Administering Windows 7 Lesson 11 Objectives
Troubleshoot Windows 7 Use remote access technologies Troubleshoot installation and startup issues Understand BranchCache Use Backup and Restore program Troubleshooting
Primary function of a desktop technician. Good troubleshooters are often intuitive. In professional environments, it is good to have a standardized procedure. Allows you to explain to the client, share your findings, and account for your time. Troubleshooting Procedure
Establish the symptoms (p. 401) Identify the affected areas (p. 402) Establish what has changed Select the most probable cause Implement a solution Test the result Document the solution
Using Troubleshooting Tools Troubleshooting requires the right tools and the ability to use them properly. We have discussed many tools in this course that can and will be used to troubleshoot. (p. 405) More tools specifically for troubleshooting: Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop Windows RE System Recovery Tools
Using Remote Access Technologies Microsoft Management Console (mmc.exe) Redirecting a snap-in/creating a remote console Remote Assistance Remote Desktop Windows Remote Management
Using Microsoft Management Console (MMC.exe) Redirecting a Snap-In Creating a Remote Console Using Remote Assistance
Enables a person at one location to connect to a computer at another location, to view, chat with, or completely take control of the system: Technical support Troubleshooting Training Configure Remote Assistance
Creating an Invitation Client must issue an invitation and send it to an expert Can be sent via email or saved to a file and sent using alternate method
Securing Remote Assistance Because of the potential damage that could be done by the wrong assistant, there are many protective features built in: Invitations Interactive connectivity Client-side control Remote control configuration
Firewalls Remote Desktop Administrative feature enabling users to access computers from remote locations with no interaction required from the remote site When connected, it is just like sitting in front of the computer
Usually used for administrators to connect to servers that are not easily accessible Uses an implementation of Remote Desktop Services from Windows Server Using the Remote Desktop Connection Client Used to connect to the remote computer
Using Windows Remote Management Execute programs from the command line on remote computers without having to open a Remote Desktop session: Winrm quickconfig Using WinRS.exe
Once Remote Management has been configured, you can execute commands on remote computers who have also been configured: winrs r:computer [-u:user] [-p:password] command PowerShell Remote Commands Requires the Windows Remote Management service to be configured and running on both
computers: icm computer {command} Understanding the Windows 7 Startup Process The process is substantially different from those of Windows XP and other NT-based Windows versions: (p. 418) Power-on selftest (POST) phase
Initial startup phase Windows Boot Manager phase Reads BCD Windows Boot Loader phase Kernel loading phase Logon phase Troubleshooting Startup Failures The first step is determining exactly where in the
startup process the failure is occurring: POST failures Initial startup failures Driver and service failures Logon failures POST Failures Is the problem software or hardware?
Failures during the POST are hardware failures. Beep sequences will help you to determine the exact failure. Initial Startup Failures Typically a Non-system disk or disk error Errors before progress bar appears are usually: Incorrect BIOS settings
Hardware faults Missing startup files Data corruption Use recovery tools to fix or replace hardware component Driver and Service Failures
The appearance of the progress bar indicates that the kernel has loaded successfully. Problem occurring here is usually an issue with a driver or service that is trying to load. Use Last Known Good Configuration or Safe Mode to get system running Use Device Manager to help determine the problem and get the computer running normally
Logon Failures If the startup process fails after the user has supplied logon credentials, the problem is likely a program in the startup group. Hold shift key when logging on to prevent programs from loading. Use process of elimination to test programs.
Using Recovery Tools Alternate boot options
Startup and Recovery Dialog box System Configuration tool Boot logging Windows RE Using Alternate Boot Options Get the system to boot so you have access to Windows tools to help you troubleshoot
Press F8 after POST to get to the Advanced Boot Options menu: Last Known Good Configuration Safe Mode Press the shift key while logging on and hold it until the icons appear on the desktop to suppress startup applications.
Using Startup and Recovery Dialog Box Provides basic controls that enable you to configure the startup process by modifying the BCD registry file
Using the System Configuration Tool Enables you to exercise a great deal of control over the startup process. Start, Run, type: msconfig
Enable Boot Logging Gathers information about the most recent startup process and saves it to a text file for later examination. To enable: When the POST completes, press the F8 key repeatedly until the Advanced Boot Options menu appears.
Select Enable Boot Logging Using Windows RE Windows Recovery Environment (almost the same as Windows PE but with Recovery Tools) Allows you to bypass all of the drivers, applications, and services that can be the source of a startup problem
To run: Boot with installation DVD, click Repair Your Computer when prompted Using the System Recovery Tools
Startup Repair System Restore System Image Recovery Windows Memory Diagnostic tool Command Prompt Using BranchCache
New feature in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 that enables networks with computers at remote locations to conserve bandwidth by storing frequently accessed files on local drives. Two Operational Modes Using Backup and Restore
Wizard-based Creates backup of files and folders to a network share, DVD, CD, or other hard disk Creates a backup of the entire drive using an imagebased utility called System Image Backup Restore files and folders that
were previously backed up Backup Job Status Creating a System Image Backup Creates an image of an entire drive Saves the information to a virtual hard disk (VHD) on the backup device
Creating a System Repair Disk Bootable disk Contains recovery tools Skills Summary It is important to have a set troubleshooting procedure. Remote Assistance is a feature that enables an
administrator, trainer, or desktop technician at one location to connect to a distant users computer. Remote Desktop is an administrative feature that enables users to access computers from remote locations, with no interaction required at the remote site. Skills Summary (cont.) Windows RE contains a set of troubleshooting tools to
repair Windows 7. BranchCache is a new feature in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 that enables networks with computers at remote locations to conserve bandwidth by storing frequently accessed files on local drives.
