THE security architecture in Microsoft Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8 controls the
way accounts are used and the way applications are installed and run.
Windows Server 2012 has two general types of user accounts: standard user accounts and administrator user accounts. Standard users can perform any general computing tasks,
such as starting programs, opening documents, and creating folders, and
any support tasks that do not affect other users or the security of the
computer. Administrators, on the other hand, have complete access to the
computer and can make changes that affect other users and the security
of the computer. Windows 8 adds a special type of local account called a Microsoft
account, which can be thought of as a synchronized local
account and is not available on earlier releases of Windows.
When it comes to applications, Windows 8 behaves differently from
how Windows Server 2012 does as well. Whereas Windows Server 2012 runs
programs, some of which are designed specifically for client-server
environments, Windows 8 also runs desktop apps. An app is a program in the most general sense.
Software installation essentials
Software installation, configuration, and maintenance are processes that require elevated
privileges.
Because of User Account Control, the operating system is able to
detect the installation of software. When the operating system detects
a software installation–related process, it prompts for permission or consent prior to allowing you
to install, configure, or maintain software on your computer. This
means you must either install software using an account with
administrator privileges or provide administrator
permissions when prompted. It also means administrator privileges are
required to perform the following software maintenance tasks:
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Change/Update
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Repair/Reinstall
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Uninstall/Remove
Windows does not include an Add/Remove Programs utility.
Instead, Windows relies completely on the software itself to provide the necessary installation
features through a related setup program.
Windows also provides the architecture for software access tokens and restrictions that require
software programs to write to specific system locations. Software
applications not specifically designed to support this architecture
are considered legacy applications. Thus, software is either compliant or legacy.
Part of the installation process involves validating your
credentials and checking the software’s compatibility. Most software applications have a setup
program that uses Windows Installer, InstallShield, or Wise Install. The job of the installer program is to
track the installation process and make sure the installation
completes successfully. If the installation fails, the installer is
also responsible for restoring a computer to its original state by
reversing all the changes made by the setup program. Although this
works great in theory, you can encounter problems, particularly when
you are installing older programs. Older programs won’t have and won’t
be able to use the features of the latest versions of installer programs, and as a result, they sometimes are
unable to uninstall a program completely.
Because a partially uninstalled program can spell disaster for a
computer, you should protect yourself by backing up a server prior to
installing any software.
Before installing any software, you should do the
following:
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Check to see whether it is compatible. You can determine
compatibility in several ways. You can check the software
packaging, which should specify whether the program is compatible.
Alternatively, you can check the software developer’s website for
a list of compatible operating systems.
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Check the software developer’s website for updates for the program. If available, download the
updates prior to installing the software and then install them
immediately after completing the software installation. Some software programs have
automated update processes that you can use to check for updates
after installing the software. In this case, after installation,
run the software and then use the built-in update feature to check
for updates.
Diagnosing a problem you are having as a compatibility issue
isn’t always easy. For deeper compatibility issues, you might need to contact the
software developer’s technical support staff. To avoid
known compatibility issues with legacy applications, Windows Server includes
an automated detection feature known as the Program Compatibility Assistant.
If the Program Compatibility Assistant detects a known
compatibility issue when you run a legacy application, it notifies you
about the problem and provides possible solutions for resolving the
problem automatically. You can then allow the Program Compatibility
Assistant to reconfigure the application for you. Although the Program
Compatibility Assistant is helpful, it can’t detect or avoid all
compatibility issues. You might have to configure compatibility
manually. One way to do this is to press and hold or right-click the
software shortcut, select Properties, and then use the options on the
Compatibility tab to configure software compatibility options.
Important
Don’t use the Program Compatibility Assistant or similar
compatibility features to install older virus detection, backup, or
system programs. These programs might attempt to modify your
computer’s file systems in a way that is incompatible with Windows
Server, and this could prevent Windows Server from starting.
Installation using software application media is
straightforward. Not all programs have distribution media on a disc or
flash drive. If you download a program from the Internet, it’ll
probably be in a .zip or self-extracting executable file and you can install the
program by following these steps:
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Start File Explorer. Extract the program’s setup files using
one of the following techniques:
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If the program is distributed in a .zip file, press and
hold or right-click the file and select Extract All. This
displays the Extract Compressed (Zipped) Folders dialog box.
Tap or click Browse, select a destination folder, and then tap
or click OK. Tap or click Extract.
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If the program is distributed in a self-extracting
executable file, double-tap or double-click the .exe file to
extract the setup files. You’ll see one of several types of
prompts. If prompted to run the file, tap or click Run. If
prompted to extract the program files or select a destination
folder, tap or click Browse, select a destination folder, and
then tap or click OK. Tap or click Extract or OK as
appropriate.
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In File Explorer, browse the setup folders and find the
necessary setup program file. Double-tap or double-click the setup
file to start the installation process.
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When Setup starts, follow the prompts to install the
software.
If software installation fails and the software used an
installer, follow the prompts to allow the installer to restore your
computer to its original state. Otherwise, exit Setup and then try
re-running Setup to either complete the installation or uninstall the
program.
Installing software is only one part of software
management. Often after you install software, you need to make
configuration changes to your computer or the software itself. You
might need to reconfigure, repair, or uninstall the software, or you
might need to resolve problems with the way the software starts or
runs.
After you install software, you can manage its installation
using the Programs And Features page in Control Panel. Windows
Server takes advantage of the features of the installer program used
with your software. This means you’ll have more configuration options
than you otherwise would. For example, previously, most software
allowed you to re-run Setup to uninstall the program but didn’t
necessarily allow you to re-run Setup to change or repair the
software. Windows Server provides these features to make it easier to
manage your software.
You can use the Programs And Features page to reconfigure, repair, or
uninstall software by following these steps:
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In Control Panel, tap or click Uninstall A Program under
Programs.
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In the Name list, select the program you want to work with
and then select one of the following options on the
toolbar:
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Change Modifies the
program’s configuration
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Repair Repairs the
program’s installation
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Uninstall Uninstalls the
program
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Uninstall/Change
Uninstalls or changes a program with an older installer
program
You can use Task Manager to work with running programs. To access Task Manager, press and hold
or right-click the lower-left corner of the Start screen or the
desktop and then tap or click Task Manager. Alternatively, press
Ctrl+Alt+Delete and then click Task Manager. If the Summary view is
displayed when you open Task Manager, tap or click More
Details.
Use the information and options provided on the Processes,
Performance, and Details tabs to get more information about running programs. When you select a program or process
on the Processes tab, you can terminate the process by tapping or
clicking End Task.
