Operating Systems

• Common system tools in Windows

  • Command Prompt
  • Control Panel
  • Registry
  • Task Manager
  • Device Manager
  • Remote Desktop software
  • User State Migration Tool (USMT)
  • System Restore
• Windows upgrade minimum prerequisites

  • Windows 10 (32-bit): CPU 1 GHz, RAM 1 GB, Free disk space 16 GB
  • Windows 10 (64-bit): CPU 1 GHz, RAM 2 GB, Free disk space 20 GB
  • Windows 11: CPU 1 GHz, 2 cores, RAM 4 GB, Free disk space 64 GB
• Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Snap-In


  Used for administering, configuring, and monitoring system components and services that host administrative tools to manage aspects of the OS, network, and applications.
• Master Boot Record (MBR)


  A data structure at the beginning of a storage device that is used for bootstrapping the operating system. It contains important information and code necessary to start the boot process of the computer.
• GUID Partition Table (GPT)


  A standard for partitioning a physical storage device in modern computers, replacing the older Master Boot Record (MBR)
• Logical Drive


  A section of a physical disk that is partitioned and formatted with a file system to function as an independent storage unit within the disk.
• Volume


  A single accessible storage area with a specific file system that resides on a physical disk or a part of a disk, and can be used to store files, directories, and data.
• Samba


  An open-source software suite that enables interoperability between Linux/Unix servers and windows-based clients.

  Allows non-Windows OS to act as file and print servers in Windows networks.
• Compact Disc File System (CDFS)


  A file system standard used for optical discs (CD-ROMs), which defines how data is organized and stored on optical discs.
• Network File System (NFS)


  A distributed file system protocol that allows a user on a client computer to access files over a computer network as if they were on the local disk.

  Enables sharing of files and directories between Unix like operating systems over a network.
• New Technology File System (NTFS)


  The primary file system used in Windows OS.
• File Allocation Table 32 (FAT32)


  A file system used in Windows OS that manage the space on a disk and keep track of the location of files.

  Improved version of FAT16
• ext3 and ext4 (Extended File System)


  File systems used in Linux and other Unix-like OS.

  ext3 supports a max file size of 2 TB

  ext4 supports a max file size of 16 TB
• Apple File System (AFS)


  Apple proprietary file system designed to replace the older file system, and is optimized for use with SSDs and modern storage technologies.
• Extended File Allocation Table (exFAT)


  File system used by Windows OS that is designed to be a middle ground between FAT32 and NTFS.
• Command Prompt


  Command-line interface used to interact with Windows OS without using a GUI.
• Control Panel


  Component of Windows OS that provides the ability to view and change the system settings.
• Task Manager


  A system monitoring utility for Windows OS that provides detailed information about the computer's performance, running applications, processes, and system resources.
• Remote Desktop Software (RDS)


  Allows you to access and control a computer from another device

  Ex - Splashtop, Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).
• User State Migration Tool (USMT)


  Microsoft command-line utility that allows for the migration of user data and settings from one computer to another during OS upgrade or deployment.
• System Restore


  Windows feature that allows you to revert your computer's state back to a restore point.
• Windows 10 (32-bit) minimum upgrade requirements

  CPU: 1 GHz

  RAM: 1 GB

  Free Disk Space: 16 GB
• Windows 10 (16-bit) minimum upgrade requirements

  CPU: 1 GHz

  RAM: 2 GB

  Free Disk Space: 20 GB
• Windows 11 minimum upgrade requirements

  CPU: 1 GHz, 2 cores

  RAM: 4 GB

  Free Disk Space: 64 GB