Exam Prep 2 [Electronic resources] : Windows XP Professional

Chapter 7. Implementing, Managing, Monitoring, and Troubleshooting Hardware Devices

Objectives

This chapter helps you to prepare for the exam by covering the following Microsoft-specified objectives for the Implementing, Managing, Monitoring, and Troubleshooting Hardware Devices and Drivers section of the Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows XP Professional exam:

Implement, manage, and troubleshoot disk devices.

• Install, configure, and manage DVD and CD-ROM devices.

• Monitor and configure disks.

• Monitor, configure, and troubleshoot volumes.

• Monitor and configure removable media, such as tape devices.

• The skills incorporated in this chapter involve the installation, monitoring, and day-to-day administration of hardware devices that are connected to your Windows XP computer. At the top of the list are disk and media devices.

• The subobjectives within disk device management include installing and configuring DVD and CD-ROM drives, configuring standard hard disks, configuring and troubleshooting volumes, and configuring tape backup devices. You are expected to know how to install any new storage device, as well as how to configure basic or dynamic disks, if applicable. You should understand how to troubleshoot a device that the computer cannot find, and how to handle formatting errors.

Implement, manage, and troubleshoot display devices.

• Configure multiple-display support.

• Install, configure, and troubleshoot a video adapter.

• Windows XP Professional supports multiple displays, and you should understand how to install an additional video adapter and configure multiple monitors. Your skill set should include how to troubleshoot a display device that reverts to the 640x480 16-color display.

Configure Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI).

• The hardware abstraction layer (HAL) is an integral part of the Windows XP operating system that translates data between the hardware and the operating system. ACPI is a low-level hardware driver that is used to build the HAL. For ACPI to function, where the computer can communicate and manage power through the HAL, the correct HAL must be selected during installation. The skill under this objective requires you to be able to recognize when ACPI is not functioning properly and how to configure and troubleshoot it.

Outline

Study Strategies

• On an existing test Windows XP Professional computer, install an additional two hard disks, an additional compact disc (CD) or digital versatile disc (DVD) drive, and a tape drive. Install Windows XP Professional on the base hardware, and then install each of the drives individually. When you have multiple hard disks installed, construct a variety of volume configurations.

• Practice viewing devices in Device Manager and volumes in Disk Management. Use command-line disk management tools, such as Chkdsk, Diskpart, and Defrag, to verify the disk configuration, manage partitions, and defragment the disk.

• Install a second video adapter and monitor on an existing Windows XP Professional computer. Use the Display utility in Control Panel to configure the monitors with various resolutions. Test dragging and dropping between the monitors. Boot the computer in Safe Mode, rename one of the video drivers, and reboot to see the errors that occur when a video driver cannot be found.

• To improve your expertise with ACPI, install a test computer with Windows XP Professional and select an incorrect HAL for the computer. View the errors that are reported. Reinstall the test computer with the correct HAL. Become familiar with the Power Options utility in Control Panel. Configure the Wake on LAN feature and test how to wake the computer from across the network.