You will agree that an operating system’s primary function is to provide a safe execution environment where different applications can run, safely. This necessitates the requirement of a basic framework for uniform program execution to use the hardware and access system resources in a secure manner. The kernel provides this basic service in all but the most simplistic operating systems. To enable these fundamental capabilities for the operating system, several portions of the OS initialize and run at system boot time.
Pfsense fw 2.3 eve-ng. In addition to this, there are other features that are capable of offering initial protection. These include:
Fortunately, Windows 10 provides protection even during startup. How? Well, for this, we first need to understand what Rootkits are and how they work. Thereafter, we can delve deeper into the subject and find how Windows 10 protection system works.
Rootkits
Rootkits are a set of tools used for hacking a device by a cracker. The cracker tries installing a rootkit on a computer, first by obtaining user-level access, either by exploiting a known vulnerability or cracking a password and then retrieving the required information. It conceals the fact that an operating system has been compromised by replacing vital executables.
Different types of rootkits run during different phases of the startup process. These include,
Windows 10 has 4 features secure the Windows 10 boot process and avoid these threats.
Securing the Windows 10 Boot ProcessSecure Boot
Secure Boot is a security standard developed by members of the PC industry to help you protect your system from malicious programs by not allowing any unauthorized applications to run during the system start-up process. The feature make sure that your PC boots using only software that is trusted by the PC manufacturer. So, whenever your PC starts, the firmware checks the signature of each piece of boot software, including firmware drivers (Option ROMs) and the operating system. If the signatures are verified, the PC boots, and the firmware gives control to the operating system.
Trusted Boot
This bootloader uses the Virtual Trusted Platform Module (VTPM) to verify the digital signature of the Windows 10 kernel before loading it which in turn, verifies every other component of the Windows startup process, including the boot drivers, startup files, and ELAM. If a file has been altered or changed to any extent, the bootloader detects it and refuses to load it by recognizing it as the corrupted component. In short, it provides a chain of trust for all the components during boot.
Early Launch Anti-MalwareBoot Process Of Windows 8
Early launch anti-malware (ELAM) provides protection for the computers present in a network when they start up and before third-party drivers initialize. After Secure Boot has successfully managed to protect the bootloader and Trusted Boot has finished/completed the task safeguarding the Windows kernel, the role of ELAM begins. It closes any loophole left for malware to start or initiate infection by infecting a non-Microsoft boot driver. The feature immediately loads a Microsoft or non-Microsoft anti-malware. This helps in establishing a continuous chain of trust established by Secure Boot and Trusted Boot, earlier.
Measured Boot
It has been observed that PCs infected with rootkits continue to appear healthy, even with anti-malware running. These Infected PCs if connected to a network in an enterprise pose serious risk to other systems by opening routes for the rootkits to access to vast amounts of confidential data. Measured Boot in Windows 10 allows a trusted server on the network to verify the integrity of the Windows startup process by using the following processes.
With all this information at hand, the server can now find whether the client is healthy and grant the client access to either a limited quarantine network or to the full network.
Read the full details on Microsoft.
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There are multiple reason why you want to clean boot Windows. Perhaps to troubleshoot problems you might have with Windows Update, or with playing a game. No matter what the reason, disabling all non-Microsoft services can in many cases help you solve your problems.
This tutorial will show you how to Clean Boot Windows 10 and Windows 8.
How to Clean Boot
1. Begin by typing “msconfig” in the Cortana Search Box and then click on MSConfig (Run Command)
Or on your keyboard press the Windows + R key at the same time and type Msconfig in the run window, then click on OK or hit enter.
2. Now choose Selective Start-up
3. Remove the check from Load Startup Items
4. Click on the Services tab
5. Check “Hide all Microsoft Services” and then click on Disable All
6. Click on Apply and then on OK.
A message will appear that you need to restart your system, do this, you will notice that in many cases Windows will boot a lot faster. This is normal since many services that used to run before now, no longer run.
How to Disable Clean Boot?
It’s the same as how to clean boot, only then you check the boxes, and click on Enable All on step 5.
Did Clean Boot solve your problem?
Then a service is causing your issue, I suggest you turn on 5 services at a time, reboot and then see if the problem reappears, keep repeating this until you find a group of 5 services, which are causing this issue, then check the one by one, till you find the one which is causing your issue. Please be aware that this is quite time consuming.
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How to disable / enable the Administrator Prompt in Windows 10
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Windows 8 and 10 consolidate various boot options into a single screen named the “Advanced Options” menu. This menu provides access to repair tools and options for changing Windows startup behavior—such as enabling debugging, booting into safe mode, and launching into a recovery environment.
Note: We’re showing screenshots from Windows 10 in this article, but the process is largely the same in Windows 8. We’ll point out any differences.
What You Can Do on the Advanced Options Menu
The “Advanced Options” menu provides a number of actions you can take to troubleshoot or repair your PC:
After choosing most of these options, Windows restarts and then loads into the mode (or starts the tool) you selected.
And now that you know what you can use the “Advanced Options” menu for, let’s take a look at how to get to it.
Option One: Hold Down Shift While Clicking Restart
If your PC can start Windows normally, you can get to the “Advanced Options” menu quickly by just holding down the Shift key while clicking the “Restart” option. You can do this either on the sign in screen (shown above) or on the Start menu (shown below).
When you do this, your PC doesn’t immediately restart. Instead, it shows you a menu that lets you continue in your Windows session, access troubleshooting tools, or turn off your PC. Click the “Troubleshoot” button.
On the “Troubleshoot” screen, click the “Advanced Options” button.
And, finally, you’ll arrive at the “Advanced Options” menu.
RELATED:How to Create and Use a Recovery Drive or System Repair Disc in Windows 8 or 10
Note that if your PC can’t start Windows normally twice in a row, it should show you the “Advanced Options” menu automatically. If it doesn’t, you can try booting your PC with a USB recovery drive.
Option Two: Use the Settings App
If you’d like to jump through a few extra hoops rather than just hitting Shift+Restart, you can also launch the “Advanced Options” menu through the settings app. Press Windows+I to open the Settings app, and then
Click the “Update & Security” option.
In the left pane, switch to the “Recovery” tab. In the right pane, scroll down a bit, and then click the “Restart Now” button in the “Advanced Startup” section.
If you’re using Windows 8, you’ll switch to the “General” tab instead, and then click the “Restart” button in the “Advanced Startup” section.
Option Three: Issue a Command with PowerShell (or the Command Prompt)
RELATED:How to Write a Batch Script on Windows
You can also reach the “Advanced Options” menu by issuing a simple command using PowerShell or the Command Prompt. We’re going to use PowerShell here, but it’s the exact same command either way. You could also create a batch script with this command, so that you could access the “Advanced Options” menu in the future more easily.
Start PowerShell as administrator by hitting Windows+X, and then clicking the “Windows PowerShell (Admin)” option on the Power User menu.
At the prompt, type (or copy and paste) the following command, and then hit Enter:
A message pops up, warning you that you are about to be signed off.
Windows then restarts automatically about a minute later, and delivers you to the “Advanced Options” menu.
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Among the many changes coming with Windows 8What's Missing From Windows 8?What's Missing From Windows 8?Windows 8 has seen the removal of many features that have been key to Windows over the years, including the Start button, Start menu, and Windows Aero. We tend to focus on the new features..Read More and new computers designed for it is a change in the way we access our computers’ BIOS. No longer do we press a certain key during the boot process to reveal the BIOS – instead, an option to access the BIOS is located in Windows 8’s boot options menu.
Traditionally, computers displayed a message like “Press F2 to enter setup” at the beginning of the boot process. Pressing this key entered the computer’s BIOS. However, Windows 8 hardware uses the UEFI replacement for the traditional BIOS, like Macs do. Some solid-state driveHow Do Solid-State Drives Work?How Do Solid-State Drives Work?In this article, you'll learn exactly what SSDs are, how SSDs actually work and operate, why SSDs are so useful, and the one major downside to SSDs.Read More-equipped Windows 8 PCs boot so fast that you’d only have a 200 millisecond (that’s 0.2 seconds) window of opportunity to press the key combination.
Windows 8 Hardware vs. Old Computers With Windows 8
Note that this new method only applies if you purchased a new computer with Windows 8 preinstalled – these will use UEFIWhat Is UEFI And How Does It Keep You More Secure?What Is UEFI And How Does It Keep You More Secure?Read More. However, if you’ve installed Windows 8 on an existing computer that uses the legacy BIOS system, you’ll access the BIOS in the same way as always by pressing the key that appears during your boot process.
This key is often F2 or Delete, but it can also be other keys. The exact key depends on your computer – if you don’t see the appropriate key displayed on your screen during the boot-up process, consult your computer’s manual.
Accessing Boot Options
There are several ways to access Windows 8’s boot options menu. The easiest one to find is in the PC Settings application. Press Windows key + CA Handy Keyboard Shortcuts List for the Upcoming Microsoft Windows 8A Handy Keyboard Shortcuts List for the Upcoming Microsoft Windows 8Not having to reach for your mouse to do the most routine task is one huge benefit I enjoy every day. That's because I've memorized my list of Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts, and I use..Read More to reveal the Charms bar, click Settings, and select Change PC settings to access it.
In the PC Settings application, select the General category and click the Restart now button under Advanced startup. Your computer will restart and you’ll enter the Windows 8’s boot options menu, where you can access the UEFI BIOS and change other settings.
You can also hold Shift while clicking Restart in the Shut Down menuHow To Shut Down Windows 8How To Shut Down Windows 8Windows 8 brings the biggest changes to the familiar Windows interface since Windows 95. The Shut Down option isn’t where you’d expect to find it – in fact, the entire classic Start menu and Start..Read More to restart your computer into the boot options menu.
This is a quick way to restart into the boot options menu, as you can access the Shut Down button from the Charms anywhere on your system.
Command-line geeksEssential Windows CMD Commands You Should KnowEssential Windows CMD Commands You Should KnowThe bleak interface of the command prompt is your gateway to advanced Windows tools. We show you essential CMD commands that will let you access them.Read More will be happy to know they can run a special shutdown.exe command3 Ways To Speed Up The Windows 7 Shutdown Process3 Ways To Speed Up The Windows 7 Shutdown ProcessOne of the key improvements of Windows 7 is its lightning fast start-up. However, one thing which is not so fast is the shutdown process. If you also happen to be looking for ways to..Read More in a Command Prompt window to restart their computer directly into the boot options menu.
Here’s the command you need to use:
Shutdown.exe /r /o
Accessing UEFI BIOS
The boot options menu has been designed to integrate some commonly used options that people went into the BIOS for. For example, if you want to boot your computer off of a USB driveHow to Create a Bootable USB Drive From Your Windows CDHow to Create a Bootable USB Drive From Your Windows CDCan't use your optical drive to install the Windows operating system? Create a bootable USB drive from your Windows CD instead.Read More, DVD or CD, or another device, you can click the Use a device tile in the boot options menu and select the device you want to boot from.
If you’re just here to access your computer’s UEFI BIOS, click the Troubleshoot tile.
This will reveal an Advanced Options screen with a variety of tools – the UEFI Firmware Settings tile will take you to your computer’s BIOS. (On UEFI, which stands for “Unified Extensible Firmware Interface”, the firmware settings menu is equivalent to a traditional PC’s BIOS.)
If you don’t see the UEFI Firmware Settings tile here, your computer doesn’t use UEFI. You’ll need to access the BIOS in the traditional wayDiscover Your BIOS & Learn How to Make the Most of ItDiscover Your BIOS & Learn How to Make the Most of ItWhat the heck is the BIOS, anyway? Is it really that important to know? We think so and fortunately it's pretty easy. Let us introduce you.Read More, by pressing a specific key during the boot-up process. See the first section above for more information.
If there’s an error booting Windows, you won’t be locked out of the BIOS — the boot options screen will appear when you start your computer. From here, you can repair Windows or enter your BIOS.
Why the Change?
While this may be slightly inconvenient, as there’s no way to access the BIOS in normal use without booting into Windows first, it’s surely necessary.
Microsoft’s blog post about this on the Building Windows 8 blog describes how this new system came to be. With the increased boot speed, some systems had a less than 200-millisecond window of opportunity to press a keyHow to Enter the BIOS on Windows 10 (And Older Versions)How to Enter the BIOS on Windows 10 (And Older Versions)To get into the BIOS, you usually press a specific key at the right time. Here's how to enter the BIOS on Windows 10.Read More. Even the best key-tappers at Microsoft could only press a key once every 250ms — to access the BIOS, frantic tapping, luck, and several computer reboots were all necessary.
This also brings some much-needed consistency to Windows 8 computers — they’ll all have a consistent way of accessing the BIOS. Currently, different computers use different keys at start-up.
While Windows 8 may have some questionable design decisions6 Ways Microsoft Is Killing The Traditional Desktop In Windows 8 [Opinion]6 Ways Microsoft Is Killing The Traditional Desktop In Windows 8 [Opinion]The traditional desktop is still around in Windows 8, and it’s probably the best Windows desktop yet (aside from not having a Start menu.) But Microsoft is setting it up for the kill. The writing..Read More that some people will dislike, this shouldn’t be one of them. The new method of accessing the BIOS is necessary and well-implemented.
Do you still remember the key combination for entering the BIOS or do you use the advanced Windows menu?
Updated by Tina Sieber.
Explore more about: BIOS, Computer Maintenance, Windows 8.
More news on Windows 8. This time around, Gabe Aul, a director of program management in Windows, blogged about the changes Microsoft has made to Windows 8’s boot process. The results are impressive – a boot time not much slower than waking from sleep on current Windows 7 and Mac OS X machines. This is, of course, a vital component of getting Windows NT ready for tablets.
Windows 7 can already boot pretty fast as it is – I never timed it, but on my SSD-equipped workstation, booting Windows 7 is pretty fast. Of course, the BIOS takes a lot longer to load, and for some reason, ever since I installed the SSD, I get another detecting screen thingie which adds another few seconds to the process. However, the loading of Windows 7 (or Ubuntu 11.04 for that matter, even though Ubuntu is on a regular hard drive) is pretty damn fast.
But, this process can still be made faster. You might be wondering at this point – why bother? Doesn’t everybody sleep and hibernate by now? Well, as data gathered by Microsoft suggests – not really. Most people still prefer full and clean reboots and shutdown/boot cycles. They found out that 57% of desktop PC users and 45% of laptop users shutdown their machines instead of sleeping or hibernating them. Common reasons cited by users is that they don’t want their computers sleeping since it still draws power, draining the battery and upping energy usage. On top of that, many people prefer the idea of a ‘fresh start’.
So, Microsoft still set about to improve boot times in Windows 8, and they did so in a fairly clever way. Most likely due to the componentisation of the lower levels of Windows NT, Microsoft can now actually hibernate only the kernel. In Windows 7 and earlier, when you initiate a shutdown, all user sessions are closed, and in the kernel session, all services and drivers are closed so you have a complete shutdown.
In Windows 8, things are done differently. All user-related stuff is still properly shutdown like before, but everything related to the kernel goes into hibernation. “Now here’s the key difference for Windows 8: as in Windows 7, we close the user sessions, but instead of closing the kernel session, we hibernate it,” Aul explains, “Compared to a full hibernate, which includes a lot of memory pages in use by apps, session 0 hibernation data is much smaller, which takes substantially less time to write to disk.”
It also takes substantially less time to boot. “It’s faster because resuming the hibernated system session is comparatively less work than doing a full system initialization, but it’s also faster because we added a new multi-phase resume capability, which is able to use all of the cores in a multi-core system in parallel, to split the work of reading from the hiberfile and decompressing the contents,” Aul adds, “For those of you who prefer hibernating, this also results in faster resumes from hibernate as well.”
Microsoft also uploaded a video of the boot process of a laptop running Windows 8, but they do not detail the specifications of this machine. It most likely has an SSD, and they note it has UEFI as well. My new media centre computer has UEFI as well, and it sure rocks by a heck of a lot faster than BIOS.
While this all looks fine and dandy, the real tests will come outside of controlled environments. The diagram above does list the time between winlogon and desktop-ready, but this period will be different for everyone, depending on how much crap you have installed.
For whatever it’s worth, it’s an interesting way to improve boot times.
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