Quick Tips for Windows NT (September 1999)
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Published: November 1, 1999
Archived content - No warranty is made as to technical accuracy. Content may contain URLs that were valid when originally published, but now link to sites or pages that no longer exist.
These time-saving tips on a variety of topics are contributed by experienced IT Pros, and take just a few minutes to learn and implement.
On This Page
Windows NT and Windows 95/98 Sharing Applications
View Resources in Windows NT
Files Required to Boot Windows NT
Deleting Registry Values from the Command Line
Compressing a Directory
Maximum Entry Limit in a FAT Root Directory
Using Control Panel to Make Operating System Selections
Optimizing Windows NT Server and Windows NT Workstation
Windows NT and Windows 95/98 Sharing Applications
By Troy Thompson, MCSE+Internet
It's possible to have a computer that dual boots between Windows® 95/98 and Windows NT®, but because they don't share the same registry, applications must be installed twice—once for each operating system. The best way to go about this is to install the application twice to the same directory, once while booted to Windows 95/98 and once while booted to Windows NT. This will duplicate the .dll files and update the registry in both operating systems while just having one set of .exe files. However, you can't install the applications in a partition that has been formatted with NTFS or FAT32.
View Resources in Windows NT
By Troy Thompson, MCSE+Internet
Windows NT comes with a utility called Winmsd.exe. This utility makes it easy to view resource usage by devices. You can execute the Winmsd.exe utility by clicking Start, Run, and WINMSD.
The Resources tab provides information on IRQ settings, I/O Port, DMA, and so forth. The Memory tab provides information regarding Pagefile Space, Physical Memory, and Kernel Memory. Winsmdp, a utility supplied with the Windows NT Resource Kit, can be used to output information to a file.
Files Required to Boot Windows NT
By Troy Thompson, MCSE+Internet
Ntldr—This is a hidden, read-only system file that loads the operating system.
Boot.ini—This is a read-only system file used to build the Boot Loader Operating System Selection menu on Intel x86-based computers.
Bootsect.dos—This is a hidden file loaded by Ntldr if another operating system is selected.
Ntdetect.com—This is a hidden, read-only system file used to examine the hardware available and to build a hardware list.
Ntbootdd.sys—This file is only used by systems that boot from an SCSI disk.
Deleting Registry Values from the Command Line
By Troy Thompson, MCSE+Internet
With the Reg.exe utility supplied with the Windows NT Resource Kit Supplement 2, you can delete a Registry value using the command line or a batch file.
Typing the command reg delete HKLM\Software\home would delete the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \Software \Home value. You will be prompted to confirm the deletion, or you can use the /f command at the end of the command to avoid the confirmation.
This table provides a list of the codes to be used with REG DELETE:
HKCR |
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT |
HKCU |
HKEY_CURRENT_USER |
HKLM |
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE |
HKU |
HKEY_USERS |
HKCC |
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG |
If you need to delete an entry on a remote machine, you can add the name of the machine to the end of the command by typing, for example, reg delete HKLM\Software\home \\thompson.
Compressing a Directory
By Troy Thompson, MCSE+Internet
You can compress a directory that has been formatted as NTFS by following these instructions:
Using Explorer or My Computer, select a drive.
Right-click a directory, and choose Properties.
Select the Compress check box, and click Apply.
You will be asked if you want to compress subdirectories; click OK.
Click OK to exit.
Maximum Entry Limit in a FAT Root Directory
By Troy Thompson, MCSE+Internet
If you're trying to create files on the root directory of a FAT drive and get an error, you may have exceeded the maximum entry limit of 512. There are a couple of things to remember about the 512 entry limit:
Long filenames take up more than one entry.
Hidden files, which don't show up in the file count at a command line, also count toward the total number of entries.
Using Control Panel to Make Operating System Selections
By Brien M. Posey, MCSE
When Windows NT boots, you're greeted with a menu that allows you to choose between Windows NT, Windows NT VGA Mode, and any other operating systems that you have loaded. If you want to change the default choice or the length of time on the counter, you don't have to edit the Boot.ini file. Instead, you can open Control Panel and select System. When you see the System Properties window, select the Startup/Shutdown tab. A user-friendly interface will enable you to customize your boot configuration.
Optimizing Windows NT Server and Windows NT Workstation
By Brien M. Posey, MCSE
Windows NT Server and Windows NT Workstation are optimized differently. Windows NT Workstation is designed to make the user interface more responsive, while Windows NT Server is designed to dedicate more power to file sharing. If you want Windows NT Server to perform more like Windows NT Workstation or vice versa, you can change the way your computer is optimized. To do so, open Control Panel and double-click the Network icon. When you see the Network property sheet, select the Services tab. Now, select Server and click Properties. You'll see a dialog box that enables you to control the way Windows NT is optimized.
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