Ram & Reason: Top Windows 2000 Secret Utilities

          by Rob Rice              July 2004

If you have ever installed a Windows operating system, but never researched what was on the installation disk, you are missing out. Microsoft is notorious for placing some very useful programs on the disk or burying them deep inside the operating system and then making mention of them only in obscure documents. Thus they earn the title “Secret Utilities”. Below is a list of some of the better ones found on the Windows 2000 installation disk. Many of these utilities are duplicated in Windows XP and some will even run under Windows 95, 98, and NT as well. Others can only be executed from the Command Prompt.

• APCOMPAT.EXE – The first of our secret utilities is used to make a program compatible with Windows 2000. For example, if you have an older word processing program or game that you are married to, then this useful tool should help run it. The utility will fool a program into thinking it's running on Windows 95, 98, or NT instead of 2000. Windows 2000 doesn’t install apcompat.exe by default. Instead you’ll find it in the Support folder on the Windows 2000 CD. You can also install it and other useful utilities by installing the Windows 2000 Support Tools (see next bullet), which is also located in the Support folder. Running Apcompat is fairly straightforward. After you’ve checked the appropriate boxes and if necessary tweaked the settings, check the "Make the above check box settings permanent" to avoid having to repeat the process and click OK.

Application Compatibility Tool

• WINDOWS 2000 SUPPORT TOOLS – Apcompat.exe can be accessed from here as well. Clicking “setup” under the Support\Tools folder on the Windows 2000 installation disk will install several helpful tools including the above. While a few of the programs you might not have any use for, such as the Active Directory Administration Tool, or ADSI Edit, there are some very useful programs that are installed. Below are some of the more commonly used tools.

• DEPENDENCY WALKER – This program builds a hierarchical tree diagram of all the dependent modules of a program and is very useful for troubleshooting system errors related to module load problems. This utility can detect common application problems such as missing and invalid modules, import/export mismatches, and mismatched types of modules.

• DISK PROBE – If you are familiar with the granddaddy of Norton utilities, “Disk Edit” then you will feel at home with Disk Probe. “DiskProbe is a sector editor. It allows a user with Administrator privileges to directly modify data on the local computer's hard drive. Data structures such as the Master Boot Record, partition tables, and partition boot sectors can be edited directly.” Below is further explanation from Microsoft:

When Should I Use DiskProbe?

DiskProbe is designed to aid in the recovery of corrupt data structures which cannot be repaired with the disk tools included with the operating system.

If data structures such as Master Boot Records or partition boot sectors become corrupted, they can be repaired or replaced following the procedures outlined in this documentation.

DiskProbe can also be used as a preventative maintenance tool. Master Boot Records and partition boot sectors can be saved as disk files and kept with the Emergency Repair Disk. In the event of corruption caused by viruses or faulty hardware, these critical data structures can be easily replaced.

Can you screw up Windows 2000 using this program? You bet! So be careful.

•  PROCESS VIEWER – “Process Viewer is a Windows–based tool that displays information about a running process and allows you to stop (kill) processes and change process priority.” Many of the tasks found here can be accomplished in Task Manager as well. However Process Viewer brings them all together into a single interface.

• WINDIFF – This utility will compare files or directories and display their differences and commonalities. The display will show a comparison of files in outline mode or a detailed line–by–line comparison of one of the files in expanded mode.
   

• SFC.EXE – Some of you may be familiar with the good old System File Checker from Windows 98. SFC scans all protected system files and replaces incorrect versions with the correct Microsoft versions. To use, open the Command Prompt window and type “sfc.exe” and press Enter. This will list the various switches and options that are available to you. Some of the things you can do with SFC are:

• /SCANNOW – Scans all protected system files immediately.

• /SCANONCE – Scans all protected system files once at the next boot.

• /SCANBOOT – Scans all protected system files at every boot.

• /QUIET – Replaces all incorrect file versions without prompting.

• /ENABLE  – Enables Windows File Protection for normal operation

• /PURGECACHE – Purges the file cache and scans all protected system files immediately.

• CIPHER.EXE – Encryption is increasingly important these days and it is one of Windows 2000’s bright spots. With cipher.exe you can manage file encryption from the Command Prompt. Typing cipher.exe /? will bring up the help menu with the switches and commands.
   

• VERIFIER.EXE – This tool is used to troubleshoot driver issues. To start, type verifier.exe in the RUN command text box (Click Start and then Run) and click OK. This is an advanced tool and should not be used without consulting Microsoft Knowledge Base Article – 244617 and having a thorough understanding of the topics addressed.
   

• GPEDIT.MSC – Group Policy Edit. To start, type gpedit.msc in the RUN command text box (Click Start and then Run) click OK. In this consol you can do everything from the obvious of editing group policy to the less obvious of changing the title bar in Internet Explorer to “Internet Explorer Provided by [your organization] or replacing the Internet Explorer upper–right corner logo with something of your own design. A host of network, software, and security settings are available here. Spend some time going through each of them. You won’t be disappointed.
   

• SECPOL.MSC – And speaking of security, the Security Policy consol is available from the Run command as well. Type secpol.msc in the RUN command text box (Click Start and then Run) click OK. Here you can set the password policy, account lockout policy, a load of security options and user rights assignments.

While many of the utilities listed here are well known and not actually secrets it doesn’t hurt to have an occasional reminder that they are there - ready and waiting to be used. So use the tools and get the most out of Windows 2000. Certainly you paid enough for it!

Robert Rice is a member of the Oklahoma City PC User’s Group and computer specialist working in Anchorage, Alaska. You can contact Robert at robt@isp.com.