Module 2: Installing Windows NT
Preparing for Installation |
- Windows NT requires a CD-ROM drive when installing
on RISC-based computers. When installing on an Intel-based computer, you can use a network
installation if you don't have a CD-ROM drive.
- CPU
- Intel 80486/33 or above.
- MIPS R4400- or above
- Digital Alpha AXP-based computer
- PReP-compliant PowerPC-based computer
- Memory
- Intel: 16 MB for NT server, 12 MB for WS
- RISC: 16 MB for both server and WS
- Free hard disk space (Note: also depends on cluster size)
- Intel: 125 MB for typical server installation, 110 MB for WS
- RISC: 160 MB for server, 110 for WS
- Windows NT Hardware Qualifier (NTHQ) is a utility that
defines the hardware installed on a computer and is included on the Windows NT
installation CD-ROM. You have to put the program on floppy disk and reboot with that disk
to use the application. It only works on Intel-based computers.
System Partition
- NT requires a SYSTEM partition to store files needed to boot NT
- On Intel x86 based computers the ACTIVE BOOT PARTITION usually C:\ is the system
partition. This is the partition the computer BOOTS from
- It's the old opposite thing: The SYSTEM partition is where the boot files are; the BOOT
partition is where the NT system files are (\winntroot). These two CAN be on the same
DISK. No prob.
- Stripe sets, volume sets or other fault tolerance volumes
on a hard disk appear as partitions of an unknown type in the setup screen. To make
changes to these, you have to backup the data on it, partition the disk and restore the
data.
FAT
Allows access to
NOTE |
To enable Windows NT to dual boot with other Operating
System (s) (OS), the system partition must be FAT. Windows NT does not support FAT32 (used
by Windows OSR2). |
NTFS
You should use NTFS when:
- Windows NT is the only operating system in use.
- File level security is required.
- Permissions must be preserved while migrating
directories and files from a Novell NetWare server!!
- Windows NT file compression is needed.
- Services for Macintosh will be used for file and printer
sharing.
Note:
If (during setup) a NTFS is created, setup will format the
partition as FAT and mark it to be converted to NTFS after installation. |
- A Fat partition can be safely converted to NTFS, using the
"convert.exe" command.
- When creating a partition during installation, the partition is always formatted as FAT.
Even if you choose to format the partition as NTFS, the initial format is FAT. At the end
of the installation, the system restarts and the partition is converted to NTFS. Because
of this, a problem occurs if you want to create an NTFS partition larger than 4 GB during
installation. Because FAT has a maximum partition size of 4 GB, a partition larger than 4
GB cannot be created during installation.
- Work around:
- Choose to create a partition of 4 GB or less. After installation completed, extend NTFS
partition by adding unused space to the partition.
On another computer, format the drive greater than 4 GB, the move to the new computer and
install NT.
- Installing Windows NT on a RISC-based computer forces you
to format the C-drive with FAT and a minimum of 2MB of free disk space to store the two
required files, Hal.dll and Osloader.exe.
HPFS
- High Performance File System was used with OS/2 and LAN Manager
- It was the first to support LFNs.
- It also had better file security, but that security isn't compatible with NTFS.
- IT ISN'T SUPPORTED IN WINDOWS NT 4.0
- A special utility ACLCONV.exe converts HPFS volumes (from early MS-based systems) to an
NTFS equivalent. Whenever you see HPFS mentioned in questions, it is likely to be a red
herring.
Windows NT knows three server roles:
- Primary Domain Controller (PDC)
- Backup Domain Controller (BDC)
- Stand-Alone, or Member Server when it is part
of a domain.
Notes about Member Servers
- has nothing to do with user accounts and logon
- cannot be promoted to PDC or BDC without reinstalling NT
Any BDC can validate logon requests from:
- Windows NT.
- Windows for Workgroups (WFW).
- LAN manager.
- MS-DOS with enhanced redirector installed.
Assorted points you should know about servers in the
domain.
Notes about Member Servers
- has nothing to do with user accounts and logon
- cannot be promoted to PDC or BDC without reinstalling NT
- Member servers can provide file, print, and application
services more efficiently than a BDC or PDC, because they don't participate in
validation requests.
- A member server can only be promoted to a PDC or BDC
by reinstalling Windows NT.
- LAN manager servers, can join a domain, but cannot
validate any logon requests from Windows NT clients.
- PDCs or BDCs cannot migrate between domains (you will
have to reinstall). They MUST remain in the original domain.
- Computers running Windows NT/WS or member servers can
migrate between domains because each has its own local user account database and it's own
SID.
- Domain names can be changed. Think of the domain
name being associated with the SID
- The domain Security Identifier (SID)
- A unique numeric value that identifies a domain, not a
domain name.It is included in all user, group, and computer accounts that are created in
the domain.
The SID is created during installation. The only way to
change the domain's SID is to reinstall. In order to move a PDC to a new domain you need a
new domain SID. This is why you need to reinstall the PDC.
Although a member server may be part of a domain, it does
not have the domains SID.
- When changing the domain name, you have to change the
domain name on the PDC first, followed by the domain name on every computer in the
domain. The new name will be associated with the domain's SID.
Note:
- When you do change the domain name, you will also have to
create new trust relationships, if any existed.
|
Choosing a Licensing Mode |
This is covered in detail elsewhere
CAL = Client Access License.
With Per Server licensing, each CAL is assigned to
a particular server and allows one connection to that server (you will be allowed to
connect to multiple shares with that server).
With Per Seat licensing, a CAL applies to a
specific client or seat. After a client is licensed for Windows NT Server, it has
permission to access all the computers running Windows NT Server throughout the
organization.
If you are not sure what sort of licensing method to
choose, choose Per Server. There is a one time conversion possibility to Per Seat (and
only from Per Server --> Per Seat, not Per Seat to Per Server!!). To do this, use
the license program in control panel.
- Windows NT comes with three floppy disks, which contain a
minimal version of Windows NT. You will have to use these before you can access the CD-ROM
and format the desired partition. The first disk is to be used as a boot disk.
- For RISC-based computers you will have to install Windows
NT directly from the CD-ROM using the "setupldr" program. This program is
invoked directly from the CD-ROM.
Note: Regardless of
the platform, once setup is started it looks the same on all of them. |
During the installation of Windows NT/WS you will have
4 setup options:
1: Typical installs:
- Accessibility options.
- All accessories except for desktop wallpaper and mouse
pointers.
- All communication programs.
- All multimedia components except sound schemes.
2: Portable installs:
- Accessibility options
- All accessories except for desktop wallpaper and mouse
pointers.
- All communication programs.
- All multimedia components supported by the hardware.
- TCP/IP is the default protocal installed
- Dialin Networking is also installed by default
3: Compact installs:
- Only components required be Windows NT are installed.
4: Custom
- User chooses
Note:
For Windows NT Server you only have the Custom
option, this is invoked automatically. |
Creating and Joining a Domain |
- If the computer that you install is a PDC, you will have to
provide a unique domain name, which does not conflict with any other existing computer- or
domain name (s).
After that the SID will be created.
Note: Workgroup and domain can share the same names
but this can get very confusing:
- Workgroup computers are not members of the domain and are
not included in the domain.
- The workgroup computers will appear in the Windows NT
explorer with the domain computers, which makes it hard to recognize what belongs where.
- Only workgroup computers running Windows NT can be administered with Windows NT
Adminstrative Tools.
- Adding computers to a domain is default right of:
- Administrator,
- Domain Admins, and
- Account Operators.
- For any computer to join the domain, you must create computer account on the PDC either
prior to or during the installation and supply a computer name domain name during
installation. For member server or WS, you can join domain during (as BDC) or after
installation.
- You can grant the user the right to create a computer acccount during installation, but
this means giving admin rights to a user
During the initialization portion, setup requires the
following info (Server and NT/WS) :
- Whether to upgrade or not.
- Confirmation of detected hardware.
- Partition on which to install to.
- The type of file system. By default, the existing file
system (FAT) for the selected partition will be retained, but setup offers the option to
convert FAT to NTFS
- A location for the Windows NT files (default =
drive:\winnt).
The following is an overview of the various steps for
installing Windows NT. "X", in the options column marks if information is needed
for Windows NT.
Phase 1 begins with the appearance of the Windows NT
Setup Wizard.
|
Is info Needed? |
Gathering information |
WS |
Server |
Installation
method, such as Typical or custom |
X
|
|
Name and org.
information of the person who is licensed |
X
|
X
|
Licensing mode |
|
X
|
Computer name (up
to 15 characters, and must be unique) |
X
|
X
|
Type of Server |
|
X
|
Password for the
administrator account |
X
|
X
|
Whether to make a
emergency repair disk |
X
|
X
|
Installation of
the optional results (if you choose Custom install on NT/WS) |
X
|
X
|
Phase 2
Phase 2 begins when the Wizard introduces "Installing Windows NT Networking" |
Installation of Windows NT networking |
WS |
Server |
Specify what
components should be installed |
X
|
X
|
Should IIS be
installed |
|
X
|
Installation of
the NIC (Network Interface Card) |
X
|
X
|
Choose protocols
- Workstation default: TCP/IP
- Server defaults: TCP/IP and NWLink
|
X
|
X
|
Optional and
additional network services. By default these are installed:
- the Computer Browser
- NetBIOS interface
- RPC configuration
- Server Service
- Workstation Service
|
X
|
X
|
Select if you
want to join a domain or workgroup |
X
|
X
|
Note: when asked to select
a domain or workgroup during the Setup, you can create a computer account by selecting
"Create computer account in domain" and enter administrator user name and
password. |
The Wizard introduces "Finishing Setup"
To finish setup some final info is needed:
- Timezone, date, and time.
- Exchange inbox configuration (if selected to use exchange).
- Videocard driver.
Now you can make a Emergency
Repair Disk if you want to.
Performing a Server Based Installation |
In order to use a server based network installation you
need to setup a distribution server, do this in one of the
following ways:
- Use the Windows NT explorer or the "xcopy"
command to copy the subdirectory from the CD-ROM (like i386) to a shared folder. You can
copy the "drvlib" too if needed (make sure you copy the hidden files to !!!).
- Include the /s switch to make sure all the subfolders are
included
- OR Share the Windows NT
directory on the CD-ROM. This is slower, but doesn't use up the 40 MB of space needed for
the install files.
Note: On RISC-based
computers this method can only be used to upgrade or reinstall. |
Installing Windows NT Using Winnt.exe |
"winnt.exe" is used for installing Windows
NT, it follows three steps:
- Creates three startup disks.
- Creates a "$Win_nt$.~ls" temporary folder and
copies Windows NT Server files to this folder.
- Prompts the user to restart the computer with the first
floppy to boot.
There are several switches that can be used with the
"winnt.exe" command.
- The "/u", requires the "/s" switch to
specify the location of the Windows NT files. It automatically uses the "/b".
the switch also bypasses the final installation text screen and reboots automatically.
- The "/udf" is also used with an unattended
install.
- / B installs NT without the set of 3 floppies.
This is usually the case when using a network installation. (This option requires 4-5 MB
of disk space. It creates a $ldr$ file and a $Win_nt$.~bt temporary folder.
Winnt32.exe
Is similar to "winnt.exe" but is used on
computers already running Windows NT, to upgrade them from a previous version.
"Winnt32.exe" does not support the /f,
or /c switches.
It is much faster than "winnt.exe" and runs in
the background while a server is running, it also calculates the amount of downtime.
If possible you should have multiple places where NT
source files are stored and then use multiple "/s" switches, Windows NT will
balance the load and copy the files from multiple Servers. This will increase performance.
Performing an Unattended Installation |
This is done with the /u option and is used to specify the ANSWER file.
- By editing a copy of the "unattend.txt" file
(which is included with the Windows NT/WS Resource Kit) you can create an Unattended
Answer File, or you can use the Setup Manager utility that is available on the Windows NT
CD-ROM.
You can then further customize the various setup
configurations by using Uniqueness Database Files (to identify settings unique to a
computer). The UDFs are used to provide replacements for sections of the answer file
or to supply extra sections. The file is indexed via strings called uniqueness IDs.
The UDF is used to specify a set of sections that should
be merged into the answer file at the start of the GUIs setup. It takes place
before any affected components actually read the components of the answer file.
To specify such an installation, use either
"winnt.exe" or "winnt32.exe as follows:
WINNT /U:answer_filename /UDF: ID [,database filename]
ID is the uniquemess ID to use while installing Windows
NT.
- When a failure occurs on the Windows NT start or
installation, use NTHQ to check that all of the hardware is being detected and that the
hardware is on the HCL
Upgrading to Windows NT 4.0 |
- The following table describes the possibilities for
upgrading:
Upgrade from |
To Server 4.0
DC |
To Server 4.0
Member server |
To workstation 4.0 |
WS 3.51 |
No
|
Yes |
Yes |
Member Server
3.51 |
No
|
Yes |
No
|
DC 3.51 |
Yes |
No
|
No
|
Note: You cannot
upgrade from Windows 95 to NT 4.0, in order to install NT 4.0 install it in a seperate
directory and delete all the Windows 95 files and directories. After that you will have to
reinstall all applications. The best way to do all this is backup all your data, format
the drive and install NT 4.0 |
The upgrading preserves existing registry settings,
including:
- User and group accounts.
- Network settings and configuration.
- Desktop environments.
- Preferences set for the administrative tools.
- When using setup, Windows NT creates two initial parameter
files that contain info on how the setup will take place. Setup gathers this info from
either the command line switches or from the "unattend.txt". The two files
created in two modes:
- A text mode file "Winnt.sif". Where it is
placed depends on the computer architecture.
- X-86 based computers: if the "/b" switch is used,
the file will be placed in the "$win_nt$.~ls" directory. If the "/b"
is not used, it will be placed on the second disk.
- RISC-based computers: the file is located in the
"$win_nt$.~ls\architecture directory
The text mode file will contain the following entries:
Entries |
Explanation |
[data]
msdosinitiated="1"
floppyless="1"
uniqueid="C:\WINNT\LCK" |
msdosinitiated,
indicates if setup was started by winnt/winnt32 or from CD-ROM. Set to "1"
indicates that it was started by winnt/winnt32. Floppyless, "1" means that "/b" was used.
Uniqueid, identifies the installation to upgrade (if the
computer has multiple Windows NT installations) |
- A graphical mode initial parameter
"$winnt$.inf" that is located in the systemroot\system32 directory. This
file gives info such as whether or not an upgrade was performed, and where the source
files are located.
Note: If you are
shown a file with other entries than the ones mentioned in text mode section, you may
conclude that it concerns a graphical mode parameter file. |
Applications that do not support scripted installations,
can be installed during Windows NT Setup only by using this utility! The process to use
sysdiff.exe is to:
- Use sysdiff /snap snapshot_file to create a snapshot of a
reference computer (that needs to have the same architecture as the destination computer).
Also the %systemroot%, such as c:\winnt, must be the same.
- Install the applications that will be installed by Windows
NT Setup on the reference computer.
- Use sysdiff /diff snapshot_file difference_file to create a
difference file on the reference computer. This file will contain; binairy files for any
applications that where installed, as well as any "*.ini" settings or registry
settings for the application.
After sysdiff.exe is used there are two ways to add the
applications:
- During setup: place the different files in
$oem$\Oemfiles\$$root and add the "sysdiff/apply difference_file" command to the
$oem$\Oemfiles\Cmdlines.txt file.
- To an already excisting Windows NT installation: go
to a command prompt and run "sysdiff /apply difference_file" to apply the
difference file.
- "sysdiff /dump difference_file dump_file" can be
used to dump the difference file to a form that can be read, to review the contents.
Removing Windows NT from a FAT or from a
NTFS partition |
From a FAT partition |
By removing the NTFS partition |
- Start Win95 or MS-DOS from a system disk that contains the
"Sys.com" file.
- From drive a: type sys c: (system files are being
transferred from the hard disk)
- Restart the system.
- To free more disk space, remove
- All paging files (Pagefile.sys
.)
- C:\boot.ini
- Nt*.*
- C:\bootsect.dos
- The \wint_root folder
- \Program files\Windows NT
|
You need the Setup
Boot Disk and You can use one of the following:
- MS-DOS 6.0 (will remove an NTFS partition, but not an
NTFS logical drive in extended MS-DOS partition)
- OS/2 1.x installation disk A, deletes all partitions on the
first physical drive.
- Windows NT Setup, using the boot disks, at the section
where you can choose to install Windows NT, you can delete a partition by highlighting it
and pressing D to delete it.
|
Note: the older
versions of fdisk will not remove an NTFS partition. |
|