Management Features New To Windows Vista - System Tools

System Tools

• New /B switch in CHKDSK for NTFS volumes which clears marked bad sectors on a volume and reevaluates them.
• Windows System Assessment Tool, a built-in benchmarking tool, analyzes the different subsystems (graphics, memory, etc.), produces a Windows Experience Index (formerly Windows Performance Rating) and uses the results to allow for comparison to other Windows Vista systems, and for software optimizations. The optimizations can be made by both Windows and third-party software.
• Windows Backup (code-named SafeDocs) allows automatic backup of files, recovery of specific files and folders, recovery of specific file types, or recovery of all files. With Windows Vista Business, Enterprise or Ultimate, the entire disk can be backed up to a Complete PC Backup and Restore image and restored when required. Complete PC Restore can be initiated from within Windows Vista, or from the Windows Vista installation disc in the event that Windows cannot start up normally from the hard disk. Backups are created in Virtual PC format and therefore can be mounted using Microsoft Virtual PC. The Backup and Restore Center gives users the ability to schedule periodic backups of files on their computer, as well as recovery from previous backups.
• Windows Update has been revised, and now runs completely as a control panel application, not as a web application as in prior versions of Windows.
• System Restore is now based on Shadow Copy technology instead of a file-based filter and is therefore more proactive at creating useful restore points. Restore points are now "volume-level", meaning that performing a restore will capture the state of an entire system at a point in time. These can also be restored using the Windows Recovery Environment when booting from the Windows Vista DVD, and an "undo" restore point can be created prior to a restore, in case a user wishes to return to the pre-restored state.
• System File Checker is integrated with Windows Resource Protection which protects registry keys and folders too besides critical system files. Using Sfc.exe, specific folder paths can be checked, including the Windows folder and the boot folder. Also, scans can be performed against an offline Windows installation folder to replace corrupt files, in case the Windows installation is not bootable. For performing offline scans, System File Checker must be run from another working installation of Windows Vista or a later operating system or from the Windows setup DVD which gives access to the Windows Recovery Environment.
• System Configuration (MSConfig) allows configuring various switches for Windows Boot Manager and Boot Configuration Data. It can also launch a variety of tools, such as system information, network diagnostics etc. and enable or disable User Account Control.
• Windows Installer 4.0 (MSI 4.0) includes support for features such as User Account Control, Restart Manager, and Multilingual User Interface.
• Problem Reports and Solutions is a new control panel user interface for Windows Error Reporting which allows users to see previously sent problems and any solutions or additional information that is available.
• Windows Task Manager has a new "Services" tab which gives access to the list of all Windows services, and offers the ability to start and stop any service as well as enable/disable the UAC file and registry virtualization of a process. Additionally, file properties, the full path and command line of started processes, and DEP status of processes can be viewed. It also allows creating a dump file which can be useful for debugging.
• Disk Defragmenter can be configured to automatically defragment the hard drive on a regular basis. It features cancellable, low I/O priority, shadow copy-aware defragmentation. It can also defragment the NTFS Master File Table (MFT). The user interface has been simplified, with the color graph, progress indicator and other information such as file system, free space etc., being removed entirely. Chunks of data over 64MB in size will not be defragmented; Microsoft has stated that this is because there is no discernible performance benefit in doing so. The defragmenter is not based on an MMC snap-in. The command line utility defrag.exe offers more control over the defragmentation process. This utility can be used to defragment specific volumes and to just analyze volumes as the defragmenter would in Windows XP. Windows Vista Service Pack 1 adds back the ability to specify which volumes are to be defragmented to the GUI.
• The Disk Management console has been improved to allow the creation and the resizing of disk volumes without any data loss. Partitions (volumes) can be resized before starting Windows Vista setup or after installation.
• Group Policy settings let administrators set ACLs for the volume interface for disks, CD or DVD drives, tape and floppy disk drives, USB flash drives and other portable devices.