Tech Tips

Windows NT : Installation and Configuration

Windows NT and Windows 9x can't share roaming profiles

Windows NT and Windows 9x cannot share a roaming profile. Windows 9x clients store the profile in the root of the home directory, while Windows NT clients store the profile in the profile path location. Differences also exist in the registry structure of Windows 9x and Windows NT that prevent...

Application sharing between Win9x and Windows NT

It's possible to have a computer that dual boots between Windows 95/98 and Windows NT, but since they don't share the same registry, applications must be installed twice - once for each operating system. The best way to go about this is to install the application twice to the same...

Quick disk safety nets for Windows 2000 upgrade

If you're making the move from Windows NT to Windows 2000, don't forget to take a few basic precautions. Upgrades can go wrong, and if that happens, you don't want to lose system configuration data. Although a particular peripheral device may be on the Windows HCL, you still need to...

Can't uninstall SP4 or higher?

If you're unable to uninstall a service pack, it's possible that you've reinstalled the service pack and told the installer to make a backup. If a service pack has already been installed, and you reapply it for whatever reason, the backup procedure will overwrite anything else in the backup folder...

Apply service packs with a silent install

After downloading, post-SP3 service packs can be extracted without being installed by using the command SPName.exe /x. The service pack can then be applied by using these flags following the Update.exe command. -f = Force applications to close at shutdown -u = Unattended installation -n = Do not create an...

Don't apply a 40-bit service pack over a 128-bit system

When you apply a service pack to your Windows NT server, you can choose between a 40-bit and a 128-bit version. If you're in Canada or the U.S., you probably have a 128-bit server. When you download and apply the service pack, it will check your version before installing. If...

Service Pack 6 or 6a?

Both SP6 and SP6a for NT came out quickly, seemingly one right after the other. Many admins aren't sure about how the two service packs differ and whether they both need to be applied. If for some reason you aren't entirely sure which service pack is currently installed, there's an...

What service pack am I running?

Windows NT tells you what service pack version you're running when you boot your server. But if you don't want to reboot to find out, you can use Windows NT Diagnostics instead. Select Start | Programs | Administrative Tools (Common) | Windows NT Diagnostics. You'll see your current Windows NT...

Resetting license info

Licensing is an issue that can certainly create its fair share of administrative overload, particularly if you need to reset the licensing information when changing from per server to per seat. Remember also that you can make a one-time only change from per server to per seat, but you can...

Installing extra Windows NT licenses

To install extra per-server licenses for a Windows NT Server, follow these steps: Log on to the Windows NT Server. Start the License Manager (Start | Programs | Administrative Tools | License Manager). Click the Products View tab. Click Windows NT Server. Select Properties from the License menu. Click the...