Windows resource kits and support tools
Not everybody will use them but there are a number of useful utilities available in the several different Windows resource kits and support tool packages that are offered by Microsoft. If you have a full Windows XP installation CD, it should have a folder \Support\Tools. If these tools have been previously installed, they are normally in the folder \Program Files\Support Tools. Otherwise, you can install them from the Windows CD. Insert the CD and when the Autorun screen appears, click “Perform Additional Tasks” and then click “Browse this CD”. You will then get an Explorer window showing the contents of the CD. Click “Support’ and then “Tools”. In the list of files, find Suptools.msi and click it to start the wizard for the installation of the Support Tools. After installation most of the tools can be run directly from the command prompt window. Information about the tools will be in the Start|Help and Support function.
If you have Windows XP SP2, there is also a package Service Pack 2 support tools that is a free download from Microsoft. Another package is the Windows Server 2003 kit. It is also suitable for Windows XP and can be downloaded from this Microsoft site. As the name suggests, most of the tools in the server kit are for systems administrators but some can be useful in normal practice. For example, robocopy.exe is a useful utility for copying files.