bootup process of windows

the process which happens from the time the computer is switch on to the time user logon is called as bootup process.

steps of bootup process

• preboot sequence
• boot sequence
• kernal load
• kernal initialization
• logon

preboot sequence divided into 3 steps

• post (power on self test)
• MBR (master boot record loading)
• nt loader (ntldr loading)
  

print devices (printers)

the print device is a hardware device that is used to take the hard copy of the document.

local printer

when the print device is physically attached to computer it becomes a local printer for the particular computer.

network printer

a shared print device which could be accessed by the client of a network is called as a network printer.

print server

a computer which is physically attached with a print device and also dedicated to control print related activities.

requirement of a print server

• higher harddisk capacity
• higher memory capacity

print drivers

a software interface between the print device and the operating system called as print drivers.

print spooling

in windows when a print job is added to the print que .its automatically and temporarily saved to the harddisk.this is calling spooling.

account lockout policy

an account threshold / reset account lockout counter after the number of invalid logon attempts allowed before and account is lockout indicated here.the time duration that an account is kept logged and account logon counter reset 1 and acount is locked out.

password policy

password policy is a set of rules designed to enhance computer security by encouraging users to employ strong passwords and use them properly. A password policy is often part of an organization's official regulations and may be taught as part of security awareness training. The password policy may either be advisory or mandated by technical means.

enforce password history

the number here indicate no of passwords which are that kept in the history. when a password is added to the history page it cannot be reassign until it released.

maximum password age

the no of days that the password can be kept at maximum indicated here. if a password is not changed within this duration its expired.

minimum password age

this means the no of days that a password must be kept before changing.

minimum password length

With this policy setting, you can assign a minimum number of characters for account passwords. The number can be anything from 0 to 14. It is generally recommended that passwords be a minimum of 7 or 8 characters to make them sufficiently secure.

maximum password length

this means the maximum characters you can put in for a password.
the maximum password length is 128 characters

password must meet complexity requirement

when this option is enabled the password must be consisted with lower and uppercase letters and numbers or alphabets,numbers and symbols.

understanding security policy

security policy is a definition of what it means to be secure for a system organization or other entity. For an organization, it addresses the constraints on behaviour of its members as well as constraints imposed on adversaries by mechanisms such as doors, locks, keys and walls. For systems, the security policy addresses constraints on functions and flow among them, constraints on access by external systems and adversaries including programs and access to data by people.

what is user account

A user account is a profile that defines user rights, customizations and settings. By utilizing user accounts on computers with more then one user, each user is able to specify and retain their personal environments.

user accounts also divided into 2 ways

• Local user accounts
• Domain user accounts

whai is user profile

a user profile is a record of user-specific data that define the user's working environment. The record can include display settings, application settings, and network connections. What the user sees on his or her computer screen, as well as what files, applications and directories they have access to, is determined by how the network administrator has set up the user's profile.

preboot sequence

During startup, a Windows Server 2003-based computer initializes the boot portion of the hard disk and the
preboot sequence begins. This sequence consists of four steps

• the computer runs power-on self test (POST) process to determine the amount of physical memory

• The hardware components are present

• If the computer has a Plug and Play (BIOS), enumeration and configuration of hardware devices occurs

• The computer BIOS locates the boot device and loads and runs the master boot record (MBR)

administrator privileges

you must have administrator privileges to do the following things.

• install network components
• client for Microsoft networks
• file and printer sharing in Microsoft networks
• (TCP/IP) internet protocol
  

benefit of NTFS partitions

NTFS is the recommended file system for Windows XP and provides a number of benefits in terms of functionality, security, stability, availability, reliability, and performance.

NTFS supports for

• file permissions & folder permissions
• supports maximum file capacity
• supports encryption
• supports compressions
• supports disk quota