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A+ Certification: How to Pass Your Exams

Last Updated 2/3/2009 3:42:58 PM


WINDOWS 95

Windows 95 provides a much more stable graphical operating environment than Windows 3.x. Windows 95 is not a GUI shell like Windows 3.x; instead, it is an OS that takes the place of the MS-DOS/Windows 3.x work environment. The configuration information for the Windows 95 operating environment is stored in the Registry.

The files in which the Registry are stored are System.dat and User.dat. These two files are backed up in the System.da0 and User.da0 files. If Windows 95 fails to boot, you can replace .dat files with the .da0 files, then change the extensions. This procedure lets you revert to the Registry settings that were used before the system failed. If a change made in the Registry is causing the problem, using the old settings will correct it.

Important: The Registry is stored in two files called System.dat and User.dat. A backup of these files is created when the Registry is modified; they are stored as System.da0 and User.daO. The first-ever copy of the System.dat is called the System.Ist and is stored in the root directory (C:\).

Safe Mode


The diagnostic mode for Windows 95 is called safe mode. Safe mode brings up Windows 95 with the minimum equipment configured to allow the OS to boot. The video drive used with safe mode is standard VGA. You can access safe mode in three different ways during the boot process:
  • Press F5 when the screen displays “Starting Windows 95.”
  • Press F8 when the PC boots to get the Startup Menu. You can then select “Safe Mode” or “Safe Mode with Networking.”
  • The third way is automatic. Whenever you have problems with Windows 95 and it cannot initialize properly, it enters safe mode automatically when you reboot. Also, if you lose power during the boot process or the system is shut down improperly, the computer also attempts to enter safe mode upon reboot.
Safe mode was designed to give you access to the Windows 95 graphical environment for troubleshooting purposes. In safe mode you can troubleshoot problems with your startup files, the Windows Registry, and adapter drivers. The Safe Mode with Networking support option lets you troubleshoot your desktop while providing access to the network. If the Safe Mode with Networking option doesn’t work, but the standard safe mode does work, the problem is likely in your networking components.

Bootlog.txt


From the Startup Menu, you can also select Logged (\Bootlog.txt), which lets you have the drivers printed to the file as they are loaded during the boot process. If a computer does not initialize or run properly, sometimes the Bootlog.txt has recorded a device failure. Determining which device has failed is an important troubleshooting step. Once you have determined what is broken, you can reinstall it if it is software, or replace the component if it is hardware.

Troubleshooting Tools


There are three tools you can use to troubleshoot system problems: Task Manager, a Startup disk, and the Emergency Recovery Utility (ERU).

Task Manager


When Windows 95 appears to be locked or an application is not responding, you can open the Task Manager by pressing the Ctrl, Alt, and Del keys on the keyboard simultaneously. The Task Manager displays the programs that are running and their status. From the Task Manager, you can end a task or reboot the system. Pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del twice in rapid succession initiates an immediate system reboot.

Startup Disk


A Startup disk will help you boot and recover Windows 95/98 in the event of a system failure. To create a Startup Disk, follow these steps.
  1. Open the Control Panel (click Start, select Settings, and select Control Panel).
  2. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
  3. Click the Startup Disk tab.
  4. Click Create.
You will be prompted to insert a floppy disk into the A: drive and click OK to create the Startup Disk. Once this disk has been created, you should be able to use it to repair Windows 95 or Windows 98 boot files. Just insert it into the floppy drive and use it to boot your system. The Startup Disk contains these previously described utilities (among others):
  • Sys
  • Fdisk
  • Attrib
  • Regedit
  • Scandisk

Emergency Recovery Utility (ERU)


You can create an Emergency Repair Disk (ERD) from a tool called Emergency Recovery Utility (Eru.exe), which is on the Windows 95 CD-ROM. This ERD contains a copy of all the critical files that could prevent you from being able to boot Windows 95. The files that are contained, by default, on the ERD are:
  • Config.sys
  • Autoexec.bat
  • Win.ini
  • System.ini
  • Protocol.ini
  • User.dat (part of the Registry)
  • System.dat (part of the Registry)
  • Io.sys
  • Msdos.sys
  • Command.com
These files contain all the critical information you need to start Windows 95 or MS-DOS. Use the ERD in conjunction with the Windows 95 Startup disk to repair more serious problems. Be sure to keep the ERD and Startup Disks updated; they are only as useful as their last update.


REVIEW

Software errors can be difficult to distinguish from hardware errors. The error messages displayed at startup typically provide insight into the cause of the problem and can narrow the probable cause of problems down to a single hardware or software problem. Try to find out what the user was doing when the problem began and what new programs, if any, have been loaded recently.

Startup error messages are normally caused by hard disk problems (if the problem isn’t a hardware failure). The utilities that are used to view and check the hard disk are Scandisk, Fdisk, Format, and Sys. The utilities used to speed up overall system performance include Defrag and Memmaker.

Windows 3.x is a graphical user interface that runs on top of MS-DOS. If errors occur with Windows 3.x, use Sysedit to view and edit configuration files. Dr. Watson is a debugging utility that provides information about application failures. You can create a log file of the boot process by starting Windows 3.x with the /b switch; you can then look at that file for an indication of where failure occurred.

Use the Windows 95 or Windows 98 Startup Disk and Emergency Repair Disk (ERD) to troubleshoot system problems. Ensure that the Startup Disk and ERD are part of the normal maintenance routine for your systems; keep them updated.


VOCABULARY

Before taking the A+ Certification exams, study these terms and definitions.

Term Definition
Emergency Repair Disk A disk created using Eru.exe, which is on the Windows 95 CD-ROM. The ERD contains a copy of all your critical files.
General protection fault A GPF occurs when one application or driver’s memory space gets overwritten by another application or driver.
Safe mode The diagnostic mode for Windows 95 in which only the essential drivers are loaded. This mode is generally used when you want to troubleshoot the machine.
Virus An unwanted program that may adversely affect executable files and may damage your file attribute table and/or boot sector.


IN BRIEF
If you want to... Then do this
Speed up overall system performance Run Defrag to defragment the drive or run Memmaker to reconfigure RAM to optimum settings.
Create a boot log file for Windows 3.x Start Windows with the command Win /b. This command creates a log file when Windows 3.x boots.
Replace a corrupt Windows 95 Registry Replace the System.dat and User.dat with the backup files System.da0 and User.da0.


CHAPTER QUIZ

Answering the following questions will help you prepare for the A+ Certification exams.
  1. What two files store the working copy of the Registry in Windows 95?
    1. System.dat
    2. System.da0
    3. User.dat
    4. User.da0

  2. What two files store a backup copy of the Registry in Windows 95?
    1. System.dat
    2. System.da0
    3. User.dat
    4. User.da0

  3. What two files store the configuration information in Windows 3.x?
    1. System.ini
    2. Win.ini
    3. Sys.ini
    4. Windows.ini

  4. What two files store the startup environment in MS-DOS?
    1. Config.sys
    2. Config.bat
    3. Autoexec.sys
    4. Autoexec.bat

  5. What is the effect of pressing the F8 key at the beginning of the Windows 95 boot process?
    1. The boot process starts in log mode.
    2. A selection menu appears; from your menu, you can boot the system in safe mode.
    3. The boot process starts in regular mode.
    4. Windows 95 starts using the backup Registry files.

  6. What occurs when you hold down the Shift key during the Windows 3.x boot process?
    1. The system creates a boot log file.
    2. The system starts with the network disabled.
    3. The system starts without starting anything in the Startup Group.
    4. The system runs in verbose mode.

QUIZ ANSWERS

  1. A, C — The files that contain the Windows 95 directory are System.dat and User.dat.
  2. B, D — The files that contain a backup of the Windows 95 directory are System.da0 and User.da0.
  3. A, B — The files that contain the Windows 3.x configuration information are System.ini and Win.ini.
  4. A, D — The files that contain the MS-DOS startup environment information are Config.sys and Autoexec.bat. The Config.sys has device drivers and the Autoexec.bat has startup commands.
  5. B — If the F8 key is pressed when Windows 95 first starts, a menu appears allowing one of eight selection options. One of the options is to boot in safe mode.
  6. C — Holding the Shift key when Windows 3.x first starts allows the system to boot without starting anything listed in the Startup group.


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