Activating and Updating Windows XP Professional

How to Configure Automatic Updates:

Windows XP also supports Automatic Updates, a feature that automatically downloads and installs new updates when they become available. You should configure the Automatic Updates feature in Windows XP to automatically download and install new updates according to a regular schedule.

To configure Automatic Updates, follow these steps:

1. From the Start menu, click Control Panel.

Automatic Updates

2. In the Control Panel window, click Performance And Maintenance.

3. In the Performance And Maintenance window, click System.

4. On the Automatic Updates tab, click the Automatic option.

5. Select how often and at what time of day updates should be downloaded and

installed. For users with dedicated connections (such as a cable modem), you

should configure Windows to check for updates daily at a time when the user is

not using the computer. Users with dial-up connections might want to check less

frequently if they are concerned about allowing their computers to connect to the

Internet automatically.

6. Click OK.

Run Programs with Different User Credentials

Windows XP Professional allows you to run programs using user credentials that are different from the currently logged-on user. Using different credentials is useful if you are troubleshooting a user’s computer and do not want to log off and log back on using administrative permissions just to perform a troubleshooting task or run a particular program. Using this method is also more secure than logging on to a user’s computer with administrative credentials.

Running a program with different credentials in Windows XP Professional relies on a built-in service named the Secondary Logon service. This service must be running (and it is by default on computers running Windows XP) to run a program with alternate credentials.

To determine whether the Secondary Logon service is running (and enable the service if it is not running), follow these steps:

1. Log on to the computer as Administrator or as a user with administrative permissions.

2. From the Start menu, click Control Panel.

3. In the Control Panel window, click Performance and Maintenance.

4. In the Performance and Maintenance window, click Administrative Tools.

5. In the Administrative Tools window, double-click Services.

6. In the Services window, locate the Secondary Logon service on the list of Services.

7. If the status for the Secondary Logon service is listed as Started, the service is

enabled, and you can close the Services window. If the status is listed as Manual

or Disabled, right-click the Secondary Logon service and click Properties.

8. On the General tab of the Secondary Logon Properties dialog box, on the Startup type drop-down list, click Automatic.

9. In the Service Status section, click Start.

10. Click OK to close the Secondary Logon Properties dialog box, and then close the Services window.

If the Secondary Logon service is running, you can run a program using different user

credentials than the currently logged-on user. On the Start menu, right-click the shortcut

for the program you want to run. On the shortcut menu, click Run As. In the Run

As dialog box that opens, you can run the program as the current user, or you can enter an alternative user name and password. Microsoft recommends logging on with a limited user account and using this technique to run applications that require administrative privileges.

Logging On and Off Windows XP Professional

Windows XP Professional offers two options for logging on locally: the Welcome screen and the Log On To Windows dialog box.

The Welcome Screen:

By default, if a computer is a member of a workgroup, Windows XP Professional uses

the Welcome screen to allow users to log on locally,click the icon for the user account you want to use. If the account requires a password,you are prompted to enter it.

The Log On To Windows Dialog Box:
To use the Log On To Windows dialog box to log on locally to
a computer running Windows XP Professional, you must supply a valid user name; if the user name is password-protected, you must also supply the password. Windows XP Professional authenticates the user’s identity during the logon process. Only valid users can access resources and data on a computer or a network. Windows XP Professional authenticates users who log on locally to the computer at which they are seated; a domain controller authenticates users who log on to a domain.

Workgroups And Domains

Windows XP Professional supports two types of network environments in which users can share common resources, regardless of network size. A workgroup consists of a number of peer-based computers, with each maintaining its own security. A domain consists of servers that maintain centralized security and directory structures and workstations that participate in those structures

How Workgroups Work:

A Windows XP Professional workgroup is a logical grouping of networked computers that share resources, such as files and printers. A workgroup is also called a peer-to peer network because all computers in the workgroup can share resources as equals (peers) without requiring a dedicated server.

 

How Domains Work:

A domain is a logical grouping of network computers that share a central directory database. A directory database contains user accounts and security information for the domain. This database, which is known as the directory, is the database portion of Active Directory service—the Windows 2003 directory service.

Major Features of Windows XP Service Pack 2

The major enhancements in Windows XP Service Pack 2 include Security Center, Automatic Updates, Windows Firewall, and Internet Explorer. This section describes these enhancements in detail.

Security Center: Security Center is an entirely new feature provided by Windows XP Service Pack 2. The Security Center service runs as a background process in Windows XP and routinely checks the status of the following components:

Windows Firewall Security Center detects whether Windows Firewall is enabled or disabled. Security Center can also detect the presence of some third-party software firewall products.

Automatic Updates Security Center detects the current Automatic Updates setting in Windows XP. If Automatic Updates is turned off or not set to the recommended settings, the Security Center provides appropriate recommendations.

Virus Protection Security Center detects the presence of antivirus software from many third-party organizations. If the information is available, the Security Center service also determines whether the software is up-to-date and whether real-time scanning is turned on.