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INFO: The Windows Support Tools and Resource Kit Tools |
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When troubleshooting Windows 2000, Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 there are two suites of tools (predominantly made up of command line tools but also including some GUI-based tools) that are indispensable. These are the Support Tools and the Resource Kit tools. If you ever ask for help on a forum or newsgroup, or are following the instructions in a Microsoft or third-part knowledgebase article, you will undoubtedly come across tools mentioned that are not part of the core Windows installation. These are almost always either Windows Support Tools, or Windows Resource Kit tools. This article explains the differences between the two sets of tools and provides links (where appropriate) to downloads.
Support Tools
The support tools are additional troubleshooting and support tools that are supplied with Windows but are not part of the core installation. The support tools are a group of unsupported tools that are both command-line and GUI based.
As the support tools are not part of the core Windows installation they are not automatically updated when you Service Pack Windows, even though the tools themselves have been updated with each Service Pack released.
As such, you should reinstall the support tools from the Service Pack installation media after applying a service pack to your Windows system.
Windows 2000
The current version of the Windows 2000 support tools are those that shipped with Windows 2000 SP4. These can be installed on any version of the Windows 2000 operating system.
If you do not have the Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 installation media (CD) you can download the updated tools from Microsoft's download website.
Note. If you have a slipstreamed version of Windows 2000 Service Pack 4, such as those that are included with Volume License agreement and MSDN subscriber shipments, the updated tools are on the installation media.
Windows XP
The current version of the Windows XP support tools are those that shipped with Windows XP Service Pack 2. These tools should only be installed on Windows XP (professional or home) systems.
If you do not have the Windows XP Service Pack 2 installation media (CD) you can download the updated support tools from Microsoft's download website.
Note. If you have a slipstreamed version of Windows XP Service Pack 2, such as those that are included with Volume License agreement and MSDN subscriber shipments, the updated tools are on the installation media.
Windows Server 2003
The current version of the Windows Server 2003 support tools are those that shipped with Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1. These tools can be installed on either Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP systems.
If you do not have the Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 installation media (CD) you can download the updated support tools from Microsoft's download website.
Note. If you have a slipstreamed version of Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1, such as those that are included with Volume License agreement and MSDN subscriber shipments, the updated tools are on the installation media.
Resource Kit Tools
The resource kit tools are a further set of unsupported tools that Microsoft provides to customers. However, the resource kit tools are not included on the Windows installation media. The resource kit tools are separate, and the licensing is different in each version.
Windows 2000 Resource Kit tools
The Windows 2000 Professional and Windows 2000 Server resource kit tools are a separate set of tools that shipped with the Microsoft Press books - Windows 2000 Professional Resource Kit and Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit respectively. These tools are not freely available, however they are included as Part of the TechNet subscription. There is also a subset of the tools available for public download on the Windows 2000 Resource Kit website.
Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit tools
The Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit tools are publicly available, and are downloadable from Microsoft's website. They are also available in your TechNet subscription and with the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit books.
The Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit tools can be installed on Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP, and can be downloaded from the following location:
Further reading/ additional information
Document information
Author: Paul Williams
Date: 16-09-2005
Version: 2.0
Last updated: 01-08-2007
Last updated by: Paul Williams |
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