Q 1) what is Active Directory? What’s the purpose of that?

Ans) Active Directory is a directory service. The term directory service refers to two things:-

Directory: - directory where information about users and resources is stored

Service: - service or services that let you access and manipulate those resources.

Active Directory is a way to manage all elements of your network, including computers, groups, users, domains, security policies, and
any type of user-defined objects. It melds several NT services and tools that have functioned separately.
Active Directory is built around Domain Name System (DNS) and lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP). DNS because it is
the standard on the Internet and is familiar, LDAP because most vendors support it. Active Directory clients use DNS and LDAP to
locate and access any type of resource on the network. Because these are platform-independent protocols, UNIX, Macintosh, and other
clients can access resources in the same fashion as Windows clients.
The Microsoft Management Console (MMC) is used to implement and manage Active Directory.
The two most important goals are:

• Users should be able to access resources throughout the domain using a single logon.
• Administrators should be able to centrally manage both users and resources.

Active Directory allows central control and decentralized administration of mixed NT 4.0 and 2000 Server domains. Clients can be
2000 Server workstations and servers, Windows 95, Windows 98, or any other system that has the Active Directory add-on installed.

Q 2) what are sites, domains, forest, domain controllers, primary domain,

secondary domain, dns server, dhcp server, Zones, WINS server?
Ans) Sites: - A well connected TCP/IP subnet. The term site refers either to a grouping of active directory servers or to a grouping of
Microsoft exchanges server 5.5 servers with Microsoft exchanges 2003, sites are divided into administrative groups and routing
groups.

Domain: - A collection of Microsoft windows server 2003 computers, users and groups that share a common directory database.
Domains are defined by an administrator.

Forest: - A grouping of active directory trees that have a trust relationship between them. Forests can consist of noncontiguous
namespace and, unlike domains and trees, do not have to be given a specific name. An active directory forest can only support a single
Microsoft exchange server 2003 organization.

Domain controller: - A server that is capable of performing authentication. In Microsoft windows server 2003, a domain controller
holds a copy of the active directory database.

Primary domain: - Primary domain controller, manages the master user database for the domain in NT environment.

Secondary domain: - Secondary domain controller contains copy of master user database for the domain in NT environment.

DNS Server:-Domain name system, a hierarchical name resolution system that resolves host names into IP addresses and vice versa.

DHCP Server: - Contains IP addresses, lease duration, and associated TCP/IP configuration information. The DHCP server listens for
client requests and processes them.

Zones: - In a DNS database, a manageable unit of the DNS database that is administered by a DNS server. A zone stores the domain
names and data of the domain with a corresponding name, except for domain names stored in delegated sub domains.

WINS server: - Runs on a Windows NT Server, NT based computer and handles name registration requests from WINS clients and
registers their names and IP addresses. The server also responds to name queries from WINS clients by returning the IP address of the
name being queried (assuming the name is registered with the WINS server).

Q 3) what are FSMO roles and its use?

Ans) Flexible single master operation or just single master operation or operations master it is a feature of Microsoft's
Active Directory (AD).

Schema Master Forest Level One per forest

Domain Naming Master Forest Level One per forest

PDC Emulator Domain Level One per domain

RID Master Domain Level One per domain

Infrastructure Master Domain Level One per domain

Schema Master:- The schema is simply a blue print of all active directory objects and their attributes. The schema determines what
kind of objects can be stored in the directory and what attributes define those objects. Any modifications made to the schema must be
made on domain controller holding the schema master role.

Domain naming master:- The Domain naming master controls the addition and removal
Of domains in the forest.

PDC Emulator:- Windows 2000/2003 domains that have windows NT BDCs still in the operation (mixed mode) and windows
2000/2003 domains that have down level clients (such as 9x and NT) expect a PDC to be present on the network.

RID Master:- The RID master manages the distribution of RID numbers to other domain controllers. When a domain controller
generates a new security ID (SID) for a new user, computer, or group account, a domain security ID and a RID number are used. The
RID master makes certain that no two domain controllers have the same or overlapping RID numbers.

Infrastructure Master:- It updates group members as necessary. For example, when the membership of a particular group changes,
the infrastructure master updates the group to ensure that changes are processed appropriately.

Q 4) What is backup? Different back up methods.

Ans) Backup is creating a replica of data on a server/PC. Backups could be taken on another disk or magnetic tape for offsite storage.
5 methods of backup:-
Normal back up: - Backs up all files to the storage medium and resets each file's archive bit to indicate that the file has
been backed up.

Copy back up:- Backs up all files to the storage medium and does not reset their archive bits.

Differential back up: - Backs up only the files that have changed since the last normal backup and does not reset their
archive bits.

Incremental back up: - Backs up only those files that have changed since the last normal backup or incremental backup
and resets their archive bits.

Daily back up: - Backs up only the files that were created or modified today and does not reset their archive bits.

Q 5) What are different classes and range of IP addresses?

Ans) There are 5 different classes and range for IP addresses:-

Class A 0.0.0.0 – 126.255.255.255

Class B 128.0.0.0 - 191.255.255.255
Class C 192.0.0.0 - 223.255.255.255
Class D 224.0.0.0 - 239.255.255.255
Class E 240.0.0.0 – 255.255.255.255

Q6) what are different type of back up devices?

Ans) cd / DVD- rom, cartridge drives, magnetic tape drives, autochangers, drive interface selection.

Q7) Define RAID and function of RAID.

Ans) (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) - A configuration of multiple disks designed to preserve data after a disk
casualty.

It is a subsystem storage concept designed for the purpose of offering higher levels of protection from data loss that can
occur from any down time caused by malfunctions compared to the protection offered by conventional disk drives. RAID
arrays composed of conventional discs can function for hundreds or even thousands of years without losing data because
of a disk failure.

Q 8) what are SCSI devices and its function?

Ans) Stands for small computer system interface. A standard that allows multiple devices to be connected in daisy-chain
fashion.

SCSI is a parallel interface standard used by Apple Macintosh computers, PCs, and many UNIX systems for attaching
peripheral devices to computers. SCSI interfaces provide for faster data transmission rates (up to 80 megabytes per
second) than standard serial and parallel ports.

Q 9) Explain APIPA.
Ans) Auto Private IP Addressing (APIPA) takes effect on Windows 2000 Professional computers if no DHCP server can
be contacted. APIPA assigns the computer an IP address within the range of 169.254.0.0 through 169.254.255.254 with a
subnet mask of 255.255.0.0.
Q 10) what is server. What is exchange server and function? Types and
function of server?
Ans) Server: A computer that delivers information, services and software to other computers linked by a network.

Exchange Server: A Microsoft messaging system including mail server, email client and groupware applications (such as
shared calendars).

Microsoft Exchange Server is a collaborative software server from Microsoft. Among other things, Microsoft Exchange
manages electronic mail, and is thus a popular mail server.

Q 11) what is MAC address?

Ans) The address for a device as it is identified at the Media Access Control (MAC) layer in the network architecture. MAC
address is usually stored in ROM on the network adapter card and is unique.

Q 12) what is a router? What is a gateway?

Ans) Routers are machines that direct a packet through the maze of networks that stand between its source and
destination. Normally a router is used for internal networks while a gateway acts a door for the packet to reach the outside
of the internal network.

Q 13) what is subnet?

Ans) A generic term for section of a large networks usually separated by a bridge or router.

Q 14) what is IP?

Ans) IP is Internet Protocol. It is the network protocol which is used to send information from one computer to another over
the network over the internet in the form of packets.

Q 15) How does the browser know to go to a certain IP address when you enter a domain like
crackthecampus.com?
Ans) It searches through local DNS cache, if nothing is there, it queries the ISP DNS server.

Q 16) what is NETBIOS and NETBEUI?

Ans) NETBIOS is a programming interface that allows I/O requests to be sent to and received from a remote computer
and it hides the networking hardware from applications.
NETBEUI is NetBIOS extended user interface. A transport protocol designed by Microsoft and IBM for the use on small
subnets.

Q 17) Can you be able to identify between Straight- through and Cross- over cable wiring?
Ans) Straight-through is type of wiring that is one to one connection Cross- over is type of wiring which those wires are
got switched. We use Straight-through cable when we connect between NIC Adapter and Hub. Using Cross-over cable
when connect between two NIC Adapters or sometime between two hubs.

Q 18) what is the difference between a domain local group and a global group?
Ans) Domain local groups grant permissions to objects within the domain in which the reside. Global groups contain grant
permissions tree or forest wide for any objects within the Active Directory.

Q 19) what is Kerberos?

Ans) It is an authentication service. Kerberos uses encryption to prevent unauthorized use, from discovering passwords
and gaining unauthorized access to files.

Q 20) what is LMHOSTS file?

Ans) It is file stored on a host machine that is used to resolve NetBIOS to specific IP addresses.

Q 21) How can you force the client to give up the dhcp lease / IP address if you have access to the client PC?
Ans) ipconfig /release

Q 22) what do you do if earlier application doesn’t run on Windows server 2003?
Ans) When an application that ran on an earlier legacy version of Windows cannot be loaded during the setup function or
if it later malfunctions, you must run the compatibility mode function. This is accomplished by right-clicking the application
or setup program and selecting Properties > Compatibility > selecting the previously supported operating system.

Q 23) How do you get to Internet Firewall settings?

Ans) Start > Control Panel > Network and Internet Connections > Network Connections.

Q 24) How can you authenticate between forests?

Ans) Four types of authentication are used across forests: (1) Kerberos and NTLM network logon for remote access to a
server in another forest; (2) Kerberos and NTLM interactive logon for physical logon outside the users home forest; (3)
Kerberos delegation to N-tier application in another forest; and (4) user principal name (UPN) credentials.

Q 25) what snap-in administrative tools are available for Active Directory?
Ans) Active Directory Domains and Trusts Manager, Active Directory Sites and Services Manager, Active Directory Users
and Group Manager, Active Directory Replication (optional, available from the Resource Kit), Active Directory Schema
Manager (optional, available from adminpak)

Q 26) what is Global Catalog?

Ans) The Global Catalog authenticates network user logons and fields inquiries about objects across a forest or tree. Every domain has
at least one GC that is hosted on a domain controller. In Windows 2000, there was typically one GC on every site in order to prevent
user logon failures across the network.
Global catalog servers contain full replica of all active directory objects in their domain and a partial replica of all
active directory objects in other domains in the forest. . LDAP (light weight directory access protocol) is used (by AD) to query the
GC on port 3268.

Q 27) How is user account security established in Windows Server 2003?

Ans) When an account is created, it is given a unique access number known as a security identifier (SID). Every group to
which the user belongs has an associated SID. The user and related group SIDs together form the user accounts security
token, which determines access levels to objects throughout the system and network. SIDs from the security token is
mapped to the access.

Q 28) where are the settings for all the users stored on a given machine?
Ans) \Document and Settings\All Users

Q 29) what is the difference between local, global and universal groups?
Ans) Domain local groups assign access permissions to local domain groups for local domain resources. Global groups
provide access to resources in other trusted domains. Universal groups grant access to resources in all trusted domains.

Q 30) what hidden shares exist on Windows Server 2003 installation?

Ans) Admin$, Drive$, IPC$, NETLOGON, print$ and SYSVOL

Q 31) what is the number of permitted unsuccessful logons on Administrator account?

Ans) Unlimited. Remember, though, that is it the Administrator account, not any account that is part of the administrators
group.

Q 32) Does Windows Server 2003 support IPv6?

Ans) Yes, run ipv6.exe from command line to disable it.

Q 33) what is the difference between the basic disk and dynamic disk?
Ans) The basic type contains partitions, extended partitions, logical drivers, and a collection of static volumes; the
dynamic type does not use partitions but dynamically manages volumes and provides advanced storage options.

Q 34) How do you install recovery console?

Ans) C:\i386\win32 /cmdcons, assuming that your Win server installation is on drive C.

Q 35) what is a heartbeat?

Ans) Communication processes between the nodes designed to ensure nodes health.

Q 36) How does Internet Connection sharing work on Windows?

Ans) Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) uses the DHCP service to assign dynamic IP addresses to clients on the LAN
within the range of 192.168.0.2 through 192.168.0.254. In addition, the DNS Proxy service becomes enabled when you
implement ICS.

Q 37) why can’t I encrypt a compressed file on Windows 2000?

Ans) You can either compress it or encrypt it, but not both.

Q 38) what is the most powerful group on a Windows system?

Ans) Administrators

Q 39) How do you configure mandatory profiles?

Ans) Rename ntuser.dat to ntuser.man

Q 40) what are 10Base2, 10Base5 and 10BaseT Ethernet LANs?

Ans) 10Base2: An Ethernet term meaning a maximum transfer rate of 10 Megabits per second that uses baseband
signaling, with a contiguous cable segment length of 100
meters and a maximum of 2 segments.
10Base5: An Ethernet term meaning a maximum transfer rate of 10 Megabits per second that uses baseband signaling,
with 5 continuous segments not exceeding 100
meters per segment.

10BaseT: An Ethernet term meaning a maximum transfer rate of 10 Megabits per second that uses baseband signaling
and twisted pair cabling.

Q 41) what is the core difference between Bridge and a router?

Ans)
- A router operates at layer 3 in the OSI model.
- Bridges are layer-2 devices in the OSI model (think of a bridge as an ethernet switch).

- A router cannot forward broadcast packets while a bridge can.

- Routers determine packet destination based on the destination IP address.

- While bridges route traffic based on the destination MAC address in the ethernet frame.

- Routers can be connected to more than one IP network.

- While a bridge may be part of only a single network.

Q 42) How do we clear the dns cache on the client machine?

Ans) Click Start > Run.
Enter ipconfig /flushdns in the Open: textbox

Q 43) what is net bios and FQDN name resolution methods?

Ans) Local Host Name
- Host file
- DNS Server

Q 44) Difference between WINS and DNS.

Ans) WINS:
- The purpose is to resolve NetBIOS names to IP addresses.
- Names are flat and 15 characters long.
- Name registration is dynamic and happens automatically.
- Supports incremental replication of the data, which means that only changes in the database are replicated between WINS servers.
- Supports DHCP.
- Doesn't support email routing or additional TCP/IP application services.

DNS:
- The purpose is to resolve host names to IP addresses.
- Names are hierarchical in nature.
- Name registration is static and has to be done manually.
- Doesn't support incremental replication of data between DNS servers. This means the whole database has to be replicated every time.
- Doesn't support DHCP.
- Supports other TCP/IP application services such as email routing.

Q 45) what are some of the common port number

Ans)
SMTP -25
HTTP-80
FTP-21
POP3-110
IMAP4-143
DNS-53
GC-3268
RPC-135
NNTP-119
Kerberos-88
LDAP-389
MSN IM-1836
LSA-691
X.400-102
Telnet-23
TFTP-69
DHCP-67
UDP-17
TCP-6
NetBIOS Session Service-137
NetBIOS name service- 139
Hhtps-403
Q 46) what is the difference between hub, switch and router?
Ans) HUB=A common connection point for devices in a network. Typically used to connect segments of a local area network (LAN),
a hub contains multiple ports. When data arrives at one port, it is copied to the other ports so that all segments of the LAN can see the
data. It’s a non-intelligent device.
Switch = A layer 2 device used to move data to its destination with capabilities ranging from a smart hub to those virtually the same
as a router. It’s an intelligent device.
Router= In a Windows environment, hardware that helps LANs and WANs achieve interoperability and connectivity, and can link
LANs that have different network topologies (such as Ethernet and Token Ring). Routers match packet headers to a LAN segment and
choose the best path for the packet, optimizing network performance. It’s a layer 3 device.

Q 47) what are Group Policies?

Ans) Group policies are used by administrators to configure and control user environment settings. Group Policy Objects (GPOs) are
used to configure group policies which are applied to sites, domains, and organizational units (OUs).

With group policies we can enforce a standardized desktop and system settings
configuration, install software, download documents to a client computer and configure internet settings. Group policies are designed
to lower the total cost of ownership by giving administrator more control over desktops.

Q 48) what is the difference between a Domain and Workgroup?

Ans) A domain is a group of computers and devices on a network that are administered as a unit with common rules and procedures.
Within the Internet, domains are defined by the IP address. All devices sharing a common part of the IP address are said to be in the
same domain. Domain is centralized control and decentralized administration.

Workgroup computing occurs when all the individuals have computers connected to a network (a group of two or more computer
systems linked together) that allows them to send e-mail to one another, share data files, and other resources such as printers.
Normally, a workgroup is limited to 10 network devices/computers. Since workgroup machines might have different account names,
you really have to know the admin account for each specific machine in order to effectively manage the workgroup. Workgroup is
called peer-to-peer connection.

Q 49) what is the relationship between tree and a forest?

Ans) Active directory domains are based on a hierarchical structure. When we install first domain controller in the first domain of
active directory implementation, we create a new active directory forest and a new domain tree.
A forest is simply a collection of domain trees. Within the forest, we can create multiple
trees if necessary. . At the top of the structure is the Forest - the collection of every object, its attributes and rules (attribute syntax) in
the AD. The forest holds one or more transitive, trust-linked Trees. A tree holds one or more Domains and domain trees, again linked
in a transitive trust hierarchy. Domains are identified by their DNS name structure, the namespace. A domain has a single DNS name.

Q 50) what is the file name of Active directory and where is it stored
Ans) NTDS.DIT, stored in %Systemroot%\Windows\NTDS folder.

Q 51) Where is System State and what does it contain?

Ans) System State data contains most elements of a system's configuration, but it might not include all of the information that you
require to recover your system from a failure.
The System State data includes only the registry, COM+ Class Registration database, files under Windows File Protection, and boot
files.
You can only back up and restore the System State data on a local computer. You cannot back up and restore the System State data on
a remote computer.
To restore the System State data on a domain controller, you must first start your computer in Directory Services Restore Mode. This
will allow you to restore the SYSVOL directory and the Active Directory.

Q 52) what is the difference between NTFS and FAT file system?
Ans) FAT (file allocation table): FAT16 & 32
NTFS (new technology file system): has an additional feature such as Security & File compression (not both at same time)

You can convert a partition from FAT to NTFS but not vice versa. To do so, open an MS-DOS Prompt window and type the following
command:
CONVERT drive: /FS: NTFS
For example, if you want to convert your D drive to NTFS, you'd replace the word drive with the letter D, as follows:
CONVERT D: /FS: NTFS

Q 53) How do you install Active Directory?

Ans) IN command prompt: use the command DCPromo FOR INSTALL / UNINSTALL. If it is installed the command would
uninstall it or if it is not installed it will install it.
Q 54) what is router frequency, NAT, how it works, what router does, which protocol it uses?
Ans) 2.4GHZ. Network address translation (NAT) separates external network or internet from internal network/intranet. Router
operates on network layer 3.

Q 55) OSI model & protocols in each layer?

Ans) OSI means Open System Interconnect model it consists of seven layers.
Application Layer is responsible for providing an Interface for the User in order to interact with Networking Services. It is also
known as Desktop Layer. It deals with applications and Application services.
Protocol use: HTTP, SMTP, SNMP, FTP, Telnet, ECHO, SIP, SSH, NFS, RTSP, XMPP, Whois, ENRP

Presentation Layer is responsible for converting data into standard format.

Following tasks are perform at Presentation layer:
Encoding – Decoding
Encryption – Decryption
Compression – Decompression
Protocol use: XDR, ASN.1, SMB, AFP, NCP.

Session Layer is responsible for establishing, maintaining and terminating session.

Session ID works at Session Layer.
Protocol use: ASAP, TLS, SSL, ISO 8327 / CCITT X.225, RPC, NetBIOS, ASP. Establishing & managing sessions.

Transport Layer is responsible for end-to-end connectivity. It is also known as the heart of OSI Layers. Following tasks are
performed at the Transport Layer: -
Identifying Service
Multiplexing & De-multiplexing
Segmentation
Sequencing & Reassembling
Error Correction
Flow Control
Protocol use: TCP, UDP, RTP, SCTP, SPX, ATP, IL. This layer is for flow control.

Network Layer is responsible for providing best path for data to reach the destination. Logical Addressing works on this layer. Router
is a Network Layer device.
It is divided into two parts
Routed Protocols
E.g. IP, IPX, Apple Talk.
Routing Protocols
E.g. RIP, IGRP, OSPF, EIGRP
Protocol use: IP, ICMP, IGMP, IPX, BGP, OSPF, RIP, IGRP, EIGRP, ARP, RARP, X.25.

Data link Layer is divided into two Sub Layers:

LLC – Logical Link Control

It talks about wan protocols e.g. PPP, HDLC, Frame-relay

MAC – Media Access Control

It talks about Physical Address. It is a 48 bit addresses i.e. 12 digits Hexadecimal Number.
It is also responsible for Error Detection
Devices working on Data Link Layer are Switch, Bridge, NIC.
Protocol use: Ethernet, Token ring, HDLC, Frame relay, ISDN, ATM, 802.11 WiFi, FDDI, PPP.

Physical Layer is responsible for electrical, mechanical and procedural checks. Data will be converted into Binary (i.e.) 0’s & 1’s.
Data will be in the form of electrical pulses if it is Coaxial or Twisted Pair cable and in the form of Light if it is Fiber Optic Cable.
Devices working at Physical Layer are Hubs, Repeaters, Cables, and Modems etc.
Protocol use: 10BASE-T, 100BASE-T, 1000BASE-T, SONET/SDH, T-carrier/E-carrier, various 802.11 physical layers.

Q 56) what is ping?

Ans) Packet internet gropher & it uses ICMP protocol. It is used to check connectivity to an IP or PC name.

Q 57) what are the boot options for a PC. List them & which option do we use & when?
Ans) when PC reboots press F8 so you reach the boot options.

a) Safe Mode: This starts Windows using only basic drivers and no network connection. Safe Mode allows a Windows PC to start
using default settings (VGA display driver, Microsoft mouse, no network connection, minimal device drivers) so that you can perform
a system repair. These options often allow you to repair your Windows configuration without performing a complete re-installation of
the system software. For example, if you have installed an application that subsequently prevents Windows from starting, you should
be able to start in Safe Mode so that you can remove the offending application.

b) Safe Mode with Networking: This is useful if you need to connect to CFS (combat flight simulator) to install new drivers from
the shared copy of installation files.
c) Safe Mode with Command Prompt: This startup option does not start the Windows GUI. However VGA drivers are installed so
the option is very similar to basic Safe Mode.

d) Enable Boot Logging: This starts Windows whilst logging all devices and services that are loaded in a file, NTBTLOG.TXT, in
the Windows directory. A log is always created by the preceding three Safe Mode options.

e) Enable VGA Mode: This option specifically addresses the problems which occur when a video driver prevents Windows from
starting.

f) Last Known Good Configuration: If Windows fails to start successfully, try the option Last Known Good Configuration before all
others including Safe Mode. This starts Windows using the registry information it saved at the last successful shutdown and it can
correct basic configuration problems. It does not solve problems caused by incorrect or missing files.

g) Directory Services Restore Mode: For Windows 2000 and 2003 servers only.

h) Debugging Mode: Diagnostic tool for experienced managers.

i) Disable automatic restart on system failure: Windows XP only: If Windows experiences a critical error on startup; a blue screen
error (BSOD) message may be displayed before the system restarts. This option allows you to disable the automatic restart so that the
error message can be read.

Q 58) Mother board components?

Ans) Central Processing Unit (CPU), underlying circuitry, expansion/PCI slots, video components, random access memory (RAM)
slots, and a variety of other chips.

Q 59) What is firewall, How to change settings for windows firewall, 3rd party firewalls?
Ans) A system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network. Firewalls can be implemented in both hardware
and software, or a combination of both. Firewalls are frequently used to prevent unauthorized Internet users from accessing private
networks connected to the Internet, especially intranets. All messages entering or leaving the intranet pass through the firewall, which
examines each message and blocks those that do not meet the specified security criteria.
If you right click on local area connection icon you will get the option to change windows firewall settings. You can also
start or stop the service from services menu by typing services.msc in run window & then selecting the service.
3rd party firewalls are Norton or Symantec, McAfee, AVG, etc.

Q 60) what is Proxy server?

Ans) Proxy server captures all messages entering and leaving the network. The proxy server effectively hides the true network
addresses.
A server that sits between a client application, such as a Web browser, and a real server. It intercepts all requests to the real
server to see if it can fulfill the requests itself. If not, it forwards the request to the real server.

Q 61) Enabling file & printer sharing?

Ans)

1. Run the Network Setup wizard.

2. Click the connection method that applies for your computer.
3. Accept the default computer description and computer name.
4. Accept the default workgroup name. This name should match the workgroup name of the other computers
that you want to share files with.

Q 62) Boot sequence of PC?

Ans) For System Boot Sequence goes through this:
The system BIOS is what starts the computer running when you turn it on. The following are the steps that a typical boot sequence
involves. Of course this will vary by the manufacturer of your hardware, BIOS, etc., and especially by what peripherals you have in
the PC. Here is what generally happens when you turn on your system power:
1. The internal power supply turns on and initializes. The power supply takes some time until it can generate reliable power for the
rest of the computer, and having it turn on prematurely could potentially lead to damage. Therefore, the chipset will generate a reset
signal to the processor (the same as if you held the reset button down for a while on your case) until it receives the Power Good signal
from the power supply.
2. When the reset button is released, the processor will be ready to start executing. When the processor first starts up, it is suffering
from amnesia; there is nothing at all in the memory to execute. Of course processor makers know this will happen, so they pre-
program the processor to always look at the same place in the system BIOS ROM for the start of the BIOS boot program. This is
normally location FFFF0h, right at the end of the system memory. They put it there so that the size of the ROM can be changed
without creating compatibility problems. Since there are only 16 bytes left from there to the end of conventional memory, this location
just contains a "jump" instruction telling the processor where to go to find the real BIOS startup program.
3. The BIOS performs the power-on self test (POST). If there are any fatal errors, the boot process stops. POST beep codes can be
found in this area of the Troubleshooting Expert.
4. The BIOS looks for the video card. In particular, it looks for the video cards built in BIOS program and runs it. This BIOS is
normally found at location C000h in memory. The system BIOS executes the video card BIOS, which initializes the video card. Most
modern cards will display information on the screen about the video card. (This is why on a modern PC you usually see something on
the screen about the video card before you see the messages from the system BIOS itself).
5. The BIOS then looks for other devices' ROMs to see if any of them have BIOSes. Normally, the IDE/ATA hard disk BIOS will be
found at C8000h and executed. If any other devices BIOSes are found, they are executed as well.
6. The BIOS displays its startup screen.
7. The BIOS does more tests on the system, including the memory count-up test which you see on the screen. The BIOS will generally
display a text error message on the screen if it encounters an error at this point; these error messages and their explanations can be
found in this part of the Troubleshooting Expert.
8. The BIOS performs a "system inventory" of sorts, doing more tests to determine what sort of hardware is in the system. Modern
BIOSes have many automatic settings and will determine memory timing (for example) based on what kind of memory it finds. Many
BIOSes can also dynamically set hard drive parameters and access modes, and will determine these at roughly this time. Some will
display a message on the screen for each drive they detect and configure this way. The BIOS will also now search for and label logical
devices (COM and LPT ports).
9. If the BIOS support the Plug and Play standard, it will detect and configure Plug and Play devices at this time and display a
message on the screen for each one it finds. See here for more details on how PnP detects devices and assigns resources.
10. The BIOS will display a summary screen about your system's configuration. Checking this page of data can be helpful in
diagnosing setup problems, although it can be hard to see because sometimes it flashes on the screen very quickly before scrolling off
the top.
11. The BIOS begins the search for a drive to boot from. Most modern BIOSes contain a setting that controls if the system should first
try to boot from the floppy disk (A :) or first try the hard disk (C :). Some BIOSes will even let you boot from your CD-ROM drive or
other devices, depending on the boot sequence BIOS setting.
12. Having identified its target boot drive, the BIOS looks for boot information to start the operating system boot process. If it is
searching a hard disk, it looks for a master boot record at cylinder 0, head 0, sector 1 (the first sector on the disk); if it is searching a
floppy disk, it looks at the same address on the floppy disk for a volume boot sector.
13. If it finds what it is looking for, the BIOS start the process of booting the operating system, using the information in the boot
sector. At this point, the code in the boot sector takes over from the BIOS. The DOS boot process is described in detail here. If the first
device that the system tries (floppy, hard disk, etc.) is not found, the BIOS will then try the next device in the boot sequence, and
continue until it finds a bootable device.
14. If no boot device at all can be found, the system will normally display an error message and then freeze up the system. What the
error message is depends entirely on the BIOS, and can be anything from the rather clear "No boot device available" to the very
cryptic "NO ROM BASIC - SYSTEM HALTED". This will also happen if you have a bootable hard disk partition but forget to set it
active.
This process is called a "cold boot" (since the machine was off, or cold, when it started). A "warm boot" is the same thing except it
occurs when the machine is rebooted using {Ctrl} + {Alt} + {Delete} or similar. In this case the POST is skipped and the boot process
continues roughly at step 8 above.

Q 63) other general OS based questions as what options u have in manage (right click my comp  manage), which logs u have
in event viewer, etc..?
Ans) Once you reach there you will find System tools (here we have Event viewer, shared folders, local users & groups, Performance
logs & alerts, device manager), Storage (here we have a option for disk management which tells you the file system for each drive),
Services & applications.
Event viewer has system, application & security logs. Any errors or success are logged in respective logs. Are helpful in
troubleshooting. For e.g. if a print job fails you would have event ID 9 in system log indicating print job failure.

Q 64) MBR (master boot record)?

Ans) The first sector on a hard disk, which starts the process of booting the computer. The MBR contains the partition table for the
disk and a small amount of executable code called the master boot code.

Q 65) what is a logical structure (partition) and Physical structure (partition) in Active Directory?
Ans) In logical structure we have the domain, the OU and the object, and each object has attributes that define it. The active directory
also uses sites, but sites are not considered a part of the active directory logical structure, or hierarchy. Sites are maintained in the
active directory for replication and traffic control purposes only. A site, by definition, is a physical location of computer and users,
contrasting to a domain, which is a logical grouping of computers and users. It is important to note that sites and domains are not
interrelated- a site can contain several domains or a domain could span multiple sites. While a domain is a logical, administrative level
of networking, a site is a physical level.

Q 66) How do you backup AD?

Ans) We can backup AD database on a domain controller using windows backup.
Start→Programs→Accessories→System tools→Back up
We need to run backup wizard, and provide some information.

We can also back data by using fault tolerance solutions. Fault tolerance simply means that a system has a capability to tolerate a
system failure, or fault. Hard disk fault tolerance is not a replacement for an effective backup plan. Although very effective and useful.
Disk fault tolerance requires you to have 2 or more hard disks. Their are 2 types of fault tolerance:
Mirrored volumes
RAID-5 volumes

System state data is also a method for backing up AD. It is defined as a collection of system state data that you back up as a
collection. System state data made up of several components, but you cannot back up those components individually due to
dependencies among the data. Every windows 2000\2003 computer contains system state data, and when you perform backup for AD,
you simply choose to back up system state data on domain controller.
For windows 2000 domain controllers, system state data contains the following:
Registry
COM+ class registration database
System boot files
Active directory services database
SYSVOL directory

We can also back up system state data manually.

In case of AD failure we recovered data base by booting server into Directory Services Repair Mode and then using windows backup
to restore the database.

Q 67) How do you restore AD?

Ans) In event of domain controller failure, you can use your system state backup job to restore your AD database and SYSVOL
folder. This data will be outdated but replication with other domain controllers will update the data once the domain controller is back
on-line. We recovered data base by booting server into Directory Services Repair Mode and then using windows backup to restore the
database.