used. Is this the primary language of the user? 2.Is the client MUI enabled? What other languages are installed? 3.What language is the user attempting to use as the current input language? 4.Is the Regional and Language Options applet set to the correct and desired input language?

Guide to MCDST Troubleshooting Language Issues (continued) 5.Is the document being viewed functioning within the language as expected? 6.Is the keyboard functioning within the language as expected? 7.Is the application being used Unicode compliant? If not, replace it. 8.If the issue is related to MUI, use the Microsoft Knowledge Base to search for a possible solution (support.microsoft.com).

Guide to MCDST Protecting User Data Make and verify backups on a regular basis Microsoft Backup Utility –Provides the easiest method of backing up or restoring data –Methods to back up your data Backup or Restore Wizard Click the Backup tab of the Backup Utility to set your backup options manually

Guide to MCDST Protecting User Data (continued)

Guide to MCDST Protecting User Data (continued)

Guide to MCDST Backup Types Copy backup Normal (or full) backup Daily backup Differential backup Incremental backup

Guide to MCDST Combinations of Backups Incremental daily backups –Make the daily backup operation run quicker, but require a longer restore period Differential backups –Cause longer and longer backup periods each day System State data –Protects the Registry, the COM+ Class Registration database, and system boot files

Guide to MCDST Automated System Recovery (ASR) Can restore essential system files in the event of a severe system failure ASR media set –Consists of a floppy and one or more backup tapes or other media

Guide to MCDST Automated System Recovery (ASR) (continued) To restore a system using ASR: –Start the system using the original system CD or the boot floppies –When prompted: Press F2 to initiate the ASR restore process Provide the ASR floppy and the backup media

Guide to MCDST System Restore Can be used to return the OS to a previously saved state Can reverse system configuration settings and Registry changes Automatically creates restoration points during critical system changes

Guide to MCDST System Restore (continued) Restore points created automatically –The first bootup –Every 24 hours of calendar time or 24 hours of uptime –Automatic updates –Any restore operation using the Backup Utility –Installing unsigned device drivers

Guide to MCDST Summary Windows XP –Maintains a user profile for each user account –Supports accessibility options Customizing the desktop and the user environment –Accomplished through various Control Panel applets

Guide to MCDST Summary (continued) Fast User Switching –Allows other users to log on to system without forcing current user to log off or close open applications Windows XP –Supports multiple input languages User data –The collection of data files created by the user

Guide to MCDST Summary (continued) Windows XP Professional backup –Can restore files and settings on the system partition System Restore –Can be used to roll back the state of the system to a previously recorded state