Windows NT FAQ

This FAQ is copyright © 1998 John Savill (SavillTech Ltd) and should not be reproduced, distributed or altered without my permission, however feel free to save it locally and/or print it. http://www.savilltech.com

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Contents

Core

Registry

Service Packs and Hotfixes

NT 5.0

File Systems

Distributed File System

Network

RAS

TCP/IP

DHCP

DNS

WINS

Exchange/Windows Messaging

Internet Information Server

Internet Explorer 4.0

Installation

License

Windows 95 as a client

NetWare

Macintosh

RAID

Performance and System Information

MultiMedia

User Configuration

System Configuration

System Policy

Security

Backup's

Recovery

Problem Solving

Support

Training

Utilities

Compatibility

Hardware

Batch Files

Various

Core

Q. What are the differences between NT Workstation and NT Server?

A. See table Below

  Workstation Server
Connection to other clients 10 Unlimited
Connection to other networks Unlimited Unlimited
Multiprocessing 2 CPUs 4 CPUs
RAS 1 connection 255 connections
Directory Replication Import Import and Export
Macintosh Services No Yes
Logon Validation No Yes
Disk Fault Tolerance No Yes
Network Peer-to-peer Server

Q. What does NT stand for?

A. New Technology. Its also interesting to note the heritage
RSX -> VMS -> ELN -> NT all major designs of David Cutler
Also VMS +1 letter = WNT (Windows NT) :-) (aka HAL and IBM in 2001)

Q. What is the NT Boot Process?

A. Firstly the files required for NT to boot are

The common Boot sequence files are

The boot sequence is as follows

  1. Power on self test (POST) routines are run
  2. Master Boot Record is loaded into memory, and the program is run
  3. The Boot Sector from Active Partition is Loaded into Memory
  4. Ntldr is loaded and initialized from the boot sector
  5. Change the processor from real mode to 32-bit flat memory mode
  6. Ntldr starts the appropriate minifile system drivers. Minifile system drivers are built into Ntldr and can read FAT or NTFS
  7. Ntldr reads the Boot.ini file
  8. Ntldr loads the operating system selected, on of two things happen
    * If Windows NT is selected, Ntldr runs Ntdetect.com
    * For other operating system, Ntldr loads and runs Bootsect.dos and passes control to it. The Windows NT process ends here
  9. Ntdetect.com scans the computer hardware and sends the list to Ntldr for inclusion in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE
  10. Ntldr then loads Ntoskrnl.exe, Hal.dll and the system hive
  11. Ntldr scans the System hive and loads the device drivers configured to start at boot time
  12. Ntldr passes control to Ntoskrnl.exe, at which point the boot process ends and the load phases begin

Q. When I boot up NT, it pauses for about 30 seconds on the blue screen.

A. Each dot represents one NT device driver, and sometimes if something is wrong with that driver the startup will be delayed. However there is a known problem with NT if your computer has one or more IDE disks and one or more SCSI disks which results in a pause of around 30 seconds. The problem is due to the detection code used by NT and is currently being investigated by Microsoft.

Q. What is Virtual Memory?

A. Virtual Memory makes up for the lack of RAM in computers by using space on the hard disk as memory, Virtual Memory. When the actual RAM fills up (actually its before the RAM fills) then virtual memory is created on the hard disk. When physical memory runs out, the Virtual Memory Manager chooses sections of memory that have not been recently used and are of low priority and writes them to the swap file. This process is hidden from applications, and applications views both virtual and actual memory as the same.

Each application that runs under Windows NT is given its own virtual address space of 4GB (2GB for the application, 2GB for the operating system).

The problem with Virtual Memory is that as it writes and reads to the hard disk, this is much slower than actual RAM. This is why if an NT system does not have enough memory it will run very slowly.

Q. What is the history of NT?

A. In the late 1980's the Windows environment was created to run on the Microsoft DOS operating system. Microsoft and IBM joined forces to create a DOS replacement that would run on the Intel platform that led to the creation of OS/2, and at the same time Microsoft was working on a more powerful operating system that would run on other processor platforms. The idea was that the new OS would be written in a high level language (such as C) so it would be more portable.

Microsoft hired Dave Cutler (who also designed Digital's VMS) to head the team for the New Technology Operating System (NT :-) ). Originally the new OS was to be called OS/2 NT.

In the early 1990's Microsoft released version 3.0 of its windows OS which gained a large user base, and it was at this point that Microsoft and IBM's split started as the two companies disagreed on the future of their OS's. IBM viewed Windows as a stepping stone to the superior OS/2, where as Microsoft wanted to expand Windows to compete with OS/2, so they split, IBM kept OS/2 and Microsoft change OS/2 NT to Windows NT.

The first version of Windows NT (3.1) was released in 1993 and had the same GUI as the normal Windows Operating System, however it was a pure 32 bit OS, but provided the ability to also run older DOS and Windows apps, as well as character mode OS/2 1.3 programs.

For a detailed history have a look at http://windowsnt.miningco.com

Q. How do I install the SYMBOL files?

A. Symbol files are produced by the linker when a program is built, and are used to resolve global variables and function names in an executable.

  1. Create a directory on your machine called SYMBOLS
    mkdir c:\winnt\symbols
  2. Copy over the symbols from the NT installation CD ROM
    xcopy <CD-ROM>:\Support\Debug\i386 c:\winnt\symbols /s
  3. If you have any service pack symbols you should extract these to the same directory, e.g. for Service Pack 2
    SYM_400I -d c:\winnt\symbols

For more information see Microsoft Knowledge Base article Q148659

Q. What is Windows NT?

A. Windows NT (both the Workstation and Server) is a 32-bit Operating System. It is a preemptive, multi-tasking Operating System, which means that the Operating System controls allocation of CPU time, not the applications, stopping one application from hanging the OS. NT supports multiple CPU's giving true Multi-tasking, using symmetrical multiprocessing, meaning the processors share all tasks, as opposed to asymmetrical multiprocessing, where the OS uses one CPU and the applications another. NT is also a Fault Tolerant Operating System, with each 32bit application operating in its own Virtual Memory address space (4 GigaBytes) which means one application cannot interfere with another's memory space.

Unlike earlier version of Windows (such as Windows for Workgroups and Windows 95), NT is a complete Operating System, and not an addition to DOS.

NT supports different CPU's: Intel x86, IBM PowerPC (Not to be supported for NT5.0) and DEC Alpha.

NT's other main plus is its Security with a special NT file system (NTFS) that allows permissions to be set on a file and directory basis.

Registry

Q. What is the Registry?

A. Originally there were .ini files in Windows, however the problem with .ini files are many, e.g. size limitations, no standard layout, slow access, no network support etc. Windows 3.1 (yes Windows not Windows NT) had a registry which was stored in reg.dat and could be viewed using regedit.exe and was used for DDE, OLE and File Manager integration. In Windows NT the Registry is at the heart of NT and is where nearly all information is stored, and is split into a number of subtrees, each starting with HKEY_ to indicate that it is a handle that can be used by a program.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE This contains information about the hardware configuration and installed software.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT This is just a link to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes and contains links between applications and file types as well as information about OLE.
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG Again this is a link to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Hardware Profiles\Current and contains information about the current configuration.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER This is a link to HKEY_USERS\<SID of User> and contains information about the currently logged on users such as environment, network connections, printers etc.
HKEY_USERS Contains information about actively loaded user profiles, including .default which is the default user profile.

Each of the subtrees has a number of keys, which in turn have a number of subkeys. Each key/subkey can have a number of values which has 3 parts

To edit the registry there are two tools available, regedt32.exe and regedit.exe.Regedit.exe has better search facilities, but does not support all of the Windows NT registry value types. If you want to just have a look around the Registry:

  1. Start a registry editor (regedit.exe or regedt32.exe)
  2. In Regedt32.exe you can set the registry to read only mode which means you won't corrupt anything :-) (Options - Read Only Mode)
  3. Select the HKEY_USERS subkey
  4. Move to the .default - Control Panel - Desktop and you will see a number of values in the right hand pane.
  5. One of them is wallpaper and this is the background that is displayed before you logon.

Q. What files make up the registry, and where are they?

A. The files that make up the registry are stored in %systemroot%/system32/config directory and consist of

There are also other files with different extensions for some of them

Q. How do I restrict access to the registry editor?

A. Using the registry editor (regedt32.exe)

  1. Highlight HKEY_USERS and Load Hive from the Registry menu.
  2. Browse to their profile directory and select NTUser.dat.
  3. When prompted for Key Name, input their UserID.
  4. Navigate to \Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies.
  5. If no System sub-key exists, Add Key. Then Add Value of DisableRegistryTools (under the System key) using type REG_DWORD and set it to 1.
  6. Unload Hive from the Registry menu.

Q. What is the maximum registry size?

A. The maximum size is 102MB, however it is slightly more complicated than this.

The registry entry that controls the maximum size of the registry is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\RegistrySizeLimit. By default this entry will not exist so it will need to be created:

  1. Start the registry editor (regedit.exe)
  2. Move to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control key
  3. From the Edit menu, select New - DWord value and enter the name as RegistrySizeLimit
  4. Double click the new entry and enter a value

The minimum size is 4MB, and if anything less than this is entered in the registry then it will be forced up to 4MB. The maximum is 80% of the paged pool (which has a maximum size of 128MB, hence 102MB which is 80% of 128MB). If no entry is entered then the maximum size is 25% of the paged pool. The paged pool is an area of physical memory used for system data that can be written to disk when not in use.

An important point to note is that the RegistrySizeLimit is a maximum, not an allocation, and so setting a high value will not reserve the space, and it does not guarantee the space will be available.

This can also be configured using the System Control Panel applet, click on the Performance tab and the maximum registry size can be set there. You would then need to reboot.

For more information see Knowledge Base Article Q124594

Q. Should I use REGEDIT.EXE or REGEDT32.EXE?

A. You can use either for NT. REGEDIT does have a few limitations, the largest is that it does not support the full regedit data types such as REG_MULTI_SZ, so if you edit this type of data with REGEDIT it will change its type.

REGEDIT.EXE is based on the Windows95 version and has features that REGEDT32.EXE lacks (such as search). In general REGEDIT.EXE is nicer to work with. REGEDIT.EXE also shows your current position in the registry at the bottom of the window.

Q, How do I restrict access to a remote registry?

A. Access to a remote registry is controlled by the ACL on the key winreg.

  1. Start the registry editor (regedt32.exe)
  2. Move to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurePipeServers
  3. Check for a key called winreg. If it does not exist create it (Edit -Add Key)
  4. Select the winreg key (by clicking on it)
  5. From the Security menu select permissions
  6. Click the Add button and give the user you want read access
  7. Once added, click on the user and select "Special Access"
  8. Double click on the user and you can select which actions the user can perform
  9. Click OK when finished

It is possible to set up certain keys to be accessible even if the user does not have access by editing the value HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurePipeServers\winreg\AllowedPaths\Machine (use regedt32). You can add paths to this list.

See knowledge base article Q153183 at http://www.microsoft.com/kb/articles/q153/1/83.htm

Q. How can I tell what changes are made to the registry?

A. Using the regedit.exe program it is possible to export portions of the registry. This feature can be used as follows:

  1. Start the registry editor (regedit.exe)
  2. Select the key you want to monitor
  3. From the Registry menu select "Export registry file"
  4. Enter a file name (notice if you want to export the whole registry just select the "Export Range All") and click OK
  5. Perform the change (install some software or change a system parameter)
  6. Rerun steps 1 to 4 using a different file name
  7. Run the two files through a comparison utility (for example windiff.exe)
  8. If you are using windiff, select Compare Files from the File menu and you will then be prompted to select the 2 files to compare.
  9. Once compared a summary will be displayed stating if there are differences, to view the changes double click on the message
  10. Press F8 to view the next change (or select next change from the view menu)
  11. You have now found what changed!

Q. How can I delete a registry value/key from the command line?

A. Using the Windows NT Resource Kit Supplement 2 utility REG.EXE you can delete a registry value from the command line or batch file, e.g.

reg delete HKLM\Software\test

Would delete the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\test value. When you enter the command you will be prompted if you really want to delete, enter Y. To avoid the confirmation add /f to the command, e.g.

reg delete HKLM\Software\test /f

A full list of the codes to be used with REG DELETE are as follows:

HKCR HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
HKCU HKEY_CURRENT_USER
HKLM HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
HKU HKEY_USERS
HKCC HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG

To delete a entry on a remote machine add the name of the machine, \\<machine name>, e.g.

reg delete HKLM\Software\test \\johnpc

Q. How can I audit changes to the registry?

A. Using the regedt32.exe utility it is possible to set auditing on certain parts of the registry. I should note that any type of auditing is very sensitive lately and you may want to add some sort of warning letting people know that their changes are being audited.

  1. Start the registry editor (regedt32.exe)
  2. Select the key you wish to audit (e.g. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software)
  3. From the Security menu select Auditing
  4. Check the "Audit Permission on Existing Subkeys" if you want subkeys to also be audited
  5. Click the Add button and select the users you want to be audited, click Add and then click OK
  6. Once there are names in the "Names" box you can select which events to be audited, whether success or failure.
  7. When you have filled in all the information click OK

You will need to make sure that Auditing for File and Object access is enabled (use User Manager - Polices - Audit).

To view the information use Event Viewer and look at the Security information.

Service Packs and Hotfixes

Q. What service packs and fixes are available?

A. See table below. All directories are off of ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-public/fixes/usa/nt40. Just click on the file name for a direct FTP link For people in Europe ftp.sunet.se/pub3/vendor/microsoft/bussys/winnt/winnt-public/fixes may provide faster access.

There are also Microsoft BBS numbers where Service Packs can be downloaded from, e.g. for the UK it is 44 1734 270065, however the fixes tend to be a few days later than on the FTP site.

File Name Directory Description (Microsoft Article No.)
Sp1_400i.exe /ussp1/i386 Service Pack 1
Sp2_400i.exe /ussp2/i386 Service Pack 2 (around 14Mb!)
Nt4sp3_i.exe /ussp3/i386 Service Pack 3 (around 18Mb!)

Service Pack 1 Hotfixes /hotfixes-postsp1/

KRNL40I.EXE /32proc-fix Q140065
AFD40I.EXE /afd-fix Q140059
CDFS40I.EXE /cdfs-fix Q142687
NDIS40I.EXE /mcanet-fix Q156324
NDIS40I.EXE /ndis-fix Q142903
NTBCKUPI.EXE /NTBackup-fix  Q142671
NTVDM40I.EXE /ntvdm-fix Q134126
PCM40_I.EXE /pcmcia-fix Q108261
SCSIFIXI.EXE /scsi-fix Q171295
SPX40I.EXE /spx-fix Q153665
SYN40I.EXE /syn-attack Q142641
NTFS40I.EXE /toshiba-fix Q150815
STONE97I.EXE /winstone97 Q141375

Service Pack 2 Hotfixes /hotfixes-postsp2/

ALPHA40.EXE /Alpha-fix Q156410
DNS40I.EXE /dns-fix Q142047, Q162927
IISFIX.EXE /iis-fix Q163485, Q164059
KRNL40I.EXE /krnl-fix GET THIS. IT WILL FIX THE NT CRASH WHEN USING A VIRUS KILLER! 
Q135707, **Q141239**
TCP40I.EXE /oob-fix Q143478
RAS40I.EXE /ras-fix Q161368
RPC40I.EXE /RPC-fix Q159176, Q162567
SECFIX_I.EXE /sec-fix Q143474
SERIALI.EXE /serial-fix Q163333
SETUPDDI.EXE /setupdd-fix Q143473
SFMSRVI.EXE /sfmsrv-fix Q161644
WTCP40I.EXE /TCPIP-fix Q163213

Service Pack 3 Hotfixes /hotfixes-postsp3/

2GCRASHI.EXE /2gcrash Q173277
ASPFIX.EXE /asp-fix Q165335
IDEFIX-I.EXE /ide-fix Q153296
DNSFIX_I.EXE /dns-fix Q142047
ADMNFIXI.EXE /getadmin-fix Q146965
ICMPFIXI.EXE /icmp-fix Q154174
IIS-FIXI.EXE /iis-fix Q143484
IIS4FIXI.EXE /iis4-fix Q169274
JAVAFIXI.EXE archive/java-fix Q168748
JOY-FIXI.EXE /joystick-fix Q177668
LANDFIXI.EXE /land-fix Q165005 & Q177539
DISBLLMI.EXE /lm-fix Q147706
LSA-FIXI.EXE /lsa-fix Q154087
NDISFIXI.EXE /ndis-fix Q156655
OOBFIX_I.EXE archive/oob-fix Q143478
PCMFIX-I.EXE /pcm-fix Q180532
PENTFIX.EXE /pent-fix Q163852
W32KFIXI.EXE /archive/dblclick-fix Q170510
DCOMFIXI.EXE /SAG-fix  
SCSIFIXI.EXE /scsi-fix Q171295
CHARGENI.EXE /simptcp-fix Q154460
SRVFIX-I.EXE /srv-fix Q180963
TAPI21FI.EXE /tapi21-fix Q179187
TEARFIXI.EXE /teardrop2-fix Q179129
WANFIX-I.EXE /wan-fix Q163251
WINSFIXI.EXE /winsupd-fix Q155701
ZIP-FIXI.EXE /zip-fix Q154094

The file names above are for the Intel platform (hence the ending I), but they may also be available for Alpha and PPC, just substitute the I for a A(Alpha) or P(PPC).

I should note a health warning, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" and I would tend to agree with this, so unless you have a problem, or require a new feature of a Service Pack think if you really want it. Also if you are going to apply it to a live system, try and test it first, as sometimes a Service Pack will introduce new problems.

Q. What are the Q numbers and how do I look them up?

A. The Q numbers relate to Microsoft Knowledge Base articles and can be viewed at http://www.microsoft.com/kb

Q. How do I install the Service Packs?

A. If you receive the Service Pack by downloading from a Microsoft FTP site, then copy the file to a temporary directory and then just enter the file name (e.g. Sp2_400i.exe). The file will be expanded and among the files created a file called UPDATE.EXE will be created. Just run this file. If there is no UPDATE.EXE, just .sym files you have downloaded the symbols version which is used for debugging NT, download the normal version (see above).

If you receive Service Packs via CD, if you just insert the CD (for SP2 and later) and an Internet Explorer page will be shown and you can just click on install for the Service Pack.

Q. How do I install the Hot fix?

A. Again copy the file to a temporary directory and run the file name. A few files will be created, one called HOTFIX.EXE. Run "HOTFIX /install" which will install the Hot Fix.

The newer Hot fixes (Java fix for Service Pack 3 onwards) you just double click on the downloaded file.

Q. How do I remove a Hot fix?

A. Use the command Hotfix /remove. To force the remove using the registry editor (regedt32) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\HOTFIX and delete the entry for the HOTFIX. Then use explorer to goto %SystemRoot%\HOTFIX\HF00?? and copy the backed up files back to their original location.

Q. How do I install Service Pack 3?

A. Before you install Service Pack 3 you must remove Internet Explorer 4.0 preview if installed:

  1. From Control Panel (Start - Settings - Control Panel) double click Add/Remove Programs
  2. Select "Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0" and click Add/Remove
  3. Select Remove All
  4. You will have to reboot

Also before installing SP3 make sure you have an up to date Repair Disk (RDISK /S). To install Service Pack 3 download Nt4sp3_i.exe and follow the instructions below

  1. Double click nt4sp3_i.exe
  2. It will verify the file and then uncompress to a temporary area (you can make it uncompress without installing by typing nt4sp3_i /x)
  3. Click Next to install and click Yes to accept the license agreement
  4. Click Next and then select "Yes create uninstall"
  5. Click Next then Finish
  6. You will then have to reboot

Q. Emergency Repair Disk issues after installation of Service Pack 3.

A. Due to changes in Service Pack 3 the Emergency Repair Disk process has changed. The file setupdd.sys that is on the 2nd NT installation disk has been superseded by the one supplied with service pack 3. To extract the file from the Service Pack 3 executable, follow the instructions below:

  1. Copy nt4sp3_i.exe to a temporary area
  2. Uncompress the service pack
    nt4sp3_i /x
  3. Insert the second NT installation disk (do not use the originals, create a new set using winnt32 /ox)
  4. Set the file setupdd.sys to write enabled
    attrib -r a:\setupdd.sys
  5. Copy the new setupdd.sys to the 2nd installation disk
    copy setupdd.sys a:

This is discussed in the Service Pack 3 readme file, and also in knowledge base article Q146887.

Q. How do I remove the Java Hotfix for Service Pack 3?

A. Manually unpack the hotfix
javafixi /x
Then type
hotfix -y
And it will remove the hotfix.

This method may become the new standard for hot fixes.

Q. How do I install multiple Hotfixes at the same time?

A. When you extract the files in a hotfix, generally the following will be extracted

The hotfix.exe is the same executable for all the hotfixes, and the hotfix.inf is basically the same, the only difference is the files that are to be copied, e.g. tcpip.sys, and a description of the hotfix. To install multiple hotfixes at the same time all that is needed is to decompress the hotfix files and update the hotfix.inf with the information on which files to copy.

  1. Create a directory on a disk called hotfix
    md hotfix
  2. From the command line decompress the hotfixes you wish to install, note each time you decompress a hotfix a new hotfix.inf will overwrite the existing one so you may wish to backup the .inf files
    - <hotfix name> /x, e.g. javafixi /x
    - you will be asked where to extract the hot fix files to, enter the hotfix directory and click OK, e.g. d:\hotfix
    - copy the hotfix.inf file to the name of the hotfix, e.g.
    copy hotfix.inf javafix.inf
  3. You will now have a number of files in the hotfix directory, with hotfix.exe, hotfix.inf and all the versions of the .inf files you copied. You now need to merge the contents of the .inf files into one main hotfix.inf file.
    If the hotfix you extracted had file tcpip.sys (ignore the .dbg files) you need to update the hotfix.inf file to include the copying of this file. Since TCPIP.SYS lives in the system32/drivers directory, you would add the line TCPIP.SYS to the [Drivers.files] section of the hotfix.inf file, e.g.
    [Drivers.files]
    TCPIP.SYS
    You also need to add TCPIP.SYS to the [SourceDisksFiles] section, e.g.
    [SourceDisksFiles]
    TCPIP.SYS = 1
  4. Finally you need to add a comment at the end of the hotfix.inf file with a description of the hotfix in the [strings] section with the Q number and a comment, e.g.
    [Strings]
    ..
    HOTFIX_NUMBER="Q143478"
    COMMENT="This fix corrects the port 139 OOB attack"

The reason we copied the .inf files is that you can just cut and paste the hotfix specific information to the common hotfix.inf. When you decompressed a hotfix you will see which files were created, you could then search the .inf file for the file name and it would be in two places, the directory it belongs in and the [SourceDisksFiles] section. You could then go to the bottom of the file and cut and paste the HOTFIX_NUMBER and COMMENT and add to the end of HOTFIX.INF.

This is very hard to explain and an example is probably the best way to demonstrate this. Suppose you want to install

The procedure would be as follows

  1. Decompress the hotfixes to the hotfix directory and after each extraction backup the hotfix.inf file in the order admnfixi.exe - javafixi.exe - oobfix_i.exe
  2. Admnfixi.exe consists of ntkrnlmp.exe and ntoskrnl.exe, search admnfixi.inf (the copy we made) for the files and they appear as follows
    [Uniprocessor.Kernel.files]
    NTOSKRNL.EXE

    [Multiprocessor.Kernel.files]
    NTOSKRNL.EXE, NTKRNLMP.EXE

    [SourceDisksFiles]
    NTKRNLMP.EXE = 1
    NTOSKRNL.EXE = 1

    [Strings]
    HOTFIX_NUMBER="Q146965"
    COMMENT="This fix corrects GETADMIN problem"
  3. javafixi.exe consists of win32k.sys so search javafixi.inf for win32k.sys
    [MustReplace.System32.files]
    WIN32K.SYS

    [SourceDisksFiles]
    WIN32K.SYS = 1

    [Strings]
    HOTFIX_NUMBER="Q123456"
    COMMENT="This fix corrects the problem with True Color adapter cards and Java"
  4. The current version of hotfix.inf already contains the information for the oobfix as it was the last installed, so the information for the above 2 must be added resulting in the changes being

    [MustReplace.System32.files]
    WIN32K.SYS

    [Drivers.files]
    TCPIP.SYS

    [Uniprocessor.Kernel.files]
    NTOSKRNL.EXE

    [Multiprocessor.Kernel.files]
    NTOSKRNL.EXE, NTKRNLMP.EXE

    [SourceDisksFiles]
    NTKRNLMP.EXE = 1
    NTOSKRNL.EXE = 1
    TCPIP.SYS = 1
    WIN32K.SYS = 1

    [Strings]
    HOTFIX_NUMBER="Q143478"
    COMMENT="This fix corrects the port 139 OOB attack"
    HOTFIX_NUMBER="Q146965"
    COMMENT="This fix corrects GETADMIN problem"
    HOTFIX_NUMBER="Q123456"
    COMMENT="This fix corrects the problem with True Color adapter cards and Java"

To install just type

hotfix

from the directory created (i.e. hotfix), you will see a dialog copying the files (the ones you have specified in the hotfix.inf file :-) ), and the system will reboot. To see what hotfixes are installed:

  1. Start the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe)
  2. Look at the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Hotfix values

For more information have a look at Q166839 at http://www.microsoft.com/kb/articles/q166/8/39.htm

Q. How do I install Hotfixes the same time as I install Service Pack 3 onwards?

A. Update.exe that ships with Service Pack 3 checks for the existance of a hotfix subdirectory, and if in that directory the files hotfix.exe and hotfix.inf are present you are asked when running update.exe if you also want to install the hotfixes.

  1. Create a direrectory to hold the extracted Service Pack
    md servpack
  2. Extract the Service Pack
    nt4sp3_i /x
    You will be asked for a directory, enter the created directory, e.g. e:\servpack and click OK
  3. Create a hotfix subdirectory
    md hotfix
  4. Extract the hotfixes to this directory using the instructions in the previous FAQ
  5. Run UPDATE.EXE in the servpack directory and click Yes when asked to install Hotfixes

For more information have a look at Q166839 at http://www.microsoft.com/kb/articles/q166/8/39.htm

Q. I have installed Service Pack 3, now I cannot run Java programs.

A. Download the updated Java Virtual Machine from Microsoft at http://www.microsoft.com/java/download/dl_vmsp2.htm . Download build 1518 which works with IE3.01, IE 3.02 and IE 4.0 platform preview 1, do NOT install on IE 4.0 PP2 or the release version.

There is also a hotfix for Service Pack 3 available from Microsoft ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-public/fixes/usa/nt40/hotfixes-postSP3/java-fix/JAVAFIXI.EXE

Q. I have installed Service Pack 3, however the Policy Editor has not been updated as specified in the documentation.

A. This is caused by a mistake in the Service Pack 3 update.inf file. The entry for poledit.exe (the executable for the policy editor) is specified in the [MustReplace.system32.files] section whereas the file should actually be in the [SystemRoot.files].

To install the new Policy Editor perform the following

  1. Expand the service pack
    nt4sp3_i /x
  2. You will be asked for a directory, enter a path and click OK. A message "Extraction complete" will be displayed when completed
  3. Move to the directory the service pack was extracted to and copy the file poledit.exe to the %systemroot% directory
    copy poledit.exe %systemroot%

Alternatively you can update the update.inf fiile and move the location of poledit.exe from [MustReplace.system32.files] to [SystemRoot.files].

Q. How can I tell if I have the 128 bit version of Service Pack 3 installed?

A. The easiest way to tell this is to examine the secure channel dynamic link library (SCHANNEL.DLL):

  1. Start Explorer (Win + E or Start - Programs - Explorer)
  2. Move to %systemRoot%/system32 (where %systemRoot is the windows NT directory, e.g. d:\winnt)
  3. Right click on Schannel.dll and select properties
  4. Click the Version tab. The description will be one of the following:
    PCT / SSL Security Provider (U.S. and Canada for the 128 bit version.) if you have the 128 bit version
    or
    PCT / SSL Security Provider (Export Version) if you have the non-128 bit version
  5. Click OK when finished
  6. Close Explorer

Q. How do I install a service pack during a unattended installation?

A. There are various options, however all of them require for the service pack to be extracted to a directory, using

NT4SP3_I /x

and you then enter the directory where you want to extract to.

You could extract to a directory under the $OEM$ installation directory which would then be copied locally during the installation and you could add the line

".\UPDATE.EXE -U -Z"

to CMDLINES.TXT. This will increase the time of the text portion of the installation as the contents have to be copied over the network.

An alternate method is to install from a network drive, this requires a bit more work:

  1. Create a directory on a network server and copy the extracted service pack to this directory. Setup a share on this directory called SP
  2. Create a batch file in the $OEM$ share of the installation area called SERVPACK.CMD with the following:
    net use z:\\<server>\SP /persistent:no /user:<domain name> \guest < password.txt
    z:\update.exe -u -z
  3. You need to create the password.txt file that contains the guest account password (usually blank) therefore perform the following:
    - type copy con password.txt
    - press ENTER once
    - press CTRL+Z to save the file
    If the password is not blank enter the password then press ENTER
  4. Copy the password.txt file to the $OEM$ directory
  5. Edit CMDLINES.TXT and add ".\SERVPACK.CMD" to the end

NT 5.0

Q. What is new in Windows NT 5.0?

A. NT 5.0 (aka Cairo) is the next major release of NT. It is expected to include the following new features:

For more information on what's new please goto http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/info/nt5_features.htm

Q. Where can I get more information on Windows NT 5.0?

A. Below is a list of useful links at Microsoft

File Systems

Q. How can a FAT partition be converted to an NTFS partition?

A. From the command line enter the command convert d: /fs:ntfs . This command is one way only, and you cannot convert an NTFS partition to FAT. If the FAT partition is the system partition then the conversion will take place on the next reboot.

After the conversion File Permissions are set to Full Control for everyone, where as if you install directly to NTFS the permissions are set on a stricter basis.

Q. How can a NTFS partition be converted to a FAT partition?

A. A simple conversion is not possible, and the only course of action is to backup all the data on the drive, reformat the disk to FAT and then restore your data backup.

Q. How do I run HPFS under NT 4.0?

A. If you want NT support for HPFS, you can upgrade from 3.51 to 4.0 which will retain HPFS support. You can manually install the 3.51 driver under NT 4.0, however this is not supported by Microsoft.

  1. Copy the 3.51 pinball.sys to the NT 4.0 %SystemRoot%\system32\drivers directory.
  2. Start the registry editor (regedit.exe)
  3. Goto the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
  4. From the Edit menu, select "New Key"
  5. In the form entry box which appears, enter Pinball as the Key Name. Leave the class field blank, and click OK
  6. Highlight the new Pinball key in the editor's left panel and select New Dword from the Edit menu
  7. Enter a name of ErrorControl and click OK
  8. Double click ErrorControl and set to "0x1"
  9. Highlight Pinball again and select "New String" from the Edit menu with name "Group" click OK
  10. Double click Group and set to "Boot file system"
  11. Highlight Pinball again and select "New DWORD" from the Edit menu with name "Start" click OK
  12. Double click Start and set to "0x1"
  13. Highlight Pinball again and select "New DWORD" from the Edit menu with name "Type" click OK
  14. Double click Type and set to "0x2"
  15. Close the registry editor
  16. Reboot the machine

Q, How do I compress a directory?

A. Follow instructions below (this can only be done on an NTFS partition)

  1. Using Explorer or My Computer select a drive
  2. Right click on a directory and choose properties
  3. Select the "Compress" Check box and click "Apply"
  4. You will be asked if you want to compress subdirectories, click OK
  5. Click OK to exit

Q. How do I uncompress a directory?

A. Follow the same procedure above, but uncheck the compress box.

Q. Is there an NTFS defragmentation tool available?

A. There are two for NT that I know of, the first is Executive Software which has a product called Disk Keeper Lite which is free, and also Norton Utilities has a defragmentation tool with its NT tool set (which I have never used). The full version of DiskKeeper allows the defragmentation to be done in the background so you don't have to worry about it.

A new piece of software called PerfectDisk NT from http://www.raxco.com is also now on the market but I have not tried it.

Q. Can I undelete a file in NT?

A. It depends on the file system. NT has no undelete facility, however if the filesystem was FAT then boot into DOS and then use the dos undelete utility. With the NT Resource kit there is a utility called DiskProbe which allows a user to view the data on a disk, which could then be copied to another file. It is possible to search sectors for data using DiskProbe.

Norton also provide a utility which can undelete files from within NT called Norton Utilities at http://www.symantec.com/

Q. Does NT support FAT32?

A. No. There are rumors that NT 5.0 will support FAT32.

Q. Can you read an NTFS partition from DOS?

A. Not with standard DOS, however there is a product called NTFSDos which enables a user to read from a NTFS partition. The homepage for this utility is http://www.ntinternals.com.

Q. How do you delete a NTFS partition?

A. You can boot off of the three NT installation disks and follow the instructions below:

  1. Read the license agreement and press F8
  2. Select the NTFS partition you wish to delete
  3. Press L to confirm
  4. Press F3 twice to exit the NT setup

Usually a NTFS partition can be deleted using FDISK (delete non-DOS partition), however this will not work if the NTFS partition is in the extended partition.

You can delete an NTFS partition using Disk Administrator, by selecting the partition and pressing DEL (as long as it is not the system/boot partition).

There is also a utility called delpart.exe that will delete a NTFS partition from a DOS bootup.

Q. Is it possible to repartition a disk without losing data?

A. There is no standard way in NT, however there is a 3rd party product called Partition Magic which will repartition FAT, NTFS and FAT32, however there is a bug in the product which makes the boot partition unbootable if it is repartitioned. A fix is available for this from their web site

Q. What is the biggest disk NT can use?

A. The simple answer to this question is that NT can view a maximum partition size of 2 terabytes (or 2,199,023,255,552 bytes), however there are limitations that restrict you well below this number.

FAT has internal limits of 4 GB due to thefact it uses 16-bit fields to store file sizes, 2^16 is 65,536 with a cluster size of 64 KB gives us the 4 GB.

HPFS uses 32bit fields and can therefore handle greater size disks, but the largest single file size is 4GB. HPFS allocates disk space in 512 byte sectors which can cause problems in Asian markets where sector sizes are typically 1024 bytes which means HPFS cannot be used.

NTFS uses 64-bits for all sizes, leading to a max size of..... 16 exabytes!!! (18,446,744,073,709,551,616 bytes), however NT could not handle a volume this big.

For IDE drives, the maximum is 136.9 GB, however for a standard IDE drive this is constrained to 528MB. The new EIDE drives can access much larger sizes.

It is important to note that the System partition (holding ntldr, boot.ini, etc.) MUST be entirely within the first 7.8Gb  of any disk (if this is the same as the boot partition this limit applies) This is due to the BIOS int 13H interface used by ntldr to bootstrap up to the point where it can drive the native HDD IDE or SCSI. int 13H presents a 24 bit parameter for cylinder/head/sector for a drive. If say by