Customizing the Boot Sequence and System-Behavior Parameters

Customizing the Boot Sequence and System-Behavior Parameters Most Windows operating systems automatically configure the default boot sequence.
Nội dung trích xuất từ tài liệu:
Customizing the Boot Sequence and System-Behavior ParametersCustomizing the Boot Sequence and System-Behavior ParametersMost Windows operating systems automatically configure the default boot sequence.However, there are many users who may need to modify this. For example, if you have amulti-boot system, you may need to change the default operating system. Sometimes youmay need to increase the default interval when the boot menu is displayed, add customlogo files and so forth. Here, well discuss some methods for customizing the bootsequence. These methods arent complicated, and any system administrator, supportspecialist, or advanced user should be familiar with them.A detailed description of all of the processes that take place when Windows NT-basedsystems, including Windows 2000/XP and products of the Windows Server 2003 familyare booting, is provided in Chapter 6. You will also find information on the role of thesystem registry in the boot process there.To customize the boot sequence of any Windows NT-based system, you simply need toedit a single INI file: Boot.ini. This file, which is necessary for the OS to boot, resides inthe root directory of the system partition. Because of this, it has the Hidden, System, andRead-only attributes set. This means that Windows Explorer does not display this file bydefault.To be able to view this and other protected files protected files using Windows Explorer,log in to the local system as an Administrator. Start the Folder Options applet in ControlPanel or select the Folder Options command from the Tools menu in Windows Exploreror My Computer. The dialog shown in Fig. 4.1 will open. Go to the View tab, and thengo the Advanced Settings field. Select the Show hidden files and folders option andclear the Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) checkbox.Figure 4.1: The View tab of the Folder Options WindowModifying the Boot Sequence and System Behavior via the User InterfaceIf you are an experienced Windows NT/2000 administrator, you are already accustomedto the Boot.ini file format and can edit it manually using any text editor. More detailedinformation on the Boot.ini file format will be provided later in this chapter. For anadvanced user, manual editing of this file wont be difficult. However, for a beginner, theeasiest method of editing this file is to use the System applet located in Control Panel.This option allows you to specify the time interval for which the boot loader will displaythe boot menu, thus allowing you to select the operating system (for multi-boot systems).This option also allows you to specify the default operating system that will be loadedwhen this interval expires and you havent selected an option from the boot menu. Toconfigure these options in Windows NT 4.0, start the System applet from Control Panel,go to the StartupShutdown tab, and set the options you need using the System Startupoption group.Note Starting with Windows 2000, this capability has undergone significant changes. Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 introduce further enhancements. Let us consider these new features in more detail.Configuring the Error Reporting ServiceTo modify system behavior and the boot sequence, open the Control Panel window anddouble-click on the System icon. The System Properties window will open. Go to theAdvanced tab (Fig. 4.2).Figure 4.2: The Advanced tab of the System Properties windowA careful look at the Advanced tab of the System Properties window in WindowsXP/Windows Server 2003 reveals a particular enhancement that was first introduced withWindows XP - the so-called Error Reporting Options (notice the Error Reportingbutton located directly below the Startup and Recovery option group). The errorreporting function was designed by Microsoft in order to encourage users to helpdevelopers improve future versions of the operating system. Any time an error occurs,Windows XP/Windows Server 2003 displays a dialog prompting the user to let the OSautomatically generate an error report and send it to Microsoft (Fig. 4.3).Figure 4.3: A dialog prompting the user to create an error report and send it to MicrosoftThis option is enabled by default, but if you want to customize its settings or disable thefeature entirely, click the Error Reporting button. The Error Reporting window willappear (Fig. 4.4). In this window, you can specify the following options:Figure 4.4: The Error Reporting window (Windows Server 2003) Totally disable the Error Reporting service by selecting the Disable error reporting radio button. Notice that, even if you disable the Error Reporting service altogether, you can still enable an option that allows the service to inform you of serious errors (such as STOP errors, also known as Blue Screens of Death). To do this, select the But notify me when critical errors occur checkbox directly below the Disable error reporting radio button. Enable the Error Reporting service by selecting the Enable error reporting option. In this case, you can configure the service by specifying the types of errors about which the service must inform you. For example, if the Windows operating system checkbox is set, the service will report any problems with the Windows components running in kernel mode. To enable the reporting of errors for add-on programs, select the Programs checkbox. To further customize the program list, click the Choose Programs button to open the Choose Programs window (Fig. 4.5). In this window, you can change the default reporting mode by creating a custom lists of programs to be included in or excluded from error reporting.Figure 4.5: The Choose Programs windowNote In comparison to Windows XP, the Error Reporting service in Windows Server 2003 has been enhanced further and provide ...