Other Problems
Certainly, startup and shutdown problems are the most important ones. However, while
doing everyday work using Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003,
you may encounter other problems, some of which may be solved only by editing the
registry.
Enabling Debug Logging for User Profiles and System Policy
If you experience problems with user profiles or group policy processing, the debug
logging will help troubleshooting efforts. In Windows NT 4.0, this required the user to
have a debug build of the Userenv.dll file. In Windows 2000, Windows XP, and
Windows Server 2003, this functionality is built into the operating system. However, it is
not enabled by default. If you need to troubleshoot user profiles and system policy
processing, you can enable it by editing the registry as follows:
1. Start Registry Editor and open the following registry key:
2. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\
Winlogon
3. Add the REG_DWORD registry value named UserEnvDebugLevel (or simply
modify the value if it already exists). Set the value to 10002 (Hex).
4. Restart the computer. The log file is written to the
%SystemRoot%\Debug\UserMode\Userenv.log file.
Configuring the Backup Utility
If you back up your system on a regular basis, you've already noticed that the Backup
utility supplied with Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 excludes
certain files from the backup and recovery processes. To view the list of these files, start
the Backup program, select the Options command from the Tools menu, and go to the
Exclude Files tab (Fig. 12.9
).
Figure 12.9: The Exclude Files tab of the Options window of the built-in Backup utility
By default, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 support the files
and folders excluded from the backup and recovery processes preformed using Backup
(Ntbackup.exe) and other compatible backup software.
Normally, the exclusion of these files is necessary. However, in some situations the
system administrator or advanced user may need to include these files in the backup
copy.
The files excluded from the backup and recovery processes are listed in the registry under
the following registry key:
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\FilesNotToBackup.
Microsoft provides an interface for editing the list of files excluded from backup and
recovery processes. The Exclude Files tab of the Options window in the Backup
program has buttons such as Add new, Edit, and Remove. However, all changes entered
here will be written into the registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER, affecting only the
user who performed this modification. To change the list of files excluded from backup
and recovery procedures for the whole system, the registry must be edited manually.
Default settings listed under the FilesNotToBackup key (they're all REG_MULTI_SZ
values) are listed in Table 12.5
.
Table 12.5: The List of Default Settings Under the FilesNotToBackup Key
Setting Data
ASR error file
[*]
%SystemRoot%\repair\asr.err
ASR log file
[*]
%SystemRoot%\repair\asr.log
Digital Rights
Management (DRM)
folder
[*]
%SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\DRM\*/s
Catalog database
[*]
%SystemRoot%\System32\CatRoot2\*/s
Client Side Cache %SystemRoot%\csc\*/s
ComPlus %SystemRoot%\Registration\*.crmlog/s
Internet Explorer %UserProfile%\index.dat/s
Memory Page File \Pagefile.sys
Microsoft Writer
(Bootable state)
[*]
%SystemRoot%\Registration\*.clb\*.crmlog/s
Microsoft Writer
(Service state)
[*]
%SystemRoot%\system32\NtmsData\*
MS Distributed
Transaction
%SystemRoot%\System32\DTCLog\MSDTC.LOG
Netlogon
[*]
%SystemRoot%\netlogon.chg
Netlogon
[*]
%SystemRoot%\netlogon.chg
NtFrs %SystemRoot%\ntfrs\jet\*/s
%SystemRoot%\debug\NtFrs*
%SystemRoot%\sysvol\domain
\DO_NOT_REMOVE_NtFrs_PreInstall_Directory\*/s
%SystemRoot%\sysvol\domain
\NtFrs_PreExisting_See_EventLog\*/s
%SystemRoot%\sysvol\staging\domain\NTFRS_*
Power Management \hiberfil.sys
VSS Default Provider \System Volume Information\*{3808876B-C176-4e48-B7AE-
04046E6CC752}/s
Temporary Files %TEMP%\*/s
[*]
Introduced with Windows XP
N
o
t
e
The HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore registry key in
Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 contains a new subkey,
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\
AsrKeysNotToRestore, which holds a list of keys that should not be restored by the
ASR process (Fig. 12.10
). It points to the database of critical devices, which should
not be edited because they need to be re-enumerated by the Setup program during
ASR process.
Figure 12.10: The contents of the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\AsrK
eysNotToRestore registry key (new in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003)
Some registry keys are excluded from the backup procedures by default. These keys
aren't listed on the Exclude Files tab of the Options window; consequently, you can't
edit this list using the user interface. This list is stored in the registry Under
KLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\KeysNotToRestore.
The list of default settings present under this key is shown in Table 12.6
.
Table 12.6: Default Settings Stored Under the HKLM\SYSTEM\Current
ControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\KeysNotToRestore\Registry Key
Setting Value
Active
Directory
Restore
CurrentControlSet\Services\NTDS\Restore In
Progress\CurrentControlSet\Services\NTDS\Parameters\New Database
GUID
ASR
Information
[*
]
CurrentControlSet\Control\ASR\
Fault
Tolerance
Disk\
Installed CurrentControlSet\Services\*
Table 12.6: Default Settings Stored Under the HKLM\SYSTEM\Current
ControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\KeysNotToRestore\Registry Key
Setting Value
Services
LDM Boot
Information
CurrentControlSet\Services\dmio\boot info\
LDM Boot
Information
(dmboot)
[*]
CurrentControlSet\Services\dmboot\
Mount
Manager
MountedDevices\
Pending
Rename
Operations
CurrentControlSet\Control\Session
Manager\PendingFileRenameOperations
Plug and
Play
CurrentControlSet\Enum\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDataba
se\
Removable
Storage
Manager
[*]
CurrentControlSet\Control\NTMS\ImportDatabase
Session
Manager
CurrentControlSet\Control\Session
Windows
Setup
Setup\SystemPartition
[*]
New in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003
Removing Invalid Items from the List Displayed by the Add/Remove Programs
Wizard
The Add/Remove Programs applet in Control Panel is intended for adding, removing, or
modifying the applications installed in your system. Starting with Windows 2000, this
wizard has significantly improved and has a better user interface.
Despite the improvements, there may be some problems with the wizard. For example, if
an application isn't removed correctly and completely, the removed correctly and
completely, the reference to the application continues to appear in the Currently
installed programs list. Any attempt to use the Add/Remove Programs wizard to remove
the application (by clicking the Change/Remove button) results in a series of system
messages. These messages say that because some files necessary for the correct removal
of the application weren't found, the removal procedure can't be completed. The non-
existent application remains in the list.
How can you solve this problem? To remove a non-existent application from the
Currently installed programs list:
1. Start Regedit.exe and open the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Uninstall key.
2. Within this key, find the subkey created by the application you want to remove
from the list. If the name of that key isn't evident, browse all the keys and view the
DisplayName value. This specifies the strings displayed by the Add or Remove
Programs wizard in the list of installed applications.
3. When you find the key whose DisplayName value specifies the name of the
application you want to delete from the list, delete this key with all its contents.
Warning: Never try to delete the whole Uninstall key!
4. Close Registry Editor. Verify that the Add and Remove Programs wizard no
longer displays the incorrectly deleted application.
N
ote If you proceed according to this recommendation, you'll delete only the reference to
the string displayed by the Add and Remove Programs wizard. However, it's
possible that some files installed by the incorrectly deleted application will remain
in your system. To remove the application completely, you'll need to delete all of its
files and all registry entries used by the program. Only an advanced user should do
this operation manually. (If you do this, don't forget to backup the registry before
proceeding any further.)
Configuring Disk Quota Event Logging
Most advanced users and system administrators have noticed the useful Disk Quota
capability, introduced with Windows 2000 and present in later versions. Disk Quota
events are written to the event log (if enabled) through the logging option in Quota
properties for a drive using the NTFS file system (Fig. 12.11
).
Figure 12.11: The Quota tab of the NTFS drive Properties window
By default, Disk Quota event logging occurs asynchronously (once per hour). If you need
to configure the system to log Disk Quota events as soon as a user exceeds one of the
threshold values, you must edit the registry. Start Registry Editor, open the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem key, and
create the REG_DWORD value named NtfsQuotaNotifyRate. By default, this isn't
present in the registry. Specify the required rate of the Disk Quota event logging.
(Specify the value in seconds.)
.
Other Problems
Certainly, startup and shutdown problems are the most important ones. However, while. using Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003,
you may encounter other problems, some of which may be solved only by editing the
registry.
Enabling