Dr Keyboard Masterclass Moving from Windows 9x to XP

1
Dr Keyboard MasterclassMoving from Windows 9x to
XP

• Chris Ward-Johnson
• March 8 10 2002

2
This Weekend

• Friday afternoon
• Introduction to Windows XP - video
• Windows 95/8/ME fundamentals
• The Pyramid of Grief
• Windows XP fundamentals
• Strong foundations
• Comparison with processor development
• Saturday morning
• Windows 9x vs XP
• Whizzy new features in Windows XP
• XP Home vs XP Professional
• Saturday afternoon
• Installing Windows XP
• WXP installation options
• Activation
• Security
• Getting help
• Installing software
• Compatibility mode

3
Windows 9x fundamentals

• MS-DOS based
• 32-bit sitting on top of 16-bit out of 8-bit code
• Windows 1, 2, 286, 386, 3.0,3.1 and 3.11
• Windows 95, 95OSR2, 98, 98SE, ME

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A pyramid of grief
Windows ME Windows 98/SE Windows 95
Windows 3.xxWindows 386Windows 286 Windows 1
and 2
MS-DOS(16-bit)
MS-DOS(8-bit)
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Windows XP fundamentals

• Based on Windows NT (New Technology)
• NT 3.0 3.51
• NT 4.0
• Windows 2000
• Windows XP
• Windows XP Home
• Windows XP Professional
• (Server versions)

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Solid Foundations
Windows XP
Windows 2000 (NT5)
NT 4.0
NT 3.xx
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Matches Intel processor development
Speed/Performance
Pentium 4/5 5GHz
1 Billion MIPS
Pentium Pro/II 5.5 million transistors, 300 MIPS
Itanium 64-bit
Pentium 4 42 million transistors
80286 16-bit, 134,000 transistors
300 MIPS
80386 32-bit, 5 MIPS, multi-tasking
Pentium III 24 million transistors
Pentium 3.1 million transistors, 90 MIPS
90 MIPS
8088 8/16 bit, used by IBM for PC
5 MIPS
486 32-bit, 1.2 million transistors, built-in
maths co-processor
1 MIPS
8086
29,000 Transistors, 16-bit
8080
Time
1978
1974
1993
2001
1985
1995
2000
2003
1979
1982
1989
1999
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Windows 9x vs Windows XP
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More new whizzy bits in WXP

• Welcome screen with pictures/logos for each user
• Fast user switching for shared computers leave
  files open, documents running, e-mail downloading
  while another user does their thing
• Start menu changes including two columns, most
  recently used programs
• Spartan desktop only Recycle Bin by default
• Taskbar buttons grouped three Word documents on
  one button, rather than spread across screen
• File management Windows Explorer/My Computer
  toggles folder listing and common tasks view
• Help actually can help now with tutorials,
  trouble-shooters, tutorials and instant access to
  MS KnowledgeBase articles relevant to problem,
  WXP newsgroups, Microsoft Support, Remote
  Assistance feature
• Integrated basic firewall to stop commonest
  attacks
• Media player for CDs and MP3s (not DVDs) and
  CDR/W creation
• Digital picture management with e.g.
  auto-slideshows

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XP Home vs XP Pro
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Installing XP

• Back up ALL data
• Letters
• E-mails
• Personalised files
• MS Office Save my settings wizard
• IE bookmarks (File/Import and Export
• ISP settings
• Use the Check System Compatibility test
  d\i386\winnt32 checkupgradeonly (dCD drive
  letter)
• Use dynamic updates (Internet connection needed)
• Download (and have accessible to the installer)
  updated drivers (W2K drivers may work in WXP)
• Check for BIOS upgrade
• http//www.microsoft.com/hcl for hardware
  compatibility list
• In general, business and consumer applications
  will work with XP if they worked with Windows
  200.
• Applications written for Windows 9x may fail BUT
  see Compatibility Mode
• Dual-boot XP and existing Windows ONLY if on
  different discs/partitions
• W9x low-level utilities Anti-virus, partition,
  firewall will probably fail under XP
• Dont be stingy with the RAM 512MB rather than
  128MB

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WXP Installation Options

• Clean
• Least problems
• Nice clean start, no legacy software problems
• Upgrade/over the top
• Preserves existing settings, data
• Most problems with existing software conflicts
  with new
• May be the only way to get some software to work,
  though
• Multi-boot
• Can revert to older version if/when necessary
• Have to reinstall all old programs inside new
  Windows
• All data accessible to both (although NB NTFS
  partitions are not readable by W9x)

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Activation

• By phone or internet within 30 days
• If not activated, it wont work
• You can change 4-6/10 hardware items before
  re-activation, including CD, NIC, CPU, RAM.
  Digital cameras and Zip drives arent counted

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Using Windows XP - tips

• Win-Break for system properties
• Files and Settings Transfer Wizard -
  Start/Run/migwiz (but be careful what you move)
• Auto-updates
• After setup, run Add or Remover Programs/Add
  Remove Windows Components no Custom install
  option
• System Restore dont accept the default
  settings, e.g. turn off for data-only drives, and
  check settings immediately when you get a low
  disc space warning
• Use NTFS to take full advantage of security
  features, e.g.
• Set up accounts for different family members
  giving access to specific files, folders,
  hardware
• Make a Password Reset Disk for each user
• Fast Switching good if you have lots of RAM

15
Using Windows XP - security

• Only have one Administrator account, and change
  the name of the Administrator account itself
• Make all other accounts Limited, including your
  own everyday account
• Passwords should be at least 7 characters and
  include letters, numbers and non-alphanumeric
  text, e.g. abcdef9
• If programs wont install, add users to the
  Power Users group
• Password protect ALL accounts
• You can restrict logon times to e.g. stop young
  children using the PC after 9 pm and before 8 am
• You can restrict access to specific files and
  folders, allow only for set ones, restrict the
  amount of disc space available to users.

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Using Windows XP - getting help

• The new Help and Support Centre demo
• Very different to the old one, but worth working
  at
• KnowledgeBase link online if you have the Q
  number (e.g. referred from Dr K) type mskb
  number
• Remote Assistance Windows Messenger is the
  easiest way to establish a connection

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Using Windows XP installing software

• You can set user permissions so that they cant
  install software hurrah!
• Administrators can install anything
• Temporarily promote a Limited user to
  Administrator group to allow them to install
  software
• Windows XP-compatible software knows about
  Limited Users
• Virtual Machine for 16-bit, Windows 3.xx
  software
• Dont usually support long file names
• Problems if they require a 16-bit hardware driver
• Create shortcuts to the executable (.exe) file
  for MS-DOS programs and change the Properties to
  adjust memory and other settings

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Using Windows XP compatibility mode

• Right-click program shortcut to access Properties
• All Programs/Accessories/Program Compatibility
  Wizard
• Research the problem first
• Dangerous for low-level utilities such as
  anti-virus software, partitioning programs
• Be careful with e.g. CD burning programs which
  install their own device drivers

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Using Windows XP system tuning

• Keep an eye on Task Manager, Ctrl-Shift-Esc
• Replaces Ctrl-Alt-Del
• CPU and memory usage
• Non-responding programs
• Can be closed without bringing system down
• Virtual Memory
• Advanced tab on System applet in Control Panel
• 1.5-2.5x RAM for paging file, depending on memory
  usage
• e.g. 512MB RAM never used, small paging file
• Fixed size
• Temp files to second HD
• Temporary internet files, too
• Max 50 MB