Windows System Administration: Users, Storage, and Processes Configuration

Windows User Groups Management

All users must belong to a group.

A group is an administrative entity that can include a set of users and even other groups. All privileges granted to that group in the system are inherited directly by the users or groups who depend on it.

Standard Windows User Groups

• Administrators: Possesses full administrative rights.
• Duplicates: This group may relate to managing duplicate files within a domain.
• Guests: Users with temporary or restricted access.
• Network Configuration Operators: Can manage network settings.
• Backup Operators: Can back up and restore files on the system.
• Members: Users belong to this group by default (often synonymous with the standard Users group).
• Users: Standard users who can install and uninstall applications (depending on permissions).
• Remote Desktop Users: Allowed to log on remotely.

A group can be removed, but its members do not disappear.

Practice 3: Creating and Managing Groups

Create a new group and add previously created users as members.

Configuring Startup and Shutdown Settings

When Windows is installed, it prompts for a user name, and Windows starts using that user by default.

To change the startup and session termination settings, navigate to the Control Panel, then User Accounts. Here, options appear to change the way users log on and log off. The control userpasswords2 command can also be used to access these settings directly.

Lesson 4: Changing the Login Form

Modify the default login behavior for users.

Storage Device Management (Disk Manager)

Access Disk Manager via Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management.

Lesson 5: Managing Storage Space

Key actions available in Disk Manager:

• Open
• Explore
• Mark Partition as Active
• Change Drive Letter and Paths
• Format
• Delete Partition
• Properties and Help

In Windows 7 and Vista, Disk Manager also allows you to extend volume and shrink volume.

System Process Management (Task Manager)

The Task Manager is accessed by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del or Ctrl + Shift + Esc.

It can also be accessed by right-clicking the taskbar and selecting Task Manager.

Lesson 6: Task Manager Functions

If you click on an application (e.g., Word), the following options are displayed when right-clicking:

• Switch To: Brings the application window to the foreground.
• Bring to Front: Ensures the window is visible above others.
• View: Used to arrange windows or launched processes.
• End Task: Terminates the application thread gracefully.
• Create Dump File: (Available in Vista and Windows 7/later) Saves the state of a process at a specific time for debugging.
• Go to Process: Displays the associated process running in the Processes tab.
• Open File Location: Navigates to the folder containing the executable file.
• End Process: Terminates the process unconditionally (force close).
• End Process Tree: Terminates the selected process and all processes launched by it.
• Properties
• Go to Service(s): Accesses the Services screen within Task Manager to view services required by the program.
• Set Priority: Allows changing the CPU priority level of the process.

Managing Windows Services

Services are programs that run continuously in the background, such as printing services.

Services can be accessed via Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services, or by running services.msc.

Practice 7: Start, Stop, and Configure Services

For a service, you can start, stop, pause, resume, or restart it, and view its properties.

Startup Type: Options include Automatic, Manual, or Disabled.

Service Status Demonstration: If we stop the Print Spooler service, attempting to add a new printer will fail until the service is reactivated.

Note that in the Dependencies tab, stopping the Print Spooler service may also stop dependent services, such as the Fax service.