Product Description
Roll out, support, and optimize the next-generation Microsoft business desktop operating systems with expertise from those who know the technology best—the Microsoft® Windows® XP product development team. This powerhouse guide is the all-in-one reference that computer-support professionals and administrators rely on to install, customize, and support Windows XP Professional and Windows XP 64-Bit Edition. It includes hundreds of pages of technical details and useful tips—all designed to help you save time, reduce support costs, and lower your total cost of ownership.
Topics covered include:
- DEPLOYMENT: Planning deployments, automating and customizing installations, deploying multilingual solutions for global businesses, and supporting installations
- DESKTOP MANAGEMENT: Managing desktops, files, and folders; supporting mobile users; configuring Remote Desktop; managing devices and digital media; enabling printing and faxing; managing disks and file systems; and backing and restoring data
- SECURITY: Authenticating users, authorizing access to resources, and encrypting data
- NETWORKING: Connecting clients to Windows networks, configuring TCP/IP, configuring IP addressing and name resolution, connecting remote offices, and configuring telephony and conferencing
- INTEROPERABILITY: Interoperating with UNIX, NetWare, and IBM host systems
- SYSTEM TROUBLESHOOTING: Concepts and strategies for troubleshooting, and how to troubleshoot disks, file systems, and startup
- ADDITIONAL TOPICS: System files reference, troubleshooting-tools reference, common stop messages for troubleshooting, user rights, security event messages, Device Manager error codes, differences between Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP 64-Bit Edition, and accessibility for people with disabilities
INCLUDED ON CD-ROM:
- A fully searchable electronic version of the book
A Note Regarding the CD or DVD
The print version of this book ships with a CD or DVD. For those customers purchasing one of the digital formats in which this book is available, we are pleased to offer the CD/DVD content as a free download via O'Reilly Media's Digital Distribution services. To download this content, please visit O'Reilly's web site, search for the title of this book to find its catalog page, and click on the link below the cover image (Examples, Companion Content, or Practice Files). Note that while we provide as much of the media content as we are able via free download, we are sometimes limited by licensing restrictions. Please direct any questions or concerns to booktech@oreilly.com.
From the Publisher
It shows how to simplify installation, manage files and folders, support mobile users, configure remote desktops and devices, print and fax, encrypt, and more.
And it includes appendixes with comprehensive information about system files, user rights, common troubleshooting and security messages, error codes, and accessibility options
About the Author
Developed by senior editors and content managers at Microsoft Corporation.
Excerpted from Windows XP Professional Resource Kit by Microsoft Press. Copyright © 2001. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Supporting Mobile Users
Overview of Windows XP Professional Support for Mobile Users
• Setting Up a Portable Computer
• Managing Hardware on Portable Computers
o Hardware Profile Creation
o Dynamic Device Configuration
o Docking and Undocking
• Configuring Power Management
o ACPI Power Management
o APM Power Management
o Power Management Schemes and Options
• Configuring Roaming User Profiles and Folder Redirection
o Roaming User Profiles in Windows XP Professional
o Combining Folder Redirection with Roaming User Profiles
• Configuring Offline Files for Portable Computers
o Configuring Files on a Network Share for Offline Use
o Configuring Synchronization for Offline Files
o Securing Offline Files
o Managing the Offline Files Folder
• Securing Portable Computers
o Securely Undocking Portable Computers
o Windows XP Professional BIOS Security
• Using Infrared Hardware and Video Devices with Portable Computers
• Wireless Networking
o WPAN
o WLAN
o 802.11 Architecture
o 802.11 Security
o Windows XP Professional Wireless Support
• Additional Resources
Chapter 7 Supporting Mobile Users
For organizations that support mobile users, important considerations are hardware, power management, and security on portable computers. In addition, some administrative concerns are relevant to roaming users in organizations that use roaming user profiles or Folder Redirection. Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional can be configured and administered to provide support for mobile users, and includes features and tools that are designed specifically for portable computer users.
Related Information
• For more information about remote networking, see "Connecting Remote Offices" in this book.
• For more information about IntelliMirror® management technologies such as Offline Files, Folder Redirection, and roaming user profiles, see "Managing Files and Folders" in this book.
Overview of Windows XP Professional Support for Mobile Users
Windows XP Professional offers several new features for mobile users. In addition, several Microsoft® Windows NT® version 4.0 and Microsoft® Windows® 2000 features, as well as processes such as starting, hibernating, standby, and resuming, are enhanced in Windows XP Professional in order to increase functionality for mobile users.
Fast system startup
Windows XP Professional provides improved system boot and resume performance, resulting in fast system startup. The standby feature reduces power consumption by turning off the display, hard disk, and other system components while preserving the contents of memory. Standby also allows you to return to work quickly after waking the system. The hibernate feature saves the entire system state to the hard disk and turns off the computer. When the system restarts from hibernation, the desktop and all applications are restored to their previous state.
Folder Redirection
Folder Redirection allows the administrator to direct the contents of special shell folders, such as My Documents, to an alternate location on a server or a network share. When Folder Redirection is applied to these special folders, the redirection is transparent to the user; he or she can continue to work with documents on the server as if the documents are on the local drive. Folder Redirection is best used in conjunction with Offline Files.
Offline Files
The Offline Files feature allows users to disconnect from the network and work as if they are still connected. When the computer is offline, files and folders appear in the same directory that they appear in online. By using Offline Files, users can continue to work with copies of files that are available on a network when they are not connected to the network. Offline Files stores the data in the computer's cache to make network files available offline. When users reconnect to the network, Offline Files synchronizes the files stored on the local drive with the files on the network.
Hibernation
The hibernation feature allows the Microsoft® Windows® desktop to be restored quickly after a computer is shut down. When a computer is put into hibernation, the current system state is saved to the hard disk before the computer is turned off. Then, when a user restarts the computer, Windows restarts any programs that were running when the computer entered hibernation, and restores all previous network connections.
ACPI and APM support
Windows XP Professional supports the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) specification for robust power management and system configuration. Windows XP Professional also provides some power management features for portable computers with a legacy Advanced Power Management (APM) version 1.2–based BIOS.
Enhanced battery life
Windows XP Professional provides several new features to enhance battery life. Windows XP Professional automatically dims a laptop’s display when it is switched to battery power, and turns off the display panel when the laptop’s lid is closed. In addition, Windows XP Professional features intelligent processor throttling to reduce CPU power consumption. Windows XP Professional also provides more accurate estimates of remaining battery life.
Processor performance control
Windows XP Professional provides native support for processor performance control technologies such as Intel® SpeedStep® Technology, AMD® PowerNow!™, and Transmeta® LongRun™. Windows XP Professional also features an adaptive processor performance control algorithm that dynamically balances system performance and power consumption, based on the current CPU workload and remaining battery life.
Battery and processor metrics
Windows XP Professional displays information about processor performance and battery activity in System Monitor. The processor performance data available includes the current processor frequency and power consumption. Battery information provided includes the charge and discharge rates, voltage, and remaining capacity.
