Lab – Managing System Files (Answers Version)

Answers Note: Red font color or gray highlights indicate text that appears in the Answers copy only.

In this lab, you will use Windows utilities to gather information about the computer.

• A computer running Windows

Answers Note: The students will be accessing sensitive settings during this lab. Stress the importance of following instructions to avoid damaging the operating system.

Step 1:  Review the System Information.

1. To open System Information, click Start > Run and type in msinfo32.
2. Click the plus sign next to Hardware Resources, Components, and Software Environment. Expand the window as necessary to see all the content.
3. Under the System Summary heading locate and list the following:

Processor:

Answers will vary. A sample answer is Intel® Core™ i5-4430 CPU @ 3.00GHz, 3001 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)

BIOS Version/Date:

Answers will vary. A sample answer is AMI 80.07, 6/5/2013

Total Physical Memory:

Answers will vary. A sample answer is 16.00 GB

4. Under the Hardware Resources heading, locate and list the following:

DMA channels and the device using the resources.

Answers will vary. A sample answer:
Channel 4 Direct memory access controller

5. Under the Components heading locate and list the following:

Adapter Description:

Answers will vary. A sample answer is Radeon RX 580 Series

Adapter RAM:

Answers will vary. A sample answer is (1,048,576) bytes

6. Under the Software Environment heading, where would you find the applications that automatically load when the computer boots?

Startup Programs

7. Close the System Information window.

Step 2:  Review the System Configuration.

1. To open System Configuration, click Start, search for msconfig.

Note: Do not make any changes in this utility without Answers permission.

2. Click the General tab.

Question:

What are the startup options?

Normal startup, Diagnostic startup, or Selective startup.

3. Click the Boot tab. This tab is for modifying boot options.
4. Click the Services tab. This tab lists the computers services and status.

Question:

Can you enable and disable services at this tab?

Yes

5. Click the Startup tab.

In Windows 10 and 8.1, this tab indicates that the Task Manager is used to manage startup items. There is also a link to Startup tab of the Task Manager on this tab.

In Windows 7, this tab lists the programs that are automatically loaded every time you turn on your computer.

6. Click the Tools tab.

Question:

What can you do in this tab?

Launch Windows built-in utilities.

7. Click Cancel to close the System Configuration window.

Step 3:  Review DirectX Diagnostics.

1. Open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool by clicking Start, and search for dxdiag.
2. If you are asked to have DirectX check driver signatures, click No.

When the DirectX Diagnostic Tool first opens, it may take a minute to load all information.

3. Make sure the System tab is active.

Question:

What does this tool report?

Detailed information about the DirectX components and drivers installed on the system.

4. Click Next Page until you are at the Display tab.

Question:

What information is listed on this page?

Device, Drivers, and DirectX Features

5. Click Next Page until you are at the Sound tab.

Question:

What information is listed on this page?

Device and Drivers

6. Click Next Page until you are on the Input tab.

Question:

What information is listed on this page?

A list of input devices

7. List any additional tabs in your DirectX Diagnostic Tool window below.

Question:

What information is listed on these extra tabs?

Answers may vary.

8. Click Exit when finished.

1. Why would it be beneficial to turn off a service in the system configuration?

Answers may vary. It may be beneficial to turn off a service if that service may have become unresponsive, or if a service is using too many resources.

2. When would you use the startup tab of the system configuration tool?

Answers may vary. There may be programs that you do not wish to start when the computer boots.