Windows Deployment Services is a server technology from Microsoft for network-based installation of Windows operating systems.

It is the successor to Remote Installation Services.[ ! W"S is intended to be used for remotely deploying Windows #ista$ Windows %$ Windows &$ Windows Server '((&$ and Windows Server '( '$ but also supports other operating systems because unlike its predecessor RIS$ which was a method of automating the installation process$ W"S uses disk imaging$ in particular the Windows Imaging )ormat *WIM+. W"S is included as a Server Role in all ,'-bit and -.-bit versions of Windows Server '((&$ and is included as an optionally installable component with Windows Server '((, Service /ack '.

Active Directory (AD) is a directory service implemented by Microsoft for Windows domain networks. It is included in most Windows Server operating systems. An AD domain controller aut enticates and aut ori!es all users and computers in a Windows domain type network"assigning and enforcing security policies for all computers and installing or updating software. #or e$ample% w en a user logs into a computer t at is part of a Windows domain% Active Directory c ecks t e submitted password and determines w et er t e user is a system administrator or normal user.&'( Active Directory makes use of )ig tweig t Directory Access *rotocol ()DA*) versions + and ,% Microsoft-s version of .erberos% and D/S.

0he Domain Name System *DNS+ is a hierarchical distributed naming system for computers$ services$ or any resource connected to the Internet or a private network. It associates various information with domain names assigned to each of the participating entities. Most prominently$ it translates easily memori1ed domain names to the numerical I/ addresses needed for the purpose of locating computer services and devices worldwide. 2y providing a worldwide$ distributed keyword-based redirection service$ the "omain 3ame System is an essential component of the functionality of the Internet. Microsoft DNS is the name given to the implementation of domain name system services provided in Microsoft Windows operating systems.

4 Windows domain is a form of a computer network in which all user accounts$ computers$ printers and other security principals$ are registered with a central database *called a directory service+ located on one or cluster of central computers known as domain controllers. 4uthentication takes place on domain controllers. 5ach person who uses computers within a domain receives a uni6ue user account that can then be assigned access to resources within the domain.

Starting with Windows '((($ 4ctive "irectory is the Windows component in charge of maintaining that central database. [ ! 0he concept of Windows domain is in contrast with that of a workgroup in which each computer maintains its own database of security principals. Windows Workgroups$ by contrast$ is the other model for grouping computers running Windows in a networking environment which ships with Windows. Workgroup computers are considered to be 7standalone7 - i.e. there is no formal membership or authentication process formed by the workgroup. 4 workgroup does not have servers and clients$ and hence represents the /eer-to-/eer *or 8lient-to8lient+ networking paradigm$ rather than the centrali1ed architecture constituted by Server-8lient. Workgroups are considered difficult to manage beyond a do1en clients$ and lack single sign on$ scalability$ resilience9disaster recovery functionality$ and many security features. Windows Workgroups are more suitable for small or home-office networks.

User Account Control *UAC+ is a technology and security infrastructure introduced with Microsoft7s Windows #ista and Windows Server '((& operating systems$ with a more rela:ed[ ! version also present in Windows %$ Windows Server '((& R'$ Windows &$ and Windows Server '( '. It aims to improve the security of Microsoft Windows by limiting application software to standard user privileges until an administrator authori1es an increase or elevation. In this way$ only applications trusted by the user may receive administrative privileges$ and malware should be kept from compromising the operating system. In other words$ a user account may have administrator privileges assigned to it$ but applications that the user runs do not inherit those privileges unless they are approved beforehand or the user e:plicitly authori1es it.

File Manager is a file manager program bundled with releases of Microsoft Windows between ;;( and ;;;.[ ! It was a single-instance graphical interface$ replacing the command-line interface of MS-"<S$ to manage files *copy$ move$ open$ delete$ search$ etc.+. 4lthough )ile Manager was included in Windows ;= and Windows 30 ..( and some later versions$ Windows 5:plorer was introduced and used as the primary file manager$ with file management via a '-pane view different from )ile Manager7s$ and a single-pane view obtained by clicking a >My 8omputer> icon.

Backup and estore[ ! *formerly Windows Backup and estore Center['!+ is a component of Microsoft Windows introduced in Windows #ista and included in later versions that allows users to create backups and restore from

backups. It is a replacement of 302ackup$ which was included in previous Windows versions.

0he Control !anel is a part of the Microsoft Windows graphical user interface which allows users to view and manipulate basic system settings and controls via applets$ such as adding hardware$ adding and removing software$ controlling user accounts$ and changing accessibility options. 4dditional applets can be provided by third party software.

In recent versions of Windows% t e 0ontrol *anel as two views% Classic View and Category View% and it is possible to switc between t ese t roug an option t at appears on eit er t e left side or top of t e window. Many of t e individual 0ontrol *anel applets can be accessed in ot er ways. #or instance% Display Properties can be accessed by rig t1clicking on an empty area of t e desktop and c oosing Properties. 2 e classic view consists of s ortcuts to t e various control panel applets% usually wit out any description (ot er t an t e name). 2 e categories are seen if t e user use 3Details3 view. 2 e category view consists of categories% w ic w en clicked on display t e control panel applets related to t e category. In Windows 4ista% t e category used applets below t e name of t e category.

2 e Device Manager is a 0ontrol *anel applet in Microsoft Windows operating systems. It allows users to view and control t e ardware attac ed to t e computer. W en a piece of ardware is not working% t e offending ardware is ig lig ted for t e user to deal wit . 2 e list of ardware can be sorted by various criteria. #or eac device% users can5

Supply device drivers 6nable or disable devices 2ell Windows to ignore malfunctioning devices 4iew ot er tec nical properties

Disk Cleanup (cleanmgr.e$e) is a computer maintenance utility included in Microsoft Windows designed to free up disk space on a computer-s ard drive. 2 e utility first searc es and analy!es t e ard drive for files t at are no longer of any use% and t en removes t e unnecessary files.

2 ere are a number of different file categories t at Disk 0leanup targets w en performing t e initial disk analysis5

0ompression of old files 2emporary Internet files 2emporary Windows files Downloaded program files 7ecycle 8in 7emoval of unused applications or optional Windows components Setup log files 9ff1line files

Disk Defragmenter is a utility in Microsoft Windows designed to increase access speed by rearranging files stored on a disk to occupy contiguous storage locations% a tec ni:ue called defragmentation. Defragmenting a disk minimi!es ead travel% w ic reduces t e time it takes to read files from and write files to t e disk.&'( 8eginning wit Windows ;*% Disk Defragmenter also reduces system startup times.&citation needed(

MSConfig *officially called System Configuration in Windows #ista$ Windows % and Windows & or Microsoft System Configuration Utility in previous operating systems+ is a system utility to troubleshoot the Microsoft Windows startup process. It can disable or re-enable software$ device drivers and Windows services that run at startup$ or change boot parameters.

Windows "rror eporting *W" + *codenamed Watson+ is a crash reporting technology introduced by Microsoft with Windows ?/[ ! and included in later Windows versions and Windows Mobile =.( and -.(. 3ot to be confused with the "r. Watson debugging tool which left the memory dump on the user7s local machine$ Windows 5rror Reporting collects and offers to send post-error debug information *a memory dump+ using the Internet to the developer of an application that crashes or stops responding on a user7s desktop. 3o data is sent without the user7s consent. When a dump *or other error signature information+ reaches the Microsoft server$ it is analy1ed and a solution is sent back to the user when one is available. Solutions are served using Windows 5rror Reporting Responses. Windows 5rror Reporting runs as a Windows service and can optionally be entirely disabled. If Windows 5rror

Reporting itself crashes$ then an error reports that the original crashed process cannot be sent at all.