by Roger Capps
Windows NT Technical Support Mgr.
Executive Software* International, Inc.
Next year we will be able to install Windows NT 5.0 and I'm
looking forward
to it. We will have real plug-n-play with thousands of drivers and Windows
NT will not be so "particular" about hardware. A successful install will
be
even easier to achieve.
Windows NT 5.0 has a troubleshooting area in Help that will assist the user
and every tech support guy on the planet too! If you have Windows 98 or can
get a look at it, they are very similar. Just go to the Help program in
Windows 98 and choose "Troubleshooting". It really is sweet. You will
be
able to zero in on the exact problem and its registry entry, IO address and
IRQ. It has several pages of data that can be e-mailed directly to
Microsoft or any tech support rep. Life is going to get better!
I have had the Beta 2 of Windows NT 5.0 on a couple of machines for the last
5 months and that is why I am able to predict such good fortune. In fact, I
am writing this article on a new MICRON TREK II notebook with the newest
release Windows NT 5.0.1895 Beta2. I installed it painlessly Wednesday,
October 8, 1998.
I am going to help you get ready for Windows NT 5.0 by directing you to the
sites and books I have found to contain the best and most useful information.
And, if you like, I can send you a play-by-play of the installation itself so that
you will know exactly what to expect. Just let me know if you could use this kind
of information.
Websites for Windows NT 5 data:
<http://www.cnet.com>
This site has a valuable walkthrough of Windows NT 5.0. It is complete with
graphic illustrations of some of the menus, windows and applications. It is
a good free preview and should be book-marked for future reference. My
buddy, who sits in the cube behind me, er... excuse me--the luxurious office
next to mine, Pat Bloodwell says that he uses this site for a majority of
his tech searches.
<http://www.ntfaq.com>
My all time favorite by John Savill. The most complete site on Windows NT
and it includes lots of 5.0 data.
If you are interested in getting the books I have recommended at a discount
price, please reply to my address. If I get enough interest there may be a
deal in the future for our subscribers.
"Watch your P's and Q's."
You've heard this saying many times and you know what to
do when it is
spoken directly to you. It means 'behave yourself'. But do you know what
the letters stand for? Do you know why?
Back in the pubs of England a few centuries ago, some nights would get rowdy
as the boys drank into the evening. When the bartender could stand no more
he would yell, "Watch your 'P's and 'Q's!" This meant, for the roughhousing
drinkers, to get control of themselves and their Pints and Quarts. This
derivation came from books on the derivations of familiar sayings that is in
my collection of reference books. What's the point this time? To be a
professional and in a position of power and responsibility, I feel we must
know what we are talking about. We need to know what we are saying and when
necessary be able to set others straight with the facts and the source of
the facts. I really want you to look good out there!
That was the point of me gathering the best reference sites and books.
Thanks to your response I have quite a few. As I check them out I will pass
them on to you.
For you, "Minding your P's and Q's" means maintaining control over the
system by keeping the network fast, the drives defragmented, running chkdsk
/f /r periodically and being able to recover lost files and systems. Also
you have to control those roughhousing users. You know, the ones with mail
from 1988 on up and the downloaders, multiple copiers and on and on.
CONTACT AUTHOR
Roger Capps
Windows NT Technical Support Mgr.
Executive Software* International, Inc.
rcapps@executive.com
@Macarlo, Inc.
@Macarlo's Shareware & Web
OS/2
Java Lobby Member
Java Site Accredited
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