CompTIA A_ Certification All-In-One Exam Guide, Seventh Edition - Michael Meyers [280]
Figure 17-12 The Windows Vista System Configuration utility
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EXAM TIP You should remember that you can configure the System Configuration utility with startup selections for troubleshooting. After using the System Configuration utility to change your startup programs, you can choose Normal startup to load all drivers and services. A Diagnostic startup loads basic services only, and a Selective startup enables you to select which system services and startup items to load on startup.
Optimizing Windows
Maintenance is about keeping Windows’ performance from degrading with time and use. Of course, you don’t just want to keep trouble at bay—you want to make your systems better, stronger, faster! Anything you do that makes Windows better than it was before, such as adding a piece of software or hardware to make something run better, is an optimization.
Installing and Removing Software
Probably the most common optimization performed on any PC is adding and removing applications. Installing and removing software is part of the normal life of any PC. Each time you add or remove software, you are making changes and decisions that can affect the system beyond whatever the program does, so it pays to know how to do it right.
System Information
Windows comes with a handy built-in utility known as the System Information tool (Figure 17-13) that collects information about hardware resources, components, and the software environment. When it finishes doing that, it provides a nice and tidy little report, enabling you to troubleshoot and diagnose any issues and conflicts. As with many other tools you can access from the Start | Run or Start | Start Search dialog box, the CompTIA A+ exams refer to System Information by its executable, MSINFO32.
Figure 17-13 System Information
You can start System Information in one of the following ways:
Choose Start | Programs or All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Information.
In Windows XP, click Start, click Run, and then type msinfo32 and click OK. In Windows Vista, open the Start Search box, type msinfo32, and press ENTER.
It is also important to note that you can use System Information to gather information about remote computers by selecting View | Remote Computer and then entering the remote computer’s network machine name. Under Tools, you even get quick access to System Restore and the DirectX Diagnostic Tool, a tool for checking your video card that Chapter 19, “Video,” discusses.
Installing Software
Most application programs are distributed on optical discs (although this is slowly changing). Windows supports Autorun, a feature that enables the operating system to look for and read a special file called—wait for it—autorun.inf. Immediately after a removable media device (optical disc or thumb drive) is inserted into your computer, whatever program is listed in autorun.inf runs automatically. Most application programs distributed on removable media have an autorun file that calls up the installation program.
Sometimes, however, you need to institute the installation sequence yourself. Perhaps the installation disc lacks an Autorun installation program, or perhaps Windows is configured so that you must start programs on optical discs manually. In some cases, a disc may contain more than one program, and you must choose which of them to install. Regardless of the reason, beginning the installation manually is a simple and straightforward process of using the Add or Remove Programs applet in the Control Panel in Windows XP. Windows 2000 calls the applet Add/Remove Programs. Click the Add New Programs button (Figure 17-14), follow the prompts, and provide the media or location of the files. In Windows Vista and 7, Microsoft has replaced the Add or Remove Programs applet with Programs and Features,