Windows XP and 2000 Tips & Tricks UPDATE, June 24, 2002

Windows XP and 2000 Tips & Tricks UPDATE—brought to you by the Windows & .NET Magazine Network and the Windows 2000 FAQ site
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THIS ISSUE SPONSORED BY

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(below COMMENTARY)

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June 24, 2002—In this issue:

1. COMMENTARY

2. FAQS

3. ANNOUNCEMENTS

4. CONTACT US

1. COMMENTARY
(contributed by John Savill, FAQ Editor, [email protected])

I've installed the beta version of Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) on a couple of desktop and laptop machines, and everything looks stable so far. As a result of the antitrust court ruling, Microsoft has included a new wizard that lets you configure programs to use by default for Java, messaging, email, Internet browsing, and media access. However, Microsoft might change any of this before the final release.

This week, I explain why an Active Directory (AD)-integrated DNS server takes longer to load than a zone-based DNS server, why you receive an error when you change a "Grant To" table on a Windows NT 4.0 server, why a Windows XP client might receive an error while connecting to a Windows 2000 Server Terminal Services server, and why the Windows boot process can hang when you press the Esc key. I also tell you how to install individual applications from the Windows .NET Server (Win.NET Server) and Win2K Administration Tools pack, and how to link an XP account to your Microsoft .NET Passport.

Till next week, take care.

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2. FAQS

Q. Why does an Active Directory (AD)-integrated DNS server take longer to start than a typical zone-based DNS server?

A. Windows 2000 and later OSs can store DNS information in AD if the DNS server is a domain controller (DC). Alternatively, the OS can store DNS information on a standard primary zone-based DNS server, which is file based.

When the DNS service starts, it loads all zone information into a memory cache, regardless of whether the OS maintains the DNS information in AD or in a file. DNS information stored in a standard primary zone (i.e., read from a zone file) will load faster than information stored in an AD-integrated zone because the integrated zone must read all its records from AD. This difference in performance is simply an effect of reading information from different media (file versus AD).

Q. Why do I receive the error message "You may not remove the local logon right from the Administrators local group" when I edit user rights?

A. Before Microsoft developed the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in, administrators used the User Manager for Domains tool to manage user accounts. You might still have a need to administer a Windows NT 4.0 domain from Windows 2000 or NT 4.0 clients, which can lead to problems when you try to add or remove user accounts from the "Grant To" list in the User Rights Policy dialog box and result in the following error message:

You may not remove the local logon right from the Administrators local group. Doing so will disable all local administration of this computer.

This error can result from the following conditions:

Q. Why does my Windows XP client receive an error message when it connects to a Windows 2000 Server Terminal Services server?

A. The Microsoft Clearinghouse, which authorizes Terminal Services License servers, has made a change to the certificates that the Clearinghouse provides to terminal servers that can result in the following error message when an XP client attempts to connect to the Win2K Terminal Services server:

Because of a security error, the client could not connect to the terminal server. After making sure that you are logged on to the network, try connecting to the server again.

XP clients have a built-in Client Access License (CAL) for accessing Win2K Terminal Services servers. To resolve the error, you need to delete the XP Terminal Services License information from the registry and modify the Certificate types on the Win2K Terminal Services server. On the Win2K Terminal Services server, perform the following steps:

On the XP client, perform the following steps:

If performing these steps doesn't resolve your problem, you need to contact the Microsoft Clearinghouse to deactivate and reactivate your Win2K Terminal Services License server.

Q. Why does the Windows boot process hang on a blank screen when I press the Esc key?

A. During the Windows boot process, you can press the F5 key to specify Safe mode or the F8 key to specify boot options. Both keys have 3-byte key-codes, of which the first byte is the same as the Esc key. As a result, if you press Esc, Windows detects this byte and waits for another 2 bytes (but the key buffer is now empty because Esc is only 1 byte). To remedy this situation, press another key to fill the buffer with extra bytes and let Windows continue to boot.

Q. How can I install specific applications from the Windows .NET Server (Win.NET Server) and Windows 2000 Administration Tools pack?

A. Microsoft supplies the Win.NET Server and Win2K Administration Tools pack as one Windows Installer file (i.e., adminpak.msi). Executing the Windows Installer file installs the whole toolset to your machine. To install individual tools, perform the following steps:

Q. How can I link my Windows XP user account to my Microsoft .NET Passport?

A. You can now save information about your .NET Passport within your XP user account. Many Microsoft and third-party Web sites use .NET Passport to confirm user credentials and enable extra services (you can find information and apply at http://www.passport.com).

If your computer is part of a domain, you can integrate your .NET Passport with your XP account by performing the following steps:

If your computer isn't part of a domain but is part of a workgroup, perform the following steps:

3. ANNOUNCEMENTS
(brought to you by Windows & .NET Magazine and its partners)

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4. CONTACT US
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