Resource Kit Compact Disc

The CD that accompanies the Windows NT Workstation Resource Kit contains utilities that apply to information in the Windows NT Workstation Resource Guide. This new CD replaces all previous ones. It includes a collection of information resources, tools, and utilities that can make networking and working with the Windows NT platform even easier.

Note

The utilities on this CD are designed and tested for the U.S. version of Windows NT version 4.0. Use of these utilities on any other version of Windows NT may cause unpredictable results.

A large Help file with explanations and user actions for the majority of the messages included in Windows NT version 4.0, and a large Help file of Performance Counter Definitions are just two of the major items included on the Windows NT Workstation Resource Kit CD. Updates to these files and others will be provided, when available, on the Microsoft Internet web site for the Windows NT Resource Kits. See the Rktools.hlp file for the exact site address, as well as the addresses of other Microsoft information sites.

After installing the Windows NT Workstation Resource Kit, please refer first to the following three files:

• The Readme.wri file, which contains a complete list of all the tools and utilities on the Windows NT Workstation Resource Kit CD and additional setup instructions for some of them.

• Either the Rkdocw.hlp (for Windows NT Workstation) or the Rkdocs.hlp (for Windows NT Server) file, which provides a single entry point for all of the major components of the Resource Kit's online documentation.

• The Rktools.hlp file, which provides an overview of the Resource Kit tools and utilities and basic instructions on how to use many of them, along with links to additional documentation and, in some cases, to the actual program files.

The most current corrections to those tools and utilities and their documentation, as well as the POSIX and Perl source code files, are available on the Internet at the following Microsoft FTP site:

ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-public/reskit/nt40/

The Windows NT Workstation Resource Kit CD includes a wide variety of tools and utilities to help you work more efficiently with Windows NT Workstation. The following notes describe some of the enhancements made to the existing tools and utilities and introduce new ones that have been added for this version 4.0 release.

Computer Administration/Configuration Tools

• SrvInstW is a wizard for installing and deleting services and device drivers. This is a GUI form of the Instsrv.exe application that now also has increased functionality for detailing service parameters.

Computer Diagnostic Tools

• Remote Kill is a service with both GUI and command-line clients. It enables a user to enumerate and kill a process on a remote computer. It also combines some of the functionality of Tlist.exe and Kill.exe.

• ShowAcls is a utility that enumerates the access rights for files, folders, and trees. It also allows masking to enumerate only specific ACLs.

Desktop Tools

• Desktop Themes from the Windows 95 Plus Pack are included now along with several new Windows NT-specific themes. These themes include a variety of visual, sound, and symbolic components that can enhance the look and feel of your Windows NT 4.0 desktop. Each desktop theme includes a background wallpaper, a screen saver, a color scheme, and a set of sounds, cursors, icons, and fonts.

• MultiDesk, Multidsk.exe, is a desktop switching program for Windows NT 4.0. It customizes the desktop wallpaper and colors, and separates executing programs into new desk spaces.

Disk/Fault Tolerance Tools

• DiskProbe, Dskprobe.exe, is a sector editor for Windows NT Workstation and Windows NT Server that enables a user with local Administrator rights to edit, save, and copy data directly on the physical hard drive that is not accessible in any other way.

• DiskMap produces a detailed report on the configuration of the hard disk that you specify. It provides information from the Registry about disk characteristics and geometry, the Master Boot Record, and the Partition Table for all the partitions on the disk.

File Tools

• ForFiles is a utility that enables batch processing of files in a folder or tree. You can run a command or give arguments to certain files. For example, you can run the type command on all files in a tree with the *.txt extension. Or you could execute every batch file (*.bat) on the C:\ drive with the "myinput.txt" filename as the first argument.

• LogTime is a utility that logs the date and time stamp for batch file calls.

• SetX is a utility that sets User vs. System environment variables.

Internet and TCP/IP Services/Tools

• The Beta version of our Telnet Server, Telnetd.exe. You can use it to run command-line utilities, scripts, and batch files from operating system-independent clients. It is not intended to be a full, commercial-grade Telnet solution.

Network/Server Administration Tools

• Remote Console is a client/server application that enables you to run a command-line session remotely, within which you may launch any other application. Few tools besides Remote Console run applications remotely. REMOTE is not a service, but simply redirects standard input and output, so console programs that take control of the video memory and the keyboard do not work with REMOTE. Along with RCMD and RSH, Remote Console offers you a new way to run consoles remotely and to take control of a CMD session.

Registry Tools

• The Registry Entries Help file, Regentry.hlp, has been updated again for this newest version. The chapter in the Windows NT Workstation Resource Guide that corresponded to this Help file has been discontinued.

• Over 10 new command-line Registry programs have also been added for searching, retrieving, and replacing keys in both local and remote Registries.

Tools for Developers

• PULIST is a utility that enumerates system processes and dumps process owners and IDs. You can use it against local or remote computers.

• Api Monitor, APIMON, is a utility that enables you to monitor the API calls that a process is making. This utility incorporates the functionality of the Application Profiler that will no longer ship with the Windows NT Workstation Resource Kit.

• CpuStress is a utility that loads down the processor, which is useful for evaluating how a system performs under heavy usage.

• Heap Monitor, HEAPMON, is a utility that enables you to view system heap information.

User Account Administration Tools

• SU now includes a GUI interface along with other major additions. SU enables you to start a process that is running as an arbitrary user.