Implementing and Conducting Administration of Resources

FILE SYSTEMS    

Windows XP support the following file systems:

FAT   

Disks formatted with the FAT file system can be accessed by MS-DOS, all versions of Windows, and OS/2. The maximum supported volume size is 4 GB, the maximum file size is 2 GB.

This file system should only be used on removable media such as floppy disks and hard disks smaller than 512 MB.
FAT32    

The faster file system FAT32, is often used in multi-boot situations with operating systems that do not support NTFS. Disks formatted with the FAT32 file system are supported by

Windows 95 OSR2, Windows 98 and ME, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. Windows NT 4 and earlier cannot access FAT32 volumes. The maximum supported volume size for FAT32 is 2 TB, but

Windows XP can format up to 32 GB only. The maximum file size is 4 GB. The minimum size for a FAT32 volume is 512 MB. You cannot format removable media such as floppy disks with

FAT32.
NTFS    

Disks formatted with NTFS version 5 can only be accessed by Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 4 or higher, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. NTFS supports a volume size over 2 TB and

the maximum file size is limited only by the available free space. You cannot format removable media such as floppy disks with NTFS. Besides being able to handle large disks,

NTFS is the preferred file system for Windows 2000 and XP because of the extra features it offers, including:
- File and folder permissions – (discussed below)
- File and folder compression – (discussed below)
- Encrypted File System (EFS) – (see EFS TechNotes)
- Disk Quotas – Allows quotas to be assigned to users for disk space usages per volume. Quotas are only available on NTFS volumes and can be enabled and configured on the Quota

tab on a volume’s Properties sheet.
CDFS   
This is the file system used on compact discs. You cannot format regular disks with this file system.
Converting File Systems 

You can convert FAT file systems to NTFS using the following command: convert c: /fs:ntfs
The convert utility cannot be used to convert from NTFS to another file system. For example if you converted a FAT32 partition to NTFS and you want to revert it back to FAT32,

you will have to create a full backup, reformat the drive with FAT32, and restore the backup.
FILE AND FOLDER COMPRESSION    

NTFS Compression    

NTFS Compression allows compression of individual files and folders, as well as entire NTFS drives. The process of compression and decompression is transparent to the user. For example, when a user opens a document from a NTFS compressed disk, the document is decompressed automatically, when the user saves the document it is compressed again. This

process might decrease your computer’s performance; it’s best to compress static data and only if it really saves space, you don’t want to waste CPU cycles compressing a ZIP

file for example. An NTFS-compressed file cannot be encrypted, and an encrypted file cannot be compressed. If you do enable compression for an encrypted file, the file will lose

it’s encryption attribute before it is compressed.

You can enable compression for a volume when you format it. To enable compression on an existing volume, right-click it and choose Properties from the context menu, on the

General tab enable the option Compress drive to save disk space. To compress a file or folder, right-click it and choose Properties from the context menu, click the Advanced

button and below Compress and Encrypt attributes enable the option Compress contents to save disk space. When you enable compression on a folder or volume, Windows will ask if

you want to enable compression for all the files and subfolders in the folder or volume as well. Besides using Windows Exporer, you can also use the command compact to compress

or decompress a file or folder.

When you copy a compressed file to a folder on the same, or a different volume, it inherits the compression state of the target folder. This works also vice versa; when you copy

an uncompressed file to a folder with compression enabled, the file will inherit the the target’s compression state and thus it will be compressed.

When you move a compressed file to a folder without compression on the same volume, the file retains its compression attribute. When data is moved within the same volume, the data is not actually relocated, just the pointer to it, this is why it retains the compression attribute. When you move a compressed file to a folder without compression on a different NTFS volume, the file inherits the compression state of the target folder. If the target is not compressed, or is a FAT or floppy disk, the file will be uncompressed.

A move between volumes is actually considered a copy; after the source file is copied to the target volume the source file is deleted.

By default, compressed files and folders are displayed in a different color, you can change this by choosing Folder Options in the Tools menu of My Computer/Windows Explorer.

Click on the View tab and enable the option: Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in color.
Compressed (zipped) Folders   

A new feature introduced in Windows XP is Compressed Folders. These are ZIP files that can be used like regular folders, with some limitations and some advantages. The main limitation is that many programs can’t be run directly from the ZIP file because they might depend on files outside the Compressed Folder. Also you cannot save files to a compressed folder (zip file), you have to use drag and drop or copy and paste. Some advantages of Compressed (zipped) Folders are that they can easily be transported on removable media and the Internet, they can be used on FAT partitions, and they can be protected with a password. Compressed Folders are not available on Windows XP 64-Bit Edition.

The easiest way to create a Compressed Folder is by right-clicking the desktop, point to New, and then select Compressed (zipped) Folder. You can also use the File menu in My Computer. A Compressed Folder is represented by a Folder icon with a zipper.
NTFS FILE PERMISSIONS    

One of the main reasons to use NTFS is the possibility to assign permissions for individual files and folders. Each file and folder on an NTFS volume contains an Access Control List (ACL). This list is filled with entries for groups and individual user accounts and their corresponding permissions. When a user tries to access a resource, Windows XP checks the ACL if the user is listed and what level of permission is assigned.

The following permissions can be assigned for files and folders:

Read  Allows user read files and list the contents of folders, subfolders and volumes, including the attributes, permissions and ownership of the files.
Write Allows the same as Read and additionally allows the user to modify and create files and (sub-)folders as well as changing attributes.
Read and Execute Allows the same as Read and additionally allows users to run applications.
Modify  Same as Read plus Write and and additionally allows executing applications as well.
Full Control Allows everything permitted by the other permissions and and additionally a user with Full Control can change permissions and take ownership of file. 

For folders only, the following additional permission can be assigned:

List Contents  Allows user to read files and list the contents of folders and volumes, user with this permissions can only see the files and folders, not read or change them.

To assign NTFS permissions in Windows Explorer/My Computer, right-click a file, folder, or drive, and click Properties and then the Security tab. If your computer is not a member of a domain, you have to disable the option Use simple file sharing on the View tab of Folder Options before you can see the Security tab.

Under Group or user names: on the Security tab, select or add a group or user, and allow or deny one of the permissions listed in the table above. Denying permissions is usually only done to make an exception, for example, you could allow Modify permission for the Sales group and deny the same permission for certain user account in the Sales group.
 

When you share a folder, you can set a User limit to set a maximum amount of users that can connect to the share simultaneously.

There are three different share permissions that can be assigned to groups and individual user accounts. These permissions apply only when connecting to the share over the network. The share permissions do not apply to users who log on to the local machine. If you want local security use NTFS file and folder permissions.

Share permissions:
Read Allows user to read files and list the contents of folders and volumes. This allows executing applications as well.
Change Allows the same as Read and allows the user to modify and create files and folders.
Full Control
 Allows the same as Change and allows the user to modify Share permissions as well.

When you set permissions you can either Allow or Deny them to a user or group. Typically you would allow a group share permissions and deny the same permissions to certain members of that group. The default permissions for new shares is Read to Everyone.

When you combine NTFS permissions and share permissions the most restrictive permission counts. For example, if you create a folder with files and assign them Full Control NTFS permissions to Everyone and share the same folder and assign the share permission Read to Everyone, users connecting through the network will have Read permissions.

To assign share permissions in Windows Explorer/My Computer right-click the folder or drive, and then click Properties and then the Permissions button on the Sharing tab. Under Group or user names: select or add a group or user, and allow or deny one of the permissions listed in the table above.

By default, Windows XP creates several hidden administrative shares:

Share Purpose
Admin$ This is the system root, usually C:\Windows, Administrators are assigned Full Control share permissions.
Print$ This is the %systemroot%\System32\Spool\Drivers folder, this folder is created when printers are shared to allow clients to automatically download the printer drivers. Administrators and Power users are assigned Full Control share permissions, Everyone is assigned Read permission.
C$, D$, E$, etc.
 Each volume on a hard disk is shared. to provide easy access of the entire volume to Administrators. Administrators are assigned Full Control share permissions.

You can also create hidden shares yourself by adding a $ sign to the end of the share’s name.

Users can connect to a share in several ways, for example:
1. Using My Network Places/Windows Explorer you can browse to the share or use the Add Network Place wizard.
2. Using a direct UNC path, for example: //FileServer12/ShareX
3. Using My Network Places/Windows Explorer or the net use command to map a drive letter to a share.

Offline Files     

Offline Folder allows user to cache the contents of a share and make it available offline, so they can access the files and some programs, even when they are not connected to the network. To allow a shared folder to be cached offline, in Windows Explorer/My Computer right-click the folder or drive, click Properties and then the Caching button on the Sharing tab.

If you enable the option Allow caching of files in this shared folder you can choose one of the following three settings:

Manual caching of documents This is the the default setting when you enable caching. Users will be able to manually select the files they want to make available offline.
Automatic caching of documents Each file that is opened from this share will automatically be copied to the Offline Files folder.
Automatic caching of programs and documents
 This setting allows caching of files that are read-only such as program files.
To enable and configure the Offline Files feature on a client computer, from the Tools menu in My Computer choose Folder Options and click the Offline Files tab. Here you can disable/enable Offline Files, configure synchronization at logon and/or logoff, enable encryption for all offline files, and set the maximum amount of disk space used for offline files (default is 10% of drive space). When you click the Advanced button, you can also view and delete the offline files, and configure what action should be taken when the network connection is lost.

Before files are actually cached on your client, you need to select the shares you wish to make available offline. You can do this simply by right-clicking a drive mapping, and choosing Make available offline.

 Printing
Covers Windows XP local and network printing. Creating, configuring, sharing, securing and connecting to printers.

 Desktop Environment
Covers User Profiles, multiple langauges and locations, local settings and Windows Installer packages.

 Storage
Covers storage types, dynamic and basic, spanning, striping, removable media and disk management tasks.

 Backup, Restore, Repair, and Recover
Covers Backup, Restore, System State Data, ASR, System Restore, Safe Mode, Last Know Good, Device Driver Roll Back and more.

 Devices and Drivers
Covers Device Manager, display devices, ACPI, driver signing, multi-processor configuration, and installing various I/O devices.

 Introduction to ADS
Covers Windows 2000 Active Directory basics and terminology.

 Remote Assistance and Remote Dekstop
Covers Remote Assitance and Remote Dekstop, invitations, offers and troubleshooting.

 Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) and Internet Connection Firewall (ICF)
Covers Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) and Internet Connection Firewall (ICF).

 Internet Information Services (IIS)
Covers Internet Internet Information services, home directories, virtual directories, web sharing, permissions and troubleshooting.

 Encrypted Files System (EFS)
Covers Encrypted File System (EFS), Recovery Agents, and CIPHER command.

 Auditing *NEW*
Covers local Audit Policy and Event Viewer’s security log configuration.

 Performance *NEW*
Covers memory, processor, disk, and application performance, Task Manager, System Monitor and Performance Logs and Alerts, Disk Defragmenter, Scheduled Tasks, and Visual Effects.

 Local User and Group Accounts *NEW*
Covers Local Users and Groups, account settings, account policies, and user rights assignment.

 Internet Explorer *NEW*
Covers Internet explorer security settings and access to resources. 

This is from http://www.techexams.net/technotes/xp/administration.shtml

                                   

Several weeks ago，we once talked about the 70-270 preparation guide. From that post, we have known some useful information such as the number of MCSE 70-270 questions, how to choose best practice tests or exam or other exam materials, passing or total scores and so on. Obviously, it is not enough for us to grasp XP technologies such as Install, Configure, and Administer Microsoft Windows XP Professional, and so on. To help us get MCSE/MCSA on server 2003 in high rate, here we will share our 70-270 Xp Exam TechNotes(1) for free.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Before you install Windows XP Professional you should ensure that your hardware meets the system requirements. These may vary based on your system configuration, click here for more details and the complete system requirements listed at Microsoft.com
  CPU Minimum required: 233 MHz
Recommended: 300 Mhz or higher processor
Supports Dual-processor.
RAM 64 MB minimum supported
128 MB or higher recommended
4 GB maximum supported
Disk space 1.5 gigabytes (GB) of available hard disk space
Other
requirements  – SVGA (800×600 or higher) display adapter and monitor
- CD-ROM or DVD drive
- Keyboard and mouse or compatible pointing device

HCL

You should also ensure that you hardware is listed in the Hardware Compatibility List, You can download the HCL in text file format here. When not all your hardware is on the HCL it does not necessarily mean you cannot use it with Windows XP, check the vendor’s web site if they have a XP driver for their device.

THE INSTALLATION     Back to top

A typical installation of Windows XP Professional from a CD-ROM consists of 4 stages described below:

1. Starting Setup

If your computer is able to boot from CD-ROM, the easiest way to start setup is to boot from the Windows XP Professional installation CD. During this stage, which is also known as the text-based portion of setup, a mini Windows XP is loaded on the target computer and starts the setup program. After accepting the license agreement, setup prompts you to create or choose a partition where Windows XP should be installed. If you choose to create a new partition setup formats the new partition as either FAT32 or NTFS, depending on your choice.

If the target computer is not able to boot from CD-ROM, or you want more control over the setup process and parameters, you can start setup manually using winnt32.exe or winnt.exe, both described below.

Winnt32.exe

Performs an installation of, or upgrade to Windows XP. You can run winnt32.exe on Windows 9x, ME, NT, 2000, or XP. The following table lists and describes the available command-line parameters for the winnt32.exe command:

Parameter Purpose
/checkupgradeonly Checks your computer for upgrade compatibility with Windows XP. You can save the results in a file, upgrade.txt in the system root by default.
/cmd:command_line  Instructs Setup to carry out a specific command before the final phase of Setup. This would occur after your computer has restarted and after Setup has collected the necessary configuration information, but before Setup is complete.
/cmdcons Adds the Recovery Console to the startup options. This option can only be used when Windows XP is already installed.
/copydir:{i386|I64}\FolderName Creates an additional folder within the folder in which the Windows XP files are installed. For example use /copydir:i386\corpdrivers to have Setup copy that folder to your newly installed computer, making the new folder location systemroot\corpdrivers. Use /copydir multiple times to create additional folders.
/copysource:FolderName  Creates a temporary additional folder within the folder in which the Windows XP files are installed and is deleted after Setup completes. For example use /copysource:corpdrivers to have Setup copy that folder to your newly installed computer, making the temporary folder location systemroot\corpdrivers. Use /copysource multiple times to create additional folders.
/debug[Level]:[FileName]  Creates a debug log at the level specified, for example, /debug4:InstDbg.log. The default log file is C:\systemroot\Winnt32.log, and the default debug level is 2. Level 0 represents severe errors, 1 errors, 2 warnings, 3 information, and 4 detailed information for debugging.
/dudisable Discussed below in "Post-installation Updates"
/duprepare:pathname Discussed below in "Post-installation Updates" 
/dushare:pathname  Discussed below in "Post-installation Updates"
/m:FolderName Instructs Setup to look for installation files in this alternate location first, instead of using the files from the default location.
/makelocalsource Instructs Setup to copy all installation source files to your local hard disk.
/noreboot  Instructs Setup to not restart the computer after the file copy phase of Setup is completed so that you can run another command.
/s:SourcePath  Specifies the source location of the Windows XP files. You can copy files simultaneously from multiple servers, by using the /s:SourcePath option multiple times (up to a maximum of eight) to specify different source servers.
/syspart:DriveLetter Copies Setup startup files to the hard disk and marks the disk as active. This disk can then be installed into another computer. When you start that computer, it automatically starts with the next phase of Setup. You must always use the /tempdrive parameter with the /syspart parameter. You can start Winnt32 with the /syspart option on an x86-based computer running Windows NT 4.0, 2000, or XP.
/tempdrive:DriveLetter  Specifies a drive letter to place temporary files. (note: for a clean installation, Windows XP will also be installed on the specified partition.)
/unattend[num]:[answer_file] Specifies an answer file for unattended installations, discussed in detail below in "unattended installations"
Num is the number of seconds between the time that Setup finishes copying the files and when it restarts your computer. 
/unattend Discussed below in "unattended installation"
/udf:id [,UDB_file] Specifies an UDB file for unattended installations
Discussed below in "unattended installations"

Winnt.exe

Performs an installation of Windows XP. If your hardware is compatible with Windows XP, you can run winnt.exe at a Windows 3.x or MS-DOS command prompt. The following table lists and describes the available command-line parameters for the winnt.exe command:

Parameter Purpose
/s:SourcePath Specifies the source location of the Windows XP files. The location must be a full path of the form x:\[Path] or \\server\share[\Path]. 
/t:TempDrive  Directs Setup to place temporary files on the specified drive and to install Windows XP on that drive. If you do not specify a location, Setup attempts to locate a drive for you. 
/u:answer file  Discussed below in "unattended installation"
/udf:ID [,UDB_file]  Discussed below in "unattended installation"
/r:folder  Specifies an optional folder to be installed. The folder remains after Setup finishes.
/rx:folder  Specifies an optional folder to be copied. The folder is deleted after Setup finishes.
/e:command  Specifies a command to be carried out just before the final phase of Setup.
/a  Enables accessibility options.
/? Displays the parameters listed above.

2. Setup Wizard

When the first stage of the installation completed, the computer reboots and the GUI portion, known as the Setup Wizard, will start. This will prompt you for regional settings to customize keyboard, language, and locale settings. Information such as your name and organization, the Computer name, Administrator password and time and date is also entered during this stage.

3. Installing Network components

The next stage is Installing Network components, which includes detecting the network interface card. You must also choose to join a Domain or Workgroup during this stage. Typically the following components are installed:
- Client for Microsoft Networks
- File and Print Sharing for Microsoft Networks
- Qos Packet Scheduler
- TCP/IP protocol suite.

4. Completing the installation

During this final stage Setup copies the remaining files, configures the computer, saves the settings, removes temporary installation files, and restarts the computer

UNATTANTED INSTALLATIONS

There are several ways to perform an unattended installation of Windows XP. Unattended means Setup will not require any user input during the installation, although in practice this is not always the case. But it allows you to install multiple computers without actually sitting in front of them.

Setup Manager

The Setup Manager (setupmgr.exe) can be used primarily to create or modify answer files. When you start the Setup Manager, a wizard will take you through all the steps involved, similar to going through a regular Setup. Although answer files can be created manually using a simple text editor, the Setup Manager provides a graphical interface allowing you to easily create complex answer files. For example, answer files with additional commands that run other installation and configuration scripts when Setup is finished. Besides creating the default unattend.txt answer files, you can also use the Setup Manager to create answer files for Sysprep and RIS installations. When a regular unattend.txt answer file is created you can also have Setup Manager create a distribution folder with the installation files. Additional files (applications, drivers, etc.) can be installed in the same folder.
The Setupmgr.exe file must be extracted from the DEPLOY.CAB file located in the \Support\Tools folder on the XP installation CD. Before you enter the the information (the answers) you would normally enter during the installation process, you have to select the User Interaction Level. You can choose from 5 different options:

Provide Defaults
During the installation the user will see the answers provided in the answer file as defaults, the user can accept or change them.

Fully Automated
Fully automated installation.

Hide Pages
During the installation the user will see the answers provided in the answer file as defaults. Pages which answers are completely provided by the answer file are hidden, the user cannot accept or change those.

Read Only
During the installation the user will see the answers provided in the answer file as defaults, but cannot change them.

GUI Attended
This automates only the text-based stage of the installation, the user will have to enter the answers starting from the Setup Wizard.

At some point during the wizard, you need to provide the computer name. If you specify multiple names, Setup Manager will also create Uniqueness Database (UDB) files. The computer or user specific values in these .udf files can be used to override the values provided in the answer file.
If you want to perform an unattended installation from the command prompt on Windows 98, ME, NT, 2000, or XP, use Winnt32.exe, otherwise use winnt.exe. For example to perform an unattended installation on a computer named XPclient1, using unattend.txt as the answer file, and overriding some of the answers with XPclient1 specific values in the unnattend.udf file use the following command:
winnt32 /unattend:unattend.txt /udf:XPclient1,unattend.udf
or
winnt /u:unattend.txt /udf:XPclient1,unattend.udf
You can also use the /unattend parameter without specifying an answer file to upgrade Windows 98, ME, NT 4.0, or 2000 in unattended mode and take all user settings from the ‘previous’ installation. If you use the /udf parameter and do not specify an UDB_file, Setup will prompt to insert a disk that contains the $Unique$.udb file.
When you want to perform an unattended installation by booting from a CD-ROM, you need to rename the answer file to winnt.sif (default is unnattend.txt) and copy it to a floppy disk. When Setup starts, it looks for the winnt.sif file on the floppy disk and uses it to provide the answer during the unattended installation.
Using answer files in combination with winnt32, winnt, or the CD rom/winnt.sif combination is used for standardized deployment of Windows XP Professional in situations where the target clients have many different hardware configurations. If the target clients all have the same or very similar hardware and configuration, RIS or disk duplexing is usually faster to deploy Windows XP to a large number of clients.
Here’s a sample part of an answer file:
[Data]
UnattendedInstall=Yes
MSDosInitiated=No
AutoPartition=1
[Unattended]
UnattendMode = FullUnattended
TargetPath = WinXPpro
FileSystem = LeaveAlone
OemPreinstall = No
OemSkipEula = Yes

[GuiUnattended]
TimeZone = "YourTimeZone"
OemSkipWelcome = 1
OemSkipRegional = 1

[UserData]
ComputerName = *
ProductKey = "Your product key"
[SetupMgr]
ComputerName0=XPclient1
ComputerName1=XPclient2
[Display]
BitsPerPel = 16
XResolution = 800
YResolution = 600
VRefresh = 60

[Components]
iis_common = On
iis_inetmgr = Off
iis_www = Off
iis_ftp = Off
iis_doc = Off
Fp_extensions = On
Indexsrv_system = On
Accessopt = On
Calc = On
Charmap = On
Chat = Off
Clipbook = On
Deskpaper = On
Dialer = On

[TapiLocation]
CountryCode = "1"
Dialing = Pulse
AreaCode = "Your telephone area code"
LongDistanceAccess = 9

[Networking]
InstallDefaultComponents=Yes

[Identification]
JoinDomain = TEcorp.net
DomainAdmin = Administrator
DomainAdminPassword = XEkdf7834H

[URL]
Home_Page = http://www.techexams.net
Search_Page = http://www.google.com
Quick_Link_1 = http://www.techexams.net

[Proxy]
HTTP_Proxy_Server = proxysrv12:80
Use_Same_Proxy = 1
[GuiRunOnce]
Command0=c:\task1.bat

Here’s an example of a simple .udf file, which can be used in combination with the answer file above:
;SetupMgrTag
[UniqueIds]
    1=UserData
    2=UserData
[1:UserData]
    ComputerName=xpclient1
[2:UserData]
    ComputerName=xpclient2

System Preparation Tool

The System Preparation Tool (sysprep.exe) is used to assist in performing a large deployment of Windows XP on clients with identical hardware configurations. This process is fairly simple:
First Windows XP Professional is installed and completely configured on a master disk. Next, an image of the client is created using sysprep.exe (remember that only a single partition can be imaged). This image can be duplicated to other disks using third-party disk duplication software. A duplicate of the master disk is placed in a target machine, and when this computer boots a mini-setup will be performed and a new SID is generated. You can use the Setup Manager Wizard to create a mini-answer file named sysprep.inf. This file must be placed in the Sysprep folder on the root where Windows is installed or saved to a floppy disk, and inserted at the beginning of Mini-Setup. (Click here for more information about using Sysprep with sysprep.inf.)
The Sysprep.exe file must be extracted from the DEPLOY.CAB file located in the \Support\Tools folder on the XP installation CD and supports the following parameters:

Parameter
Purpose

pnp
force Plug and Play enumeration on next restart

quiet
run in Silent mode, with no dialog boxes

nosidgen
do not regenerate security ID on restart (this is useful for creating a backup image of a client)

reboot
automatically restart when the Sysprep.exe tool is finished

mini
Configures Windows XP Professional to use Mini-Setup instead of Windows Welcome. This option has no effect on Windows XP Home Edition, where the first-run experience is always Windows Welcome. This switch also forces SysPrep to recognize the Sysprep.inf file.

Remote Installation Services (RIS)

One of the best additions to Windows introduced in Windows 2000 is RIS. This service allows you to push automate remote installations of Windows 2000 Professional and Windows XP Professional clients.
First Windows XP Professional is installed and configured on a client, including software applications and other settings. Next, an image of the client is created using riprep.exe ( only a single partition can be imaged). The riprep.exe command offers the same parameters as the sysprep.exe tool described earlier. The image is stored on the RIS server. When a target client’s boot order is set to "boot from network" (in the BIOS) it receives basic IP addressing info and a mini-Setup (Client Installation Wizard) starts. Again the answers to this mini-setup can be provided by a special answer file created with Setup Manager. (Click here for more information about using answer files and RIS).
Instead of creating a new preconfigured RIS image, you can also use the default CD-ROM based image. There must be at least one Windows XP CD-ROM based image to allow target clients to request additional installation files if needed.
There are a couple of things you need in a network to be able to install RIS and perform remote installations.
Network in which clients are installed needs:
- a DHCP server
- Active Directory
- a DNS server
Target clients:
Besides enough available disk space for Windows XP and temporary installation files the target clients must have a Network Interface Card equipped with PXE Boot Rom version .99c or greater. If Pre-boot Execution Environment (PXE) is not supported use rbfg.exe (located in the \remoteinstall\admin\i386 folder on the Windows 2000 RIS server) to create a remote boot floppy.
Users:
The user used to perform RIS installations needs the right Create Computer Objects in Active Directory.
Click here for more detailed information in the chapter RIS in the Windows XP Resource Kit.
UPGRADING TO WINDOWS XP
Windows 98, ME, NT 4 Workstation, 2000 Professional can be directly upgraded to Windows XP Professional. If you want to upgrade from Windows 95 you need to upgrade to Windows 98 first, and if you want to upgrade from Windows NT 3.x you need to upgrade to Windows NT 4 first.
Run winnt32.exe with the /checkupgrade only parameter to check if the target machine meets the minimum system requirements. You can save the results in a file, upgrade.txt in the system root by default.
There are several ways to address problems with applications that do not run properly after the upgrade:
- Reinstall the applications after the upgrade.
- Use migration dynamic-link libraries (DLLs)
- Run the application in Compatibility Mode by right-clicking the application, selecting Properties, and then clicking the Compatibility tab.

MIGRATING USER ENVIRONMENTS

Files and Settings Transfer Wizard
This tool allows users who with a new computer to migrate their own files and settings by using a direct cable connection or the network and without the support of an admin. When you run the wizard you’ll have to choose the transportation method, which can be removable media, a direct serial cable connection or the network. Then you can customize which settings and files are included in the migration. This includes display settings, Internet Explorer and Outlook setting, and regional settings.
User State Management Tool (USMT)
The User State Management Tool (USMT) provides the same functionality as the wizard, but on a large scale, targeted at migrating multiple users. USMT gives administrators command line precision in customizing specific settings such as unique modifications to the registry. The User State Migration Tool consists of two executable files, ScanState.exe, LoadState.exe, and four migration rule information files Migapp.inf, Migsys.inf, Miguser.inf, and Sysfiles.inf. These files are located on the Windows XP CD in the \valueadd\msft\usmt\ folder.
A user can run Scanstate.exe on a Windows 95, 98, NT Workstation 4.0, or 2000 Professional computer and it will collect the data and settings based on the information in the migration rule .inf files mentioned above. A local admin can then run Loadstate.exe on the target Windows XP Professional computer to migrate the data and the settings.

POST-INSTALLATION UPDATES   

If you are performing an upgrade to Windows XP Professional on a computer with Internet connectivity, you can have setup uses Dynamic Update to check online for newer versions of the installation files. Instead of using the Internet for each installation, you can also place the updated files on a share in the network.

There are three related parameters for the winnt32.exe command:

/dudisable
Prevents Dynamic Update from running and will disable Dynamic Update even if you use an answer file and specify Dynamic Update options in that file. Setup will only use the original Setup files.

/duprepare:pathname
Prepares an installation share so that it can be used with Dynamic Update files that you downloaded from the Windows Update Web site. This share can then be used for installing Windows XP for multiple clients.

/dushare:pathname
Specifies a share on which you previously downloaded Dynamic Update files (updated files for use with Setup) from the Windows Update Web site, and on which you previously ran /duprepare:pathname. When used on a client, it specifies that the client installation will make use of the updated files on the share specified in pathname.

SERVICE PACKS    

Once in a while Microsoft releases a Service Pack; a combination of all previous updates and hot-fixes and some new ones. A service pack can be installed by using the command:
update.exe

To uninstall a service pack, change to the %systemroot%\$NtservicepackUninstall$\spuninst folder and type: spuninst.exe -u

ACTIVATING WINDOWS XP    

Windows XP introduces a new method to prevent piracy: if you don’t activate your copy of Windows online within 30 days you don’t you won’t be able to use it any longer. An Installation ID is created based on a hardware ID (based on several hardware components) and a Product ID (based on the Product Key) and is send to Microsoft. Replacing several hardware devices might require re-activation. MS does not know the actual hardware configuration, the information is encrypted using a on-way hash, which means it can’t be decrypted.
To activate Windows from the command-prompt type: C:\WINDOWS\system32\oobe>msoobe /a

To activate Windows XP unattended installations, add the following information to the Unattend.txt or Winnt.sif answer file:
In the [Unattended] section: AutoActivate = Yes
In the [UserData] section: ProductID = yourProductID

Windows Product Activation uses ports 80 – HTTP and 443 – HTTPS.

TROUBLESHOOTING INSTALLATIONS    

Installations of Windows XP Professional can fail partly or completely for many different reasons. Some common causes and possible solutions are listed in the following table:

Media errors Check/clean the CD-ROM drive and the installation CD.
Dependency service fails to start This is almost always network related.
SCSI disk not detected Install the drivers by pressing F6 during the text mode portion of setup.

Windows Setup creates several log files during the installation listed in the following table:

SETUPACT.LOG Keeps a record of all actions performed during setup.
SETUPERR.LOG Keeps a record of errors that occurred during setup and their severity. The information in this file will be displayed at the end of setup if any errors occurred.
%windir%\COMSETUP.LOG COM+ components
%windir%\SETUPAPI.LOG Keeps a record of each processed line from an .inf file and related errors. 
%windir%\debug\NETSETUP.LOG Logs the process of joining a domain or workgroup.

This is from http://www.techexams.net/technotes/xp/installing.shtml