Basic Operating System Functions

There are several basic functions you must know.  These include the basics of manipulating files, changing attributes, and creating and deleting files and folders.  I won't go into this basic computer knowledge, because if you managed to get here you know most of that information already.

There are several actions you must be able to perform that are beyond basic functions.  The first of these is checking the OS version, the Device Manger, and the Control Panels.

Checking OS Version

In order to check the version of the Operating System you are using, you simply need to open the System Properties Window.  This can be done in several ways;

1. Click Start, then Settings, and then Control Panels.  Scroll down until the system icon is visible, and Double-Click that icon

2. Right-Click My Computer, and click on Properties.

This window gives us several more pieces of information besides just the operating system version.  It also tells us the Registered Key used to install the OS and the name of the registered user, which can help during re-installations and when contacting technical support.  It also tells you the amount of RAM and the processor type installed on the computer, which can help you with diagnosing problems.

It also contains several menu tabs that we'll look at next.

Device Manager

The most important piece of troubleshooting information you can find is in a little application known as the Device Manager.  In Windows 2000, you must look under the Hardware tab, but it is it's own tab in Windows 98.

The Device Manager gives you a quick glimpse at drivers and equipment are installed on a computer, and how they are functioning.

By clicking the + sign beside an item, you can see the exact drivers that are being used by that equipment.  Yellow circles over items mean the item is not functioning properly and has it's driver's temporarily suspended until you diagnose the problem.  A red circle over an item is a driver that has been manually turned off by a user.

The most important aspect of this is the fact that you can easily see which devices are working and which aren't.

Advanced Device Manager Properties

Click on the + sign beside an item.  Then highlight one of the drivers by clicking on it.  You'll see a window with multiple tabs, including General, Properties, Driver, and Resources.  

The General Tab gives you some very basic information about the item, and tells you if it's working or not.  The Properties tab is much the same, but with more details.

The Driver tab will give you a couple options.  It will allow you to update, uninstall, or re-install a driver for that equipment.  Windows 98, ME, and 2000 use wizards to help you install drivers, so make sure you are aware of how these wizards work.  (I won't go into details about how the wizards work, as they really must be played with to be understood.  Later this week I'll post a tutorial in a special tutorial about the Device Manager wizards.)

The Resources tab is one of the most confusing and one of the least-used parts of the device manager.  It is one of the easiest ways to screw up a computer, but later versions of Windows make that near-impossible.  Unless you are getting a specific conflict and feel comfortable changing IRQ and I/O Addresses, you should not touch this tab.  (I'll include this section in the Special Tutorial later this week) 

Control Panels

One of the other major features of Windows 9x/ME/XP/2000 is it's control panels.  These are applications that reside within Windows that allow you to perform very distinct functions.  The Device Manager resides within here, as well as the Printer Control Panel, Sound Control Panel, Modem Control Panel, Networking Control Panel, and more.  These control panels are used to provide specific functions that are not part of outside software.

For example, to connect to the internet you require a modem.  You would use the Modem Control Panel to detect, set up, and configure your modem.  You would them use the Networking Control Panel to add and configure TCP/IP and your client software.  Finally, you would use the Internet Control Panel to set up your dialing properties and connection specifications.

Again, I won't go into each control panel.  You should be able to tell from the name of the Control Panel what it does.  Play around with each one so you can get a feel for each function it has.  There are 26 Control Panels on my system currently, so explaining each possible one isn't possible.  I will tell you to be familiar with the Accessibility Options, Printers, Networking, Modem, and System Control Panels.