"Raymond Chen is the original raconteur of Windows." --Scott Hanselman, ComputerZen.com "Raymond has been at Microsoft for many years and has seen many nuances of Windows that others could only ever hope to get a glimpse of. With this book, Raymond shares his knowledge, experience, and anecdotal stories, allowing all of us to get a better understanding of the operating system that affects millions of people every day. This book has something for everyone, is a casual read, and I highly recommend it!" --Jeffrey Richter, Author/Consultant, Cofounder of Wintellect "Very interesting read. Raymond tells the inside story of why Windows is the way it is." --Eric Gunnerson, Program Manager, Microsoft Corporation "Absolutely essential reading for understanding the history of Windows, its intricacies and quirks, and why they came about." --Matt Pietrek, MSDN Magazine's Under the Hood Columnist "Raymond Chen has become something of a legend in the software industry, and in this book you'll discover why. From his high-level reminiscences on the design of the Windows Start button to his low-level discussions of GlobalAlloc that only your inner-geek could love, The Old New Thing is a captivating collection of anecdotes that will help you to truly appreciate the difficulty inherent in designing and writing quality software." --Stephen Toub, Technical Editor, MSDN Magazine Why does Windows work the way it does? Why is Shut Down on the Start menu? (And why is there a Start button, anyway?) How can I tap into the dialog loop? Why does the GetWindowText function behave so strangely? Why are registry files called "hives"? Many of Windows' quirks have perfectly logical explanations, rooted in history. Understand them, and you'll be more productive and a lot less frustrated. Raymond Chen--who's spent more than a decade on Microsoft's Windows development team--reveals the "hidden Windows" you need to know. Chen's engaging style, deep insight, and thoughtful humor have made him one of the world's premier technology bloggers. Here he brings together behind-the-scenes explanations, invaluable technical advice, and illuminating anecdotes that bring Windows to life--and help you make the most of it. A few of the things you'll find inside: What vending machines can teach you about effective user interfaces A deeper understanding of window and dialog management Why performance optimization can be so counterintuitive A peek at the underbelly of COM objects and the Visual C++ compiler Key details about backwards compatibility--what Windows does and why Windows program security holes most developers don't know about How to make your program a better Windows citizen

Index.

Completely updated with specific coverage of the Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack add-ons now packaged with Windows NT Server 4.0, this new edition of Microsoft Windows NT Server Administrator's Bible brings you everything you need to plan, install, configure, manage, optimize, and connect Windows NT Server 4.0 to the Internet -- including insider tips and stories you just won't find anywhere else. Simply put, if you're looking for the one book that will show you how to get your server up and running fast, this is the book for you.

This book clearly focuses on the client version of NT. Coverage also includes the updated Exchange Server and Microsoft Network connectivity available in this release of Windows NT. The CD includes dozens of world class utilities for communications, system maintenance, customization, and system performance monitors.

Networking is at the heart of corporate computing, and likewise, advanced networking functions are built into NT. This book covers all the aspects of Windows NT Networking, from equipment selection and network planning to client/server computing--all the practical information the network and IT manager needs to know in order to purchase, implement, and manage a corporation.

Windows NT is a true 32-bit multitasking network operating system that is scalable and robust. This book covers what this means to the user by describing all the features of Windows NT. It covers the Network administration features, the management utilities, and gives tips for managing large numbers of services. The book also covers the eight utilities in the administration tools that are accessible only to those with administrator log ons.

Microsoft Windows NT is the foundation of the new 32-bit operating system designed to support the most powerful workstation and server systems. The initial developer support for Windows NT has been phenomenal--developers have demonstrated more than 50 Windows NT applications only months after receiving the pre-release version of the software. This authoritative text--by a member of the Windows NT development group--is a a richly detailed technical overview of the design goals and architecture of Windows NT. (Operating Systems)