Lesson 1: Configuring Windows Flashcards
What do User Accounts control?
User Accounts manage access to the computer and control settings for individual users, such as permissions, passwords, and personal preferences.
What can be assigned to User Accounts to make OS configurations changes?
Rights or privileges - as well as permissions on files, folders, and printers
How is a User Account verifyed?
Through Authentication
What does Authentication mean in regards to a User Account?
The person must provide some data that is known or held only by the account owner to gain access to the account.
Each User Account is associated with a Profile. What are the main default folders that a Profile contains? (4)
- Documents
- Pictures
- Videos
- Music
The first user of the computer is configured as the default administrator account. Additional accounts are usually configured as standard users. What is the difference in privileges between Admin account and a Standard User account?
An Administrator account has privileges to change any aspect of the computer’s system configuration while Standard users have privileges on their Profile ONLY (rather than the whole computer)
What are the two types of accounts a Windows account can be configured as? (2)
- Local-only account
- Linked to a Microsoft Account
What is the difference between a Local account and a Microsoft account?
A Local account can be used to sign-in on a single computer ONLY. A Microsoft account gives access to Microsoft’s cloud services and allows sign-in and syncs desktop settings and user profile data across multiple devices.
The Account Setting app is used for what configuration tasks? (6)
- Your Info
(Manage the current user account. If the account type is a Microsoft account, this links to a web portal) - Email & Account
(Add sign-in credentials for other accounts, such as email or social networking) - Configure Sign-In Options
(Use a fingerprint reader or PIN to access the computer rather than a password) - Access Work or School
(Join the computer to a centrally managed domain network) - Family and other Users
(Permit other local or Microsoft accounts to log on to the computer) - Sync Settings
(Use the cloud to apply the same personalization and preferences for each device that you use a Microsoft account to sign in with)
Where is the User Accounts applet found?
Control Panel
The User Accounts applet is found in the Control Panel (the legacy interface) along with other applets
What options are there in the User Accounts applet? (3)
- Changing the account name
- Changing the account privilege level (avs)
- UAC
What does UAC stand for and what does it do?
User Account Control
A system to prevent unauthorized use of administrator privileges.
What is the process to create a User Account? (For both Microsoft and Local accounts)
Adding a User with a Microsoft Account:
Click Start Menu -> Open Settings -> Accounts -> **Family & other users* -> **Add someone else to this PC **-> enter email then click finish.
Adding a User as a Local Account:
Click Start Menu -> Open Settings -> Accounts -> Family & other users -> Add someone else to this PC -> click I don’t have this person’s sign-in information -> click Add a user without a Microsoft account -> then create username, password, and security questions
What are two Privacy Setting examples? (2)
- Data Collection (allows Microsoft to process usage telemetry. It affects use of speech and input personalization, language settings, general diagnostics, and activity history)
- App permissions (allow or deny access to devices such as the location service, camera, and microphone and to user data such as contacts, calendar items, email, and files)
The desktop can be configured to use local settings and personalized to adjust its appearance. What are the two main purposes Time & Language settings are used for? (2)
- Set the correct date/time and time zone. (Keeping the PC synchronized to an accurate time source is important for processes such as authentication and backup)
- Set region options for appropriate spelling and localization, keyboard input method, and speech recognition.
What do the Personalization settings do?
Allow you to select and customize themes, which set the appearance of the desktop environment.
What are five category’s included in the Personalization and theme settings? (5)
- Desktop wallpaper
- Screen saver
- Color scheme
- Font
- Properties for the Start Menu and Taskbar
What do Ease of Access settings do?
Configure input and output options to best suit each user.
What are the three main settings groups in the Ease of Access settings? (3)
- Vision configures options
(For cursor indicators, high-contrast and color-filter modes, and the Magnifier zoom tool. Additionally, the Narrator tool can be used to enable audio descriptions of the current selection)
- Hearing configures options
(For volume, mono sound mixing, visual notifications, and closed-captioning)
- Interaction configures options
(For keyboard and mouse usability. The user can also enable speech- and eye-controlled input methods)
Where can Ease of Access settings be configured?
Through Settings or via Control Panel
(Note: in Windows 11, these settings are found under the Accessibility heading)
What does File Explorer allow you to do to files and folders? (6)
- Open
- Copy
- Move
- Rename
- View
- Delete
File Explorer’s process is run from what file?
explorer.exe
How are data files categorized, accessed, and mediated in logical storage areas on Windows?
System Objects
(Displayed in the left-hand navigation pane in File Explorer)
What are the five main System Objects? (5)
User Account, OneDrive, This PC, Network, Recycle Bin
- User Account
(Contains personal data folders) - OneDrive
(If you sign in with a Microsoft account, this shows the files and folders saved to your cloud storage) - This PC
(Also contains the personal folders from the profile but also the fixed disks and removable storage drives attached to the PC) - Network
(Contains computers, shared folders, and shared printers available over the network) - Recycle Bin
(Provides an option for recovering files and folders that have been marked for deletion)
While the System Objects represent logical storage areas, where are the actual data files written to?
Disk Drives
What is a drive?
A drive can be a single physical disk or a partition on a disk, a shared network folder mapped to a drive letter, or a removable disk. Often drives are referred to by letters.
What is the A: drive and C: drive stored as?
The A: drive is the Floppy Disk
(very rarely seen these days)
The C: drive is the Partition on the Primary fixed disk holding the Windows installation
What does every drive contain?
A directory called the root directory
What character represents the Root directory?
\ Backslash
ex. C:\
What are System Files?
System files are the files that are required for the operating system to function.
The Root directory typically contains three folders to separate system files from user data files, what are they? (3)
Windows. Program Files\Program Files (x86), and Users
- Windows
(The system root, containing drivers, logs, add-in applications, system and configuration files (notably the System32 subdirectory), fonts, and so on) - Program Files\Program Files (x86)
(Subdirectories for installed applications software. In 64-bit versions of Windows, a Program Files (x86) folder is created to store 32-bit applications) - Users
(Storage for users’ profile settings and data. Each user has a folder named after their user account. This subfolder contains NTUSER.DAT (registry data) plus subfolders for personal data files. The profile folder also contains hidden subfolders used to store application settings and customizations, favorite links, shortcuts, and temporary files)
What applet in Control Panel governs how Explorer shows folders and files?
The File Explorer Options applet
In the File Explorer Options applet, the General tab allows you to set what options? (2)
- Set options for the layout of Explorer windows
- Switch between the single-click and double-click styles of opening shortcuts
In the File Explorer Options applet, the View tab allows you to configure what? (3)
Hide extensions
Hidden files and folders
Hide protected operating system files
- Hide extensions
(for known file types—Windows files are identified by a three- or four-character extension following the final period in the file name. The file extension can be used to associate a file type with a software application. Overtyping the file extension (when renaming a file) can make it difficult to open, so extensions are normally hidden from view) - Hidden files and folders
(A file or folder can be marked as “Hidden” through its file attributes. Files marked as hidden are not shown by default but can be revealed by setting the “Show hidden files, folders, and drives” option) - Hide protected operating system files
(This configures files marked with the System attribute as hidden. Note that in Windows, File/Resource Protection prevents users (even administrative users) from deleting these files anyway)
Where can you configure file search behavior? (2)
- On the Search tab of the File Explorer Options dialog.
- Indexing Options applet (A Control Panel app related to search database maintenance.)
What does the Indexing Options applet allow you to do? (2)
- Define indexed locations
- Rebuild the index
What do Indexed locations include? (2)
- Folders
- Email data stores
What is a common cause of search problems?
A corrupted Index
Review #1 True or False? Under default settings, the user account added during setup is NOT affected by UAC (User Account Control)
False.
UAC is designed to prevent misuse of accounts with administrative privileges. Use of such privileges requires the user to approve/consent in dialog pop-up box or to enter the credentials of an Admin account. THIS SYSTEM CAN DISABLED VIA UAC SETTINGS, BUT IT IS ENABLED BY DEFAULT
Review #2 Assuming default Explorer view settings are configured, what steps should the user take to get better context of files?
Show hidden file extensions
Steps:
User must open File Explorer Options applet -> click View tab -> check the box show hidden file extensions
(Additional note: this can also be done via a check box on the View menu ribbon in File Explorer)
Review #3 A user calls to say that he clicked ‘Yes’ to a prompt to allow the browser to access the computer’s location services while using a particular site and is now worried about personal information being tracked by other sites. How can the user adjust the app permission in Windows?
Via the App permissions section under Privacy settings
(Additional note: most browser software can be configured to only allow location information on a per-site basis)
Review #4 You are assisting a home user who wants her spouse to be able to sign in to a new Windows laptop using a Microsoft account, Is this possible, and if so, which management interface is used?
Yes, it is possible. This can be done via the Accounts settings app.
(Additional note: you can also use the legacy control panel on both Win 10 & 11)
What does the System Settings page in the Settings app present options for? (6)
- Configuring input and output devices
- Power
- Remote desktop
- Notifications
- Clipboard (data copying)
- About page
What do Advanced settings allow configuration of? (6)
- Performance options
(To configure desktop visual effects for best appearance or best performance) - Paging
(Manually configure virtual memory) - Operation mode
- Startup and recovery options
- Environment variables
(Environment variables set various useful file paths) - User profiles.
The computer can be set to favor performance of either foreground or background processes. which process is more recommended?
A desktop PC should always be left optimized for foreground processes.
Update and Security settings, what are aspects used for it? (2)
- Patch management
(Is an important maintenance task to ensure that PCs operate reliably and securely. A patch or update is a file containing replacement system or application code. The replacement file fixes some sort of coding problem in the original file. The fix could be made to improve reliability, security, or performance) - Security apps
(Detect and block threats to the computer system and data, such as viruses and other malware in files and unauthorized network traffic)
What does Windows Update do?
Hosts critical updates and security patches plus optional software and hardware device driver updates.
Where can can update detection and scheduling be configured?
Via Settings > Update & Security or Windows Update
(Win 10 or Win 11)
What is a Feature Update?
This type of update is released periodically and introduces changes to OS features and tools.
Where can you find Update activity/history?
Windows Event Viewer (in the Applications and Service Logs > Microsoft\Windows > WindowsUpdateClient > Operational log file)
What should you do if an update fails to install?
Go into Windows Event Viewer (in the Applications and Service Logs > Microsoft\Windows > WindowsUpdateClient > Operational log file)
Check the log to find the cause; the update will fail with an error code that you can look up on the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
What does the Windows Security page contain?
Shortcuts to the management pages for the built-in Windows Defender virus/threat protection and firewall product.
What is Microsoft Product Activation?
An antipiracy technology that verifies that software products are legitimately purchased. You must activate Windows within a given number of days after installation. After the grace period, certain features will be disabled until the system is activated over the Internet using a valid product key or digital license.
What is Plug-and-Play?
Windows automatically detects when a new device is connected, locates drivers for it, and installs and configures it with minimal user input.
(*Note: When using a 64-bit edition of Windows, you must obtain 64-bit device drivers. 32-bit drivers will not work)
What interfaces are used to perform hardware device configuration and management? (5)
- The System settings pages
(Contain options for configuring Display and Sound devices) - The Devices settings pages
(Contain options for input devices (mice, keyboards, and touch), print/scan devices, and adding and managing other peripherals attached over Bluetooth or USB) - Phone settings
(Allow a smartphone to be linked to the computer) - Devices and Printers applet in Control Panel
(Provides an interface for adding devices manually and shortcuts to the configuration pages for connected devices) - Device Manager
(Is the Primary interface for configuring and managing hardware devices in Windows. Device Manager enables the administrator to disable and remove devices, view hardware properties and system resources, and update device drivers. Also provides an advanced management console interface for managing both system and peripheral devices.
What are the principal Display configuration settings?
- Scale
(A large high-resolution screen can use quite small font sizes for the user interface) - Color
(When the computer is used for graphics design, the monitor must be calibrated to ensure that colors match what the designer intends. - Multiple displays
(If the desktop is extended over multiple screens, the relative positions should be set correctly so that the cursor moves between them in a predictable pattern) - Resolution and refresh rate
(Most computers are now used with TFT or OLED display screens. These screens are really designed to be used only at their native resolution and refresh rate. Windows should detect this and configure itself appropriately, but they can be manually adjusted if necessary)
What do you use the Sound applet in Settings or in Control Panel for?
To choose input (microphone) and output (headphones/speakers) devices and to set and test audio levels.
What does Power management allow Windows to do?
To selectively reduce or turn off the power supplied to hardware components.
What do Privacy Settings do?
Govern the usage data that Windows is permitted to collect and what device functions are enabled for which apps.
Is it possible for a computer to be configured to enter a power-saving mode automatically?
Yes, for example, if there is no use of an input device for a set period.
(This is important to avoid wasting energy when the computer is on but not being used and to maximize run-time when on battery power. The user can also put the computer into a power-saving state rather than shutting down)
What does ACPI stand for?
Advanced Configuration and Power Interface
What is ACPI designed to do?
Designed to ensure software and hardware compatibility for different power-saving modes.
There are several levels of ACPI power mode, starting with S0, what is this level supposed to be?
powered on
There are several levels of ACPI power mode, ending with S5, what is this level supposed to be?
soft power off
