Apps Flashcards
msinfo32.exe
System Information Utility. One of the ways to see what version and edition of Windows you have.
gpedit.msc
Group Policy Editor
msconfig.exe
Techs use System Configuration (also known by its executable name, msconfig) to edit and troubleshoot operating system and program startup processes and services. System Configuration is an old tool but one we turn to again and again!
To start the System Configuration utility, go to the Start | Search bar, enter msconfig, and click OK or press enter. The program runs after you provide the necessary credentials, depending on the User Account Control (UAC) setup.
The System Configuration utility offers a number of handy features, distributed across the following tabs:
- General Select the type of startup you would like to use for the next boot (see Figure 12-5). You can perform a normal startup with all device drivers and services launching normally, a diagnostic startup with only basic devices and services, or a selective startup where you choose whether to load system services, load startup items, or use original boot configuration.
- Boot This tab contains advanced boot features. Here you can see every copy of Windows you have installed, set a default OS, or delete an OS from the boot menu. You can set up a safe boot, or adjust advanced options like the number of cores or amount of memory to use. Selecting Safe boot, by the way, will force Windows to start in Safe mode on every reboot until you deselect it. Safe mode loads minimal, generic, trusted drivers and is used for troubleshooting purposes.
- Services This tab is similar to the Services tab in the Task Manager. You can enable or disable any or all services running on your PC.
- Startup This tab lets you launch Task Manager to enable you to toggle on or off any startup programs (programs that load when you launch Windows). This is perhaps the most useful tab, especially if Windows is slow to load on your PC.
- Tools This tab lists many of the tools and utilities available in Windows, including Event Viewer, Performance Monitor, Command Prompt, and so on. There’s nothing here that you can’t find elsewhere in Windows, but it’s a handy list all the same.
Settings
Windows Settings
Settings is the “one-stop-shop” utility for the vast majority of tools you’ll use to work on a Windows system (see Figure 12-6). Introduced back in 2012 with Windows 8, Settings is slowly replacing the Control Panel, the traditional place to configure Windows. This creates a bit of a problem for Windows users in that, as you’ll see later in this chapter, the Control Panel is still alive and well. In fact, the Control Panel is still critical for access to some utilities. This means that any given utility on your Windows system may only be accessible from Settings, only accessible from the Control Panel, or in some cases accessible from both Settings and Control Panel. Sheesh!
Control Panel
Before Windows Settings there was the Control Panel. Like Windows Settings, the Control Panel is an application from which you can launch a number of different utilities. However, in the Control Panel each of these utilities is called an applet. For many years, the Control Panel was the place for users and administrators to configure Windows systems—but the role it plays has been steadily shrinking since the introduction of the Settings app in Windows 8. In fact, the CompTIA A+ 1102 objectives only mention the Control Panel in the context of Windows 10 (though it is still soldiering on in Windows 11, at least for now).
taskmgr
Task Manager
services.msc
Services Utility
resmon
Resource Monitor
Tabs:
- CPU Enables you to start or suspend any process without killing it
- Memory Breaks down memory into specific types
- Disk Breaks down disk activity by PID
- Network Shows network activity by PID, open connections, and much more
In general, if you want a quick overview of what’s happening with your system’s processes, use the Task Manager. When you need to get down to the details of what process is using what resource and then close a buggy process, go to Resource Monitor.
mmc
Microsoft Management Console
Microsoft has always had a challenge with the organization of its many built-in utilities. Tools like the Control Panel and Windows Settings are examples of Microsoft’s ongoing desire to organize utilities into what I personally see as “tools to launch tools.” Back in 2000, Microsoft launched another such tool called Microsoft Management Console (MMC). Microsoft describes MMC as a framework used to support and launch special programs called snap-ins. On your system, MMC is an executable file called mmc.exe. A snap-in is a file with the file extension .msc. Not all Windows Administrative Tools are available as snap-ins, which CompTIA lists as “Additional tools” in 1102 objective 1.3
devmgmt.msc
Device Manager
diskmgmt.msc
Disk Management
taskschd.msc
Task Scheduler
eventvwr.msc
Event Viewer
Windows Logs:
- Application Records anything that has to do with applications or programs outside of the Windows system files themselves
- Security Records security events such as failed logons
- Setup Tracks setup and update events for your Windows system
- System Tracks anything having to do with your Windows operating system
certmgr.msc
Certificate Manager
A certificate is, in essence, a digital key that enables your programs to encrypt data that may only be read by a corresponding key on the receiver’s side. Certificates are the cornerstone of pretty much every encrypted communication done between devices on the Internet. Your system is full of certificates, and the Certificate Manager gives you access to all of them.
lusrmgr.msc
Local Users and Groups
perfmon.msc
Performance Monitor
secpol.msc
Local Security Policy
Accessible through Control Panel’s Administrative Tools
The Local Security Policy tool (secpol.msc) in Windows is a management console that allows administrators to configure and manage security settings on a local computer. It provides a centralized interface to define policies related to account policies (like password complexity and lockout settings), local policies (such as audit policies and user rights assignments), and security options, enabling fine-grained control over the system’s security behavior.
EXAM TIP The Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) includes the same items as Local Security Policy (in its Security folder)—plus many other policies. Local Security Policy is the most direct way to work with security policies, but CompTIA left it out of the exam objectives this time around. Look for Group Policy Editor if you see a question about editing security policies on the CompTIA A+ 1102 exam—but be flexible if Local Security Policy is the only good answer.
Reliability Monitor
Tracks errors and warnings over time. Great for diagnosing recurring problems and general system instability.
