Running Windows 8 (part 1) - Running Windows 8 in Groups and Domains

When the operating system starts after installation, you can log on and access the desktop. By default, Windows 8 stores user profile data under %SystemDrive%\Users\%UserName%. Within the user profile folder, each user who logs on to the system has a personal folder, and that personal folder contains additional folders. These folders are the default locations for storing specific types of data and files:

• AppData User-specific application data (in a hidden folder)

• Contacts Contacts and contact groups

• Desktop The user’s desktop

• Downloads Programs and data downloaded from the Internet

• Favorites The user’s Internet favorites

• Links The user’s Internet links

• My Documents The user’s document files

• My Music The user’s music files

• My Pictures The user’s pictures

• My Videos The user’s video files

• Saved Games The user’s saved game data

• Searches The user’s saved searches

Note

%SystemDrive% and %UserName% refer to the SystemDrive and UserName environment variables, respectively. The Windows operating system has many environment variables, which are used to refer to user-specific and system-specific values. Often, I’ll refer to environment variables by using this syntax: %VariableName%. If you’ve upgraded to Windows 8 from an earlier version of Windows, the user’s personal folder may also contain symbolic links (which look like shortcuts) to the folders and settings used by that earlier version. A symbolic link is a pointer to a file or folder that often is created for backward compatibility with applications that look for a folder or file in a location that has been moved. You can create symbolic links by using the Mklink command-line utility. At a command prompt, enter mklink /? to learn the available options.

In addition to personal folders, Windows 8 uses personal libraries. A library is simply a collection of files and folders that are grouped together and presented through a common view. Standard libraries include:

• Documents Collects a user’s My Documents data and Public Documents data.

• Music Collects a user’s My Music data and Public Music data.

• Pictures Collects a user’s My Pictures data and Public Pictures data.

• Videos Collects a user’s My Videos data and Public Videos data.

You can create new libraries to act as views to various collections of data by pressing and holding or right-clicking the Libraries node in File Explorer, pointing to New, and then tapping or clicking Library.

Important

When you work with libraries, it is important to remember that they are only representations of collected data. Windows 8 creates merged views of files and folders that you add to libraries. The libraries do not contain any actual data, and any action that you take on a file or folder within a library is performed on the source file or folder.

Windows 8 provides themes that allow you to easily customize the appearance of menus, windows, and the desktop. In Control Panel, tap or click the Change The Theme link under Appearance And Personalization, and then choose the theme you want to use. Windows Aero themes add improved visual design and enhanced dynamic effects to the interface. If you want to use fewer advanced features, choose the Windows Basic theme.

It is important to point out, however, that the interface enhancements that can be used on a computer depend on which Windows 8 edition is installed and the computer’s hardware.

Using Action Center and Activating Windows

By default, when you log on, the operating system displays an Action Center summary icon in the desktop notification area. This icon has a white flag on it. Action Center is a program that monitors the status of important security and maintenance areas. If the status of a monitored item changes, Action Center updates the notification icon as appropriate for the severity of the alert. If you tap or click this icon, Windows displays a dialog box with a summary listing of each alert or action item that needs your attention. Tap or click an action item link to run the related solution. Tap or click the Open Action Center link to display the Action Center.

If you’ve disabled Action Center notifications on the taskbar, you can start Action Center by following these steps:

1. In Control Panel, tap or click the System And Security category heading link.

2. Tap or click Action Center.

Action Center, provides an overview of the computer’s status and lists any issues that need to be resolved. After installing Windows 8, action alerts in Action Center may let you know that device drivers are available and need to be installed. Simply tap or click the action item to begin the driver installation process. 

Figure 1. The Action Center window.

Windows 8 Pro and Enterprise editions support volume licensing. Although volume-licensed versions of Windows 8 might not require activation or product keys, retail versions of Windows 8 require both activation and product keys. You can determine whether Windows 8 has been activated in Control Panel. In Control Panel, tap or click System And Security, and then tap or click System. On the System page, read the Windows Activation entry. This entry specifies whether you have activated the operating system. If Windows 8 has not been activated and you are connected to the Internet, select View Details In Windows Activation and then tap or click Activate.

Running Windows 8 in Groups and Domains

Computers running Windows 8 can be members of a homegroup, a workgroup, or a domain. A homegroup is a loose association of computers on a home network. Computers in a homegroup share data that can be accessed using a password common to the users in the homegroup. You set the homegroup password when you set up the homegroup and can modify the password as necessary at any time.

A workgroup is a loose association of computers in which each computer is managed separately. A domain is a collection of computers that you can manage collectively by means of domain controllers, which are servers running Windows that manage access to the network, to the directory database, and to shared resources.

Homegroups are available only when a computer running Windows 8 is connected to a home network. Workgroups and domains are available only when a computer running Windows 8 is connected to a work network. 

Some aspects of Windows 8 vary depending on whether a computer is a member of a homegroup, workgroup, or domain. The sections that follow discuss these differences as they pertain to UAC, logon, fast user switching, and password management.

Understanding UAC in Windows 8

In a homegroup or workgroup, a computer running Windows 8 has only local machine accounts. In a domain, a computer running Windows 8 has both local machine accounts and domain accounts. Windows 8 has two primary types of local user accounts:

• Standard Standard user accounts can use most software and can change system settings that do not affect other users or the security of the computer.

• Administrator Administrator user accounts have complete access to the computer and can make any necessary changes.

Windows 8 adds a special type of local user account called a Microsoft account, which is not available on earlier releases of Windows. 

Windows 8 includes UAC as a way to enhance computer security by ensuring true separation of standard user and administrator user accounts. Because of the UAC feature in Windows 8, all applications run using either standard user or administrator user privileges. Whether you log on as a standard user or as an administrator user, you see a security prompt by default whenever you run an application that requires administrator privileges. The way the security prompt works depends on Group Policy settings and whether you are logged on with a standard user account or an administrator user account.

When you are logged on using a standard user account, you are asked to provide a password for an administrator account, as shown in Figure 2. In a homegroup or workgroup, each local computer administrator account is listed by name. To proceed, you must tap or click an account, type the account’s password, and then tap or click Yes.

Figure 2. Prompting for administrator privileges.

In a domain, the User Account Control dialog box does not list any administrator accounts, so you must know the user name and password of an administrator account in the default (logon) domain or a trusted domain to continue. When Windows prompts you, type the account name, type the account’s password, and then tap or click Yes. If the account is in the default domain, you don’t have to specify the domain name. If the account is in another domain, you must specify the domain and the account name by using the format domain\username, such as cpandl\williams.

When you are logged on using an administrator user account, you are asked to confirm that you want to continue, as shown in Figure 3. You can tap or click Yes to allow the task to be performed, or tap or click No to stop the task from being performed. Tapping or clicking Show Details shows the full path to the program being executed.

Figure 3. Prompting for confirmation to continue.

Elevation of privileges allows a standard user application to run with administrator privileges. You can run applications with elevated privileges by following these steps:

1. Press and hold or right-click the application’s tile or shortcut, and then tap or click Run As Administrator.

2. When you see the User Account Control prompt, proceed as you normally would to allow the application to run with administrator privileges.

Note

You must run the command prompt with elevated privileges to perform administration at the command line. If you do not do this, you will see an error when you try to run an administrator utility or perform a task that requires administrator privileges.

Logging on to, Shutting Down, and Restarting Windows 8

Windows 8 displays a Lock screen at startup. When you click the Lock screen, you see the Welcome screen. The behavior of the Welcome screen depends on Group Policy settings and the computer’s homegroup, workgroup, or domain membership. Keep the following in mind:

• In a homegroup or workgroup, the Welcome screen shows a list of accounts on the computer. To log on with one of these accounts, tap or click the account and enter a password if required.

• In a domain, the name of the last user to log on is displayed by default on the Welcome screen. You can log on with this account by entering the required password. You can log on as another user as well. To do this, click the Switch User button, select one of the alternative accounts listed, and then provide the password for that account or click Other User to enter the user name and password for the account to use. Note that the Switch User button has a left arrow in a circle and is to the left of the account picture.

By default, the last account to log on to the computer is listed in computer\username or domain\username format. To log on to this account, you type the account password and then tap or click the Submit button. The Submit button is part of the Password box, and shows a right arrow. To log on to a different account, tap or click Switch User, press Ctrl+Alt+Del, and then tap or click Other User. The logon information that you must provide depends on what type of account you are using:

• If the account is in the current/default domain, type the user name and password and then tap or click the arrow button.

• If the account is in another domain, you must specify the domain and the account name by using the format domain\username, such as cpandl\williams.

• If you want to log on to the local machine, type .\username, where username is the name of the local account, such as .\williams.

When you are logged on, you can display the Windows Logon screen by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del. This screen allows you to lock the computer, switch users, sign out, change a password, or start Task Manager. The Power button is in the lower-right corner of the screen. Tapping or clicking the Power button displays Sleep, Shut Down, and Restart options.

Because Shut down and Restart are options of the Power settings, you also can shut down or restart a computer by following these steps:

1. Slide in from the right side of the screen or press Windows key + C.

2. Tap or click Settings and then tap or click Power.

3. Tap or click Shut Down or Restart as appropriate.

Note

Windows 8 supports fast user switching in domain, homegroup, and workgroup configurations. When a user is logged on to a computer running Windows 8, you can use fast user switching to allow another user to log on without requiring the current user to log off. To switch users, press Ctrl+Alt+Del, and then tap or click Switch User.

Managing User Account Passwords with Windows 8

Windows 8 provides fast and easy ways to manage user account passwords. You can easily perform the following tasks:

• Change the current user’s password.

• Change the password for another domain or local computer account.

• Create a password reset disk.

• Reset a user’s password.

These tasks are discussed in the sections that follow.

Changing the Current User’s Password

You can change the current user’s password by completing the following steps:

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del, and then tap or click the Change A Password option.

   Note

   In a domain, the current user’s domain account name is listed in domain\username format. In a homegroup or workgroup, the current user’s local account name is listed.

2. Type the current password for the account in the Old Password text box.

3. Type and confirm the new password for the account in the New Password and the Confirm Password text boxes.

4. Tap or click the arrow button to confirm the change.

Changing Other Account Passwords

You can change the password for a domain or a local account other than the current user’s account by completing these steps:

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del, and then tap or click the Change A Password option.

2. Tap or click in the User Name text box, and then type the name of the account.

   Note

   For a domain account, specify the domain and the account name using the format domain\username, such as cpandl\williams. For a local computer account, type .\username, where username is the name of the local account, such as .\williams.

3. Type the current password for the account in the Old Password text box.

4. Type and confirm the new password for the account in the New Password and the Confirm Password text boxes.

5. Tap or click the arrow button to confirm the change.

Creating and Using a Password Reset Disk

Passwords for domain users and local users are managed in different ways. In domains, passwords for domain user accounts are managed by administrators. Administrators can reset forgotten passwords using the Active Directory Users And Computers console.

In homegroups and workgroups, passwords for local machine accounts can be stored in a secure, encrypted file on a password reset disk, which is a USB flash drive that contains the information needed to reset your password. You can create a password reset disk for the current user by completing these steps:

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del, and then tap or click the Change A Password option.

2. Tap or click Create A Password Reset Disk to start the Forgotten Password Wizard.

3. In the Forgotten Password Wizard, read the introductory message. Insert the USB flash drive you want to use and then tap or click Next.

4. Select the USB flash drive you want to use in the drive list. Tap or click Next.

5. Type the current password for the logged on user in the text box provided, and then tap or click Next.

6. After the wizard creates the password reset disk, tap or click Next, remove the disk, and then tap or click Finish.

Be sure to store the password reset disk in a secure location because anyone with access to the disk can use it to gain access to the user’s data. If a user is unable to log on because he or she has forgotten the password, you can use the password reset disk to create a new password and log on to the account using this password.

Note

REAL WORLD You can use BitLocker To Go to protect and encrypt USB flash devices and other removable media drives. When a user is logged on, protected media can be unlocked using a password or a smart card with a smart card PIN. However, when a user isn’t logged on, the protected drive cannot be accessed. Because of this, you shouldn’t protect password reset disks with BitLocker To Go. 

Resetting a User’s Password

Administrators can reset forgotten passwords using the Active Directory Users And Computers console. In homegroups and workgroups, you can reset a password by following these steps:

1. On the Log On screen, tap or click the arrow button without entering a password, and then tap or click OK. The Reset Password option should be displayed. If the user has already entered the wrong password, the Reset Password option might already be displayed.

2. Insert the disk or USB flash device containing the password recovery file, and then tap or click Reset Password to start the Reset Password Wizard.

3. In the Reset Password Wizard, read the introductory message and then tap or click Next.

4. Select the device you want to use in the drive list, and then tap or click Next.

5. On the Reset The User Account Password page, type and confirm a new password for the user.

6. Type a password hint, and then tap or click Next. Tap or click Finish.