Whether it is monitoring the performance of the system or exploring the cause of the failure, the real key is to find the right tools. Open the "All Programs" menu of XP, and there are a lot of tools for you to choose under "System Tools". However, if you are an experienced user, Windows XP has prepared another big gift package for you: there are more than 100 kinds of tools hidden on the installation CD. They cover all aspects of the operating system, from network and Internet connection to folder and disk management, all-in-one. This is a tool set called Support Tools, designed for those who are unwilling to stay on the surface of Windows.
Before officially digging this treasure, I would like to warn you that misuse of certain tools may endanger the security of the system itself. Don’t use tools just to use tools. Before running each tool, you must have clear goals and operate with caution.
The default installation of Windows XP does not include Support Tools, and these tools must be manually installed using the Windows installation CD. During installation, the wizard will ask whether to perform a typical installation or a full installation. The typical installation method will install 57 tools, and the full installation method will install 103 tools. After the installation is completed, a new folder, Support Tools, will be added to the Program Files directory. There are naturally many tools obtained by using the complete installation method, and the extra tools are mainly used to diagnose network and server-related problems. We can give a few examples to see the rich features of Support Tools: Application Monitor, which counts and times all function calls, can monitor page failure errors; Disk Detector, which directly accesses, edits, saves and copies various areas of the hard drive, which may be difficult to access in conventional ways, such as it can replace the master boot record (MBR) of the hard drive, repairs corrupt partition tables; and one is that it can analyze two files or folders to compare the differences between the two.
1. Routine use process
If you want to understand the general usage of a program, the best way is to read the Support Tools help documentation, which is located under the All Programs menu. In this help document, you can find a list of tools arranged alphabetically, which contains most of the Support Tools tools and their features. Some tools are independent. hlp help file, open the \\Program Files\\Support Tools folder, and double-click one. The hlp file can view its contents.
Most tools can be double-clicked in the Program Files\\Support Tools folder. The exe file is started, but not every tool has a graphical user interface. Some tools must be run from the command line. The operation method of this type of tool is usually controlled by command line parameters. Enter the program name of a certain tool and add the "/?" parameter to get a list of command line parameters and its purpose description.
2. Install from the command line
Sometimes Windows XP cannot start, and Support Tools is needed to find out the cause of the failure. However, if the system has not installed Support Tools, it is impossible to use Support Tools. Don't worry, Msiexec can help. Msiexec can perform installation, modification and other operations of Windows Installer (Windows Installer) from the command line.
The command to execute a typical installation of Support Tools on the command line is: msiexec /i x :\\support\\tools\\ /q, where x is the drive letter of the CD drive. The fully installed command is: msiexec /i x:\\support\\tools\\ /q ADDLOCAL=ALL, where ADDLOCAL=ALL means installing all tools.
3. Handle software uninstallation failure
After using up a certain software, you may want to delete it. However, sometimes the system crashes inexplicably or has strange error messages. There are many reasons for the deletion failure, which may be that the software itself has not been fully tested, or that the registry configuration is corrupted or invalid. Don't worry, Support Tools can help you. In fact, you can find two Windows Installer cleanup tools: The latter's English name is Windows Installer Zapper, which can only be run from the command line.
: This tool can clear files, folders, and registry information added to the system when installing programs in Windows Explorer. If "Add or Remove Programs" in Control Panel is not effective for a software, it's worth a try. Provides a simple and easy-to-use conversation window to help you clear the problematic software. Note that when using it, you must use the administrator to log in to Windows XP, otherwise the system will prompt an error message.
All actions executed are recorded in a log file, which is a file saved in the Windows\temp directory. The content of this log file is constantly accumulated. Every time you delete a software, the operation details will be recorded in the log.
: The main functions are similar. The biggest difference between the two is that they run from the command line and do not provide a window interface. It must also be noted that it is possible to delete essential system files, so you can only consider using them when "Add or Delete Programs" and none of them are valid. The startup method is: click "Start" - "All Programs" - "Windows Support Tools" - "Command Prompt", enter and press Enter. The available command line parameters will be displayed in the command window.
To clear a installed software, you must specify the identification of the software in the registry on the command line. The software identification can be found under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Uninstall keys in the registry. For example, if you want to use it to clear all content related to Acme AntiVirus software, run the command: msizap T {66Ch7520-B423-4BD1-A7E4-75BB8B44740E}.
IV. Manage files and directories
Directory Disk Usage is also a command line tool. You can use it to view the directory size and detailed compression information (only for NTFS partitions). In addition to the disk space occupied by folders, it can also set the maximum space limit for a specified folder, and an alarm will appear when the space occupied by folders exceeds the limit.
It is an ideal tool for managing public PCs, and can closely monitor all user accounts by using Windows' disk management functions. Users with administrator privileges can check the usage of all directories, including directories that are not part of the current account.
When Windows cannot start and can only enter the recovery console, Support Tools is a rare life-saving magic weapon. For example, you can use the File Version Tool () to view the execution file information saved in the directory, including viewing detailed instructions that are usually only visible when Windows is running normally, especially obtained. The exact version number of the exe file.
5. File information
The Visual File Information Tool () can be started with the Run dialog box, which is a tool with a graphical interface. You can use it to display detailed description information of the file. For example, click the menu "File" - "Add a file" (or Add a directory), and then add the file or directory to view the details. The properties of the file will be displayed in a table, including the file name, extension, creation date, modification date, version, language, code page, and so on.
It is an ideal tool if you want to compare files from different locations. There is also a commendable function, which can modify the original creation date of the file. Click the Touch button to display a calendar and clock. You just need to set the date and time information and click OK.
6. Find duplicate files
Repeat file search tool() is perhaps one of the most practical tools in Support Tools. If you plan to clean up the extra files in the system, it is definitely worth a try. A graphical user interface is provided and is easy to use. Even so, you should still be careful when using it, and do not delete duplicate files immediately after finding them. A safer way is to first rename the duplicate file to see if the system is running normally, and then delete the duplicate file after testing for a period of time.
After starting, enter a directory name in the Search in input box (default C:\\) and click the Start Search button to start the search. Searching the entire C: drive may take a lot of time.
The search results are displayed in the list below the window. Right-clicking on a file can perform operations such as deletion, movement, renaming, viewing information on the file. You must be careful when deleting files in Windows system folders (and their subfolders). If there are duplicate files in other folders, you should give priority to retaining files in Windows system folders.
Before officially digging this treasure, I would like to warn you that misuse of certain tools may endanger the security of the system itself. Don’t use tools just to use tools. Before running each tool, you must have clear goals and operate with caution.
The default installation of Windows XP does not include Support Tools, and these tools must be manually installed using the Windows installation CD. During installation, the wizard will ask whether to perform a typical installation or a full installation. The typical installation method will install 57 tools, and the full installation method will install 103 tools. After the installation is completed, a new folder, Support Tools, will be added to the Program Files directory. There are naturally many tools obtained by using the complete installation method, and the extra tools are mainly used to diagnose network and server-related problems. We can give a few examples to see the rich features of Support Tools: Application Monitor, which counts and times all function calls, can monitor page failure errors; Disk Detector, which directly accesses, edits, saves and copies various areas of the hard drive, which may be difficult to access in conventional ways, such as it can replace the master boot record (MBR) of the hard drive, repairs corrupt partition tables; and one is that it can analyze two files or folders to compare the differences between the two.
1. Routine use process
If you want to understand the general usage of a program, the best way is to read the Support Tools help documentation, which is located under the All Programs menu. In this help document, you can find a list of tools arranged alphabetically, which contains most of the Support Tools tools and their features. Some tools are independent. hlp help file, open the \\Program Files\\Support Tools folder, and double-click one. The hlp file can view its contents.
Most tools can be double-clicked in the Program Files\\Support Tools folder. The exe file is started, but not every tool has a graphical user interface. Some tools must be run from the command line. The operation method of this type of tool is usually controlled by command line parameters. Enter the program name of a certain tool and add the "/?" parameter to get a list of command line parameters and its purpose description.
2. Install from the command line
Sometimes Windows XP cannot start, and Support Tools is needed to find out the cause of the failure. However, if the system has not installed Support Tools, it is impossible to use Support Tools. Don't worry, Msiexec can help. Msiexec can perform installation, modification and other operations of Windows Installer (Windows Installer) from the command line.
The command to execute a typical installation of Support Tools on the command line is: msiexec /i x :\\support\\tools\\ /q, where x is the drive letter of the CD drive. The fully installed command is: msiexec /i x:\\support\\tools\\ /q ADDLOCAL=ALL, where ADDLOCAL=ALL means installing all tools.
3. Handle software uninstallation failure
After using up a certain software, you may want to delete it. However, sometimes the system crashes inexplicably or has strange error messages. There are many reasons for the deletion failure, which may be that the software itself has not been fully tested, or that the registry configuration is corrupted or invalid. Don't worry, Support Tools can help you. In fact, you can find two Windows Installer cleanup tools: The latter's English name is Windows Installer Zapper, which can only be run from the command line.
: This tool can clear files, folders, and registry information added to the system when installing programs in Windows Explorer. If "Add or Remove Programs" in Control Panel is not effective for a software, it's worth a try. Provides a simple and easy-to-use conversation window to help you clear the problematic software. Note that when using it, you must use the administrator to log in to Windows XP, otherwise the system will prompt an error message.
All actions executed are recorded in a log file, which is a file saved in the Windows\temp directory. The content of this log file is constantly accumulated. Every time you delete a software, the operation details will be recorded in the log.
: The main functions are similar. The biggest difference between the two is that they run from the command line and do not provide a window interface. It must also be noted that it is possible to delete essential system files, so you can only consider using them when "Add or Delete Programs" and none of them are valid. The startup method is: click "Start" - "All Programs" - "Windows Support Tools" - "Command Prompt", enter and press Enter. The available command line parameters will be displayed in the command window.
To clear a installed software, you must specify the identification of the software in the registry on the command line. The software identification can be found under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Uninstall keys in the registry. For example, if you want to use it to clear all content related to Acme AntiVirus software, run the command: msizap T {66Ch7520-B423-4BD1-A7E4-75BB8B44740E}.
IV. Manage files and directories
Directory Disk Usage is also a command line tool. You can use it to view the directory size and detailed compression information (only for NTFS partitions). In addition to the disk space occupied by folders, it can also set the maximum space limit for a specified folder, and an alarm will appear when the space occupied by folders exceeds the limit.
It is an ideal tool for managing public PCs, and can closely monitor all user accounts by using Windows' disk management functions. Users with administrator privileges can check the usage of all directories, including directories that are not part of the current account.
When Windows cannot start and can only enter the recovery console, Support Tools is a rare life-saving magic weapon. For example, you can use the File Version Tool () to view the execution file information saved in the directory, including viewing detailed instructions that are usually only visible when Windows is running normally, especially obtained. The exact version number of the exe file.
5. File information
The Visual File Information Tool () can be started with the Run dialog box, which is a tool with a graphical interface. You can use it to display detailed description information of the file. For example, click the menu "File" - "Add a file" (or Add a directory), and then add the file or directory to view the details. The properties of the file will be displayed in a table, including the file name, extension, creation date, modification date, version, language, code page, and so on.
It is an ideal tool if you want to compare files from different locations. There is also a commendable function, which can modify the original creation date of the file. Click the Touch button to display a calendar and clock. You just need to set the date and time information and click OK.
6. Find duplicate files
Repeat file search tool() is perhaps one of the most practical tools in Support Tools. If you plan to clean up the extra files in the system, it is definitely worth a try. A graphical user interface is provided and is easy to use. Even so, you should still be careful when using it, and do not delete duplicate files immediately after finding them. A safer way is to first rename the duplicate file to see if the system is running normally, and then delete the duplicate file after testing for a period of time.
After starting, enter a directory name in the Search in input box (default C:\\) and click the Start Search button to start the search. Searching the entire C: drive may take a lot of time.
The search results are displayed in the list below the window. Right-clicking on a file can perform operations such as deletion, movement, renaming, viewing information on the file. You must be careful when deleting files in Windows system folders (and their subfolders). If there are duplicate files in other folders, you should give priority to retaining files in Windows system folders.