Ten Windows 2000 Quick Fixes
by Jim Boyce01/08/2001
Like Windows NT, Windows 2000 is a complex operating system with its share of quirks. Overcoming most of those quirks doesn't require a computer science degree, but it does require a little knowledge. Here are ten Windows 2000 quick fixes to get you started.
Recover from a forgotten Administrator password. Forgetting the Administrator password can be either a nuisance or a complete disaster. Before you agonize over the lost password, however, take a few seconds to check for a simple mistake. Your password is case sensitive, so try re-entering it using the opposite case.
If that doesn't work, and you can boot the system to get read/write access to the system folder (the one containing Windows 2000), you can delete the file
\%systemroot%\System32\Config\SAM, which contains the accounts. Reboot and you'll now have a new Administrator account with a blank password. You'll lose all accounts other than the Administrator account, but at least you'll be able to boot the system and access your applications and data without having to reinstall Windows 2000.If neither of these approaches works, check out Winternals. Both its ERD Commander Professional and NTRecover with the NT Locksmith add-on provide a means of changing any password, including the Administrator account. In addition, both tools provide the ability to boot a completely dead system and recover data from the system.
Turn off or remove conflicting or unneeded devices. Windows 2000 makes configuring hardware much easier than Windows NT. Its support for Plug-and-Play means that in many cases you can simply install a device, then boot Windows 2000 and let it detect and install support for the device. In the case of legacy devices or where the system contains several devices, there is the possibility of a resource conflict. For example, a device might share the same interrupt or base I/O address as another device.
While you might be able to change the resource allocation for a device and clear up a conflict, in some cases you can't. For example, there might not be any available IRQs (Interrupt Request Lines) for reassignment, or the conflicting devices don't support the available IRQs. In such a situation you can turn off the conflicting device and enable it only when you need it, or remove the device altogether. An alternative to removing or disabling a device is to use hardware profiles.
Control services remotely. The Services console works great when you need to manage services locally (start, stop, pause, restart, etc.). In some cases, you might also need to manage services for a computer remotely. You might, for example, have a remote server that isn't readily accessible because it's located in a branch office several hundred miles away. If you have a VPN (Virtual Private Network) or a lease-line connection to the remote network, you can use the Computer Management console to manage the remote computer's services, just as you would for the local computer. Another option is to use the NETSVC command to manage remote services. You also can run a telnet session and manage services from a command console.
Change the location of the Startup folder(s). The Startup folders (one for all users and one for the currently logged-on user) are defined by settings in the registry. The Startup folder that applies to all users is located in \Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup. The current user's Startup folder is located in \Documents and Settings\user\Start Menu\Programs\Startup, where 'user' is the user's logon name. The Startup folders are located in %systemroot%\Profiles\user\Start Menu\Programs\Startup, if you've upgraded from Windows NT.
You can change the location of the Startup folders if desired. You might want to point the Startup folder for all users to a folder on a network server so all users have the same set of startup applications. Or you might need to move the Startup folder to a disk with more space. In either case, moving the Startup folder is simply a matter of changing the registry entry that defines it.
Modify the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft \Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders for the common Startup folder or HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft \Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders for the individual user's Startup folder. Note: Be extra careful whenever you edit the registry, as incorrect changes can destroy your system.
Use multiple instances for frequent printer setting changes. Windows 2000, like Windows NT and Windows 9x, can maintain a single copy of a printer driver but use multiple instances of the driver. Each instance has its own name and settings but uses the same print driver and physical printer. The advantage to using multiple instances is that you can configure each instance with its own group of settings for paper tray, page layout, and so on.
When you want to print using a particular group of settings, you simply select the printer by name from the printer list in the application. You save the time and trouble of opening the Printers folder, making changes, then printing. It's basically a one-click fix for frequent printer setting changes. Just run the Add Printer wizard, select an existing driver, and tell Windows 2000 to keep the existing driver. Configure the new instance with a recognizable name, then configure its settings as needed.
Log in as a user and run a command console or other application as Administrator. It's a good idea to use a user account without administrator privileges as your primary account, particularly if your system is connected directly to the Internet or if you spend a lot of time online. Trojan Horse applications and viruses (not to mention hackers) can do a lot more damage on a system that is logged on as Administrator than as a user. Running an application as a user also prevents you from accidentally making changes you did not want to make.
In some cases, though, you might need to run an application or open a command console with administrator privileges. You can use the RUNAS command to do just that. You also can hold down the Shift key, right-click a program or shortcut, and choose Run As from the context menu to start a program in a different user context. Windows 2000 prompts you for the user credentials.
Display a special logon message. In today's litigious business world, legal technicalities often overshadow good sense. Since you have to give reasonable notice to potential thieves and hackers that your system is off limits to improve your chances of prosecuting them, you may want to display a custom message during logon that warns the person logging on that the system is restricted and that there are legal consequences for unauthorized access. Or perhaps you simply want to broadcast a message of the day or other information at logon. You can do so by defining a group policy setting. This message appears in a dialog box before the user is prompted for user name and password. You'll find two settings in the Local Policies\Security Options branch of the Local Security Policy console that controls the logon message: 1) Message text for users attempting to log on, and 2) Message title for users attempting to log on. You also can configure the same policies at the site, domain, or Organizational Unit (OU) levels.
Retain the same settings when logging on from different computers on the network. If you log on from different computers on the network you probably want to have the same working environment no matter where you go. The trick is to use a roaming profile, which gets applied each time you log on. In addition to registry settings that define such things as desktop color and other working environment properties, the profile includes common folders such as Application Data, My Documents, Favorites, Desktop, and Start Menu.
When considering whether to use a roaming profile, bear in mind that the profile folders and their contents are actually copied across the network to the current computer. If your folders (such as My Documents) contain a large number of files or very large files, it can take a while and generate a lot of network traffic to copy the data across the network when you log on. Check the amount of data contained in the user profile before deciding whether or not to use profiles.
Turn off automatic addressing. Windows 2000 supports Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA), which enables a Windows 2000 computer to automatically assign itself an IP address in the class B address range 169.254.n.n (subnet mask 255.255.0.0), when no DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server is available from which to obtain an IP address lease.
In some cases, you might not want Windows 2000 to automatically assign an address. For example, where DHCP services are available, automatic address assignment can temporarily mask connectivity problems because the computer assigns itself an address rather than generate an error. Whatever your reason for wanting to disable APIPA, you disable it through a simple registry change. Create a DWORD value named IPAutoconfigurationEnabled in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services \Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\adapter_name registry key and set the value to 0 to disable APIPA.
Host multiple sites on one IP address. Perhaps you're setting up a Windows 2000 Server computer to use as a Web server and need to know how to host multiple sites with just one IP address. With IP addresses at a premium, this type of problem is common. You can use one of two methods to host multiple sites on a single IP address: use host headers or use varying TCP ports. (Unfortunately, you can host only one site under Windows 2000 Professional.)
Host headers are the best solution because they eliminate the need for users to remember the port number for a particular site. You configure the host header through the Internet Information System (IIS) console. Open the properties for the site and click on the Advanced on the Web Site tab to set the host header and port. You can also configure the port setting through the same dialog. However, using a nonstandard port is generally a poor solution. Use host headers whenever possible, instead.
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Jim Boyce is a former contributing editor and monthly columnist for WINDOWS Magazine. Jim has authored and coauthored over 45 books about computer software and hardware and is a frequent contributor to winmag.com, techrepublic.com, and other technical publications. He has been involved with computers since the late '70s as a programmer and systems manager in a variety of capacities. He has a wide range of experience in the DOS, Windows, Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Unix environments. In addition to a full-time writing career, Jim is a founding partner and the vice president of Minnesota Webworks, a Midwest-based Web development firm.
O'Reilly & Associates recently released (December 2000) Windows 2000 Quick Fixes.
Sample Chapter 12, Users, Policies, Certificates, and Security, is available free online.
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