Chapter 7: Configuring Disks

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Chapter 7 Configuring Disks
2
Objectives

• Learn about disk and file system configuration in
  Vista
• Learn how to manage storage
• Learn about the additional features that Vista
  provides to manipulate and support disk storage

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Configuring File Systems

• Each partition (logical drive) created in Vista,
  must have an associated file system.
• The files system is used to store and retrieve
  the files stored on your hard drive.
• Microsoft Vista supports
• FAT32
• NTFS
• Choose which File System to use depending on the
  security and features required, and if backwards
  compatibility is necessary.

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Configuring File Systems

• Fat32
• First used with Windows 95 OSR2
• Supports drives from 512 MB to 2 TB, but a
  partition can only by 32GB.
• Smaller cluster sizes (32kb), provides more
  efficient storage.
• Backwards compatible with other non-NTFS systems
• Does not contain native compression or encryption
• Designed for use by a single user operating
  system, so local security is non-existent.

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Configuring File Systems

• NTFS (New Technology Files System)
• Introduced with the Windows NT Operating System
• Is the recommended files system for Vista
• Strong file and folder level security,
  compression and encryption features
• Maximum partition size 256 TB
• Designed as a multi-user files system (both local
  and networked)

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File System Conversion

• Windows Vista CONVERT utility
• Convert drive /fsntfs
• Allows conversion of FAT32 partitions to NTFS
  without data loss
• One-way conversion cannot convert NTFS to FAT32
• To convert from NTFS to FAT32 backup data,
  FORMAT partition with FAT32, and restore data
  from backup
• /v (verbose) displays messages during converstion
• /NoSecurity switch removes all security from
  converted files
• If the partition is locked because it is the
  system partition, the system will first reboot
  then begin the conversion

7
Configuring Disk Storage

• Two types of disk storage in Windows Vista
• Basic Storage
• Primary and extended partitions
• Drive can have up to 4 primary partitions OR 3
  primary 1 extended
• Extended partition can be segmented into logical
  drives
• Dynamic Storage
• Not partition based, but instead contains volumes

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Dynamic Storage

• Simple Volumes
• Contains space from a single dynamic drive,
  whether contiguous or non-contiguous
• Spanned Volumes
• Contains space on 2-32 dynamic drives
• Space is filled on one drive before filling the
  next
• No performance benefit as in Striped
• If any drive fails, you lose all data
• Striped Volumes
• Contains equal amounts of space from 2-32 dynamic
  drives. Data is stored sequentially in all disks
  simultaneously, allowing faster read and write
  access
• If any drive fails, you lose all data
• Data loss can be avoided by using RAID1(Mirrored)
  or RAID5 which are fault tolerant, but only
  available in Windows Server version.

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Volumes
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Managing Basic Tasks Using Disk Management

• Must be logged in with Administrator privileges
  to use full functionality
• Control PanelgtSystem and MaintenancegtAdministrativ
  e ToolsgtComputer Management
• Viewing Disk Properties
• Right-click the disk, select Properties
• Disk number (First is 0)
• Type of disk (basic, dynamic, CD)
• Status of disk (online or offline)
• Capacity of disk
• Amount of unallocated space on disk
• Logical volumes defined on the physical disk

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Managing Basic Tasks Using Disk Management

• Viewing Volume Properties
• Right-click the volume, select Properties
• Tools tab provides Scandisk (error checking),
  Backup Wizard, and Disk Defragmenter
• Hardware tab shows hardware associated with the
  drives
• Sharing, Security, Previous Versions (shadow
  copies), Quota tabs for more settings

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Creating Volumes and Partitions

• Some systems support hot swapping of drives to
  add more space
• Volume for Dynamic / Partition for Basic
• Creating a Volume (Simple if 1st drive)
• Right-click an area of free space, click New
  Volume starts the New Volume Wizard
• Creating a Partition
• Right-click an area of free space, click New
  Partition starts the New Partition Wizard

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Upgrading from Basic to Dynamic Using Disk
Management

• Right-click the disk you want to convert, and
  select the Convert to Dynamic Disk option.
• In the Convert to Dynamic Disk dialog box, check
  the disk that you want to upgrade and click the
  OK button.
• In the Disks to Convert dialog box, click the
  Convert button.
• A confirmation dialog box warns you that you will
  no longer be able to boot previous versions of
  Windows from this disk. Click the Yes button to
  continue to convert the disk.

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Managing Data Encryption with EFS (Encrypting
File System)

• Encryption used to increase data security
• Encryption translates plain text data into code
  (cipher text) that is not easily accessible. EFS
  provides encryption on Windows Vista systems
• Once encrypted you must have a password or key to
  decrypt the data
• If the person with the key is no longer available
  the DRA (Data Recovery Agent) can be used to
  provide the proper key to decrypt

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Managing Data Encryption with EFS (Encrypting
File System)

• Right-click the folder or file, click Properties,
  click the Advanced button, check the Encrypt
  Contents to Secure Data option, or use the CIPHER
  utility.
• Encrypted files are color coded green
• By default the DRA (Data Recovery Agent) is
  Domain Administrator. In a local Vista
  environment, one has to be assigned Control
  PanelgtAdmin ToolsgtLocal Security Policy

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Using the Disk Cleanup Utility

• StartgtControl PanelgtSystem and Maintenance
• Identifies areas ofdisk space that can be
  deleted toreclaim space ona drive
• Identifies temporary files, Internet cache files,
  and other unnecessary files

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Troubleshooting Disk Devices and Volumes

• Defragmenter looks for non-contiguous data
• Check Disk utility can attempt to fix file system
  errors, and detect and recover bad sectors.
• Cannot fix hardware problems.