4.2.6 Windows Features.txt

In this lesson, we’ll discuss some of the features offered by the Windows operating system. Understanding what Windows offers can help make managing computer networks easier and more secure, so let’s dive right in. We’ll first go over domain accounts and workgroups and examine the differences. Domai...

In this lesson, we’ll discuss some of the features offered by the Windows operating system. Understanding what Windows offers can help make managing computer networks easier and more secure, so let’s dive right in. We’ll first go over domain accounts and workgroups and examine the differences. Domain Access 0:19-1:02 A domain account is made for large networks, with users divided by privileges and access rights. Control is done entirely through a domain controller, which is a server that handles authentication requests and security policies. It allows authenticated hosts to access resources from any device in the domain. It also stores user account information in a centralized storage database, which allows a user to sign in from any computer, as long as they have access to the controller. This makes the authentication process more secure than a workgroup. Domains are used to securely transfer data and manage computers within the network. The computers can be on different local networks and part of a domain at the same time. Changes are automatically applied to all the computers within a domain. Workgroups 1:03-1:26 Workgroup accounts, on the other hand, are for small networks in an environment where all the computers are peers. Each device has its own storage and is managed by its own user. Anyone that wants to log on to a device must have an account on that device. Workgroups are better for small groups and can only include devices on the same local network. You’d use a workgroup to share local resources in a peer-to-peer group of usually no more than twenty computers. Windows User Interface 1:27-2:24 Now, let’s look at the Windows user interface. Windows allows a lot of customization to its desktop settings. Through a Microsoft account, those settings can be applied across all of a user’s Windows devices. For example, a user can choose a theme—which is a combination of wallpapers, sounds, and colors—or they can select their colors and backgrounds individually. When you select colors manually, you have several options, like choosing a lighting mode, transparency effects, and even your desired accent colors. The taskbar, fonts, and Start menu are customizable as well. For example, you can pin frequently used apps to the taskbar or Start menu in Windows 10 and 11. The taskbar position can be personalized, too. For example, in Windows 11, the taskbar is centered by default. But you can move it to the left, or you can just hide it altogether if you want. When configuring the Start menu, you can turn on or off the most used or recently opened apps. And using the Folders option, you can select which folders will appear next to the power button when you select Start. Remote Desktop Protocol 2:25-2:57 Another useful feature available on all editions except Home edition is Remote Desktop Protocol, or RDP. This is a protocol that Microsoft created to allow remote access to a Windows machine. It allows the remote user to view and manipulate the screen through an encrypted exchange. This works great for accessing a network computer when you’re away from the office, maybe even on vacation. You can basically do anything you could do if you were physically present. But know that RDP can put your machines at risk of cyberattacks, so it’s recommended that you implement additional security protocols to keep your connections secure. Random Access Memory (RAM) Support Limitations 2:58-3:41 Now let’s talk about RAM. When deciding which edition of Windows will be best, an organization should consider the maximum upper limits of random access memory, or RAM, that each edition supports. Windows 10 and 11 have the same limitations. Home edition has support for a maximum of 128 GB of RAM. Pro edition has a limit of 2 TB, and Pro for Workstations and Enterprise both have a 6-TB maximum. Basically, RAM is the hardware that acts like the top of a desk. It’s the working space for the operating system, apps, and data that are currently being used. The larger the RAM capacity, the more efficient a computer can be. Having adequate RAM for your devices is very important, and having the right edition of Windows to support it is just as important. BitLocker 3:42-4:27 Another thing to be familiar with is Microsoft’s whole disk encryption feature called BitLocker. It’s available on all editions of Windows 10 and 11 except, again, Home edition. BitLocker creates a recovery key than can be used to access the encrypted hard drive. It’s designed to protect drives in the event that they’re lost or stolen and primarily uses Trusted Platform Module, or TPM, as part of the encryption process. TPM is a hardware chip that’s often installed on newer computers by the manufacturer. It’s a crypto-processor for creating and storing cryptographic keys. Okay, one more thing—know that BitLocker provides the option of encrypting only the data on the disk or the entire drive. There are advantages to both. Encrypting just the data can be much faster, but encrypting the entire drive is more secure. Group Policy Editor 4:28-5:16 Finally, let’s discuss the Group Policy Editor feature. The Local Group Policy Editor, or gpedit.msc, is a graphical snap-in for Windows Settings that’s stored in the Registry. This simplified GUI makes changing Registry settings much easier. Group Policy Editor contains more than three thousand Windows settings to choose from and is divided into two categories—computer configuration and user configuration. You can utilize gpedit.msc to centrally configure and enforce settings on all your computers within an Active Directory network. It’s the domain controller that implements the settings. Group Policy Editor can also be used on a smaller scale for restriction enforcement or to run specific scripts at certain times. This feature is made with business users in mind, so it’s openly available on Windows Pro and Enterprise editions. Summary 5:17-6:03 That’s it for this lesson. Today, we discussed several features offered with Windows operating system editions. First, we looked at domain access versus workgroups. We talked about how domain accounts give users access to domain resources and how all computers in the domain are controlled by a central domain controller. Then we talked about how workgroups are for smaller groups of computers that are all on the same local network. Here, each user has control over their own computer. Next, we reviewed some options for customizing the user interface and desktop experience on all editions of Windows. Then we went over how Microsoft offers a Remote Desktop Protocol that allows a user to access their computer remotely. We covered the different RAM support limitations for different editions of Windows. Finally, we looked at how BitLocker works and discussed how Group Policy Editor makes changing setting in the Registry easier.