Microsoft Windows Vista

Chris Fehily9780321434524, 0321434528

This fast-paced, no-fluff book teaches you the basics of Microsoft Windows Vista and includes tips, shortcuts, and workarounds for Windows veterans as well as new users, whether you’re using the Home, Business, Enterprise, or Ultimate edition of Vista. You’ll find step-by-step instructions and plenty of screenshots that guide you through Vista’s new and updated features, including the glasslike Aero interface; instant search; the Sidebar and Gadgets; and the improved versions of Internet Explorer, Mail, Live Messenger, Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, and Media Player. You’ll also find information on setup; installation; upgrading from other Windows versions; troubleshooting; hardware; and organizing your documents, music, photos, and videos. Laptop and mobile users will learn how to connect from the road, jump onto a public wireless network, and conserve battery power. Author Chris Fehily also walks you through setting up a network, connecting to the Internet, configuring routers and firewalls, and hooking up printers and other devices. You’ll learn how to use Vista’s beefed-up security features to protect your PC and network and share files while keeping personal stuff private.

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Table of contents :
Cover……Page 1
Contents at a Glance……Page 6
Table of Contents……Page 7
Introduction……Page 14
What Windows Does……Page 15
The Editions of Windows Vista……Page 16
What’s New in Windows Vista……Page 17
Upgrading to Windows Vista……Page 19
About This Book……Page 20
1 Getting Started……Page 22
Logging On and Logging Off……Page 23
Using Welcome Center……Page 36
Exploring the Windows Interface……Page 38
The Mouse……Page 41
The Keyboard……Page 43
Menus……Page 46
Toolbars……Page 53
Icons……Page 54
Windows……Page 57
Dialog Boxes……Page 65
Properties……Page 67
Transferring Data……Page 69
2 The Desktop……Page 76
Exploring the Start Menu……Page 77
Using the Start Menu……Page 81
Customizing the Start Menu……Page 90
Exploring the Taskbar……Page 94
Managing Windows by Using the Taskbar……Page 95
Customizing the Taskbar……Page 97
Using the Notification Area……Page 101
Adding Toolbars to the Taskbar……Page 104
Using the Quick Launch Toolbar……Page 108
Using the Sidebar……Page 110
Managing Shortcuts……Page 115
Tidying Your Desktop……Page 122
3 Getting Help……Page 124
Starting Help and Support……Page 125
Browsing Help and Support……Page 126
Searching Help and Support……Page 128
Getting Help on the Web……Page 129
Capturing Screen Images……Page 130
Allowing Others to Connect to Your Computer Remotely……Page 131
4 Personalizing Your Work Environment……Page 138
Using Control Panel……Page 139
Setting the Window Color and Color Scheme……Page 142
Setting the Desktop Background……Page 144
Setting the Screen Saver……Page 146
Setting the Desktop Theme……Page 148
Configuring the Monitor……Page 150
Configuring the Mouse……Page 156
Configuring the Keyboard……Page 159
Configuring Sound and Audio Devices……Page 161
Setting the Date and Time……Page 166
Localizing Your System……Page 169
Accommodating Disabled Users……Page 174
Using Speech Recognition……Page 178
Using Alternative Mouse Behavior……Page 183
Conserving Power……Page 184
Managing Fonts……Page 192
Managing Visual Effects and Performance……Page 196
Restoring the Old Windows Look……Page 197
Getting General System Information……Page 200
5 Organizing Files and Folders……Page 202
Exploring Your Computer……Page 203
Storing Stuff in Your Personal Folder……Page 206
Using Windows Explorer……Page 209
Navigating in Windows Explorer……Page 215
Tagging Files……Page 219
Filtering, Sorting, Stacking, and Grouping Files……Page 222
Customizing a Folder……Page 227
Setting Folder Options……Page 228
Creating Folders……Page 231
Naming Files and Folders……Page 232
Moving and Copying Files and Folders……Page 233
Sending Files and Folders……Page 236
Deleting Files and Folders……Page 238
Compressing Files and Folders……Page 243
Searching for Files and Folders……Page 249
Saving Searches……Page 262
Burning CDs and DVDs……Page 263
Using Keyboard Shortcuts……Page 269
6 Installing and Running Programs……Page 272
Installing Programs……Page 273
Removing Programs……Page 278
Turning Windows Features On or Off……Page 280
Launching Programs……Page 281
Launching Programs Automatically……Page 283
Running Older Programs……Page 284
Switching Programs……Page 285
Exiting Programs……Page 287
Killing Unresponsive Programs……Page 288
Using the Free Utility Programs……Page 290
Saving Documents……Page 298
Opening Documents……Page 300
Associating Documents with Programs……Page 302
7 Printing, Scanning, and Faxing……Page 306
Installing a Printer……Page 307
Sharing a Network Printer……Page 314
Setting Printer Properties……Page 316
Printing Documents……Page 318
Controlling Printouts……Page 321
Scanning and Faxing……Page 323
8 Setting up Hardware……Page 334
Connecting Devices to Your Computer……Page 335
Installing a New Device……Page 341
Setting up Bluetooth Devices……Page 345
Managing Device Drivers……Page 347
9 Digital Photos……Page 352
Importing Photos to Your Computer……Page 353
Getting Started with Windows Photo Gallery……Page 359
Viewing Photos……Page 365
Finding Photos……Page 368
Touching up Photos……Page 372
Printing Photos……Page 373
Ordering Prints Online……Page 374
Emailing Photos……Page 375
Using Keyboard Shortcuts……Page 376
10 Windows Media Player……Page 378
Getting Started with Media Player……Page 379
Playing Music CDs……Page 382
Customizing the Now Playing Tab……Page 385
Viewing Visualizations……Page 387
Changing Player Appearance with Skins……Page 388
Shopping Online……Page 389
Listening to Radio Stations……Page 390
Ripping CDs to Your Hard Drive……Page 391
Organizing Your Library……Page 395
Working with Playlists……Page 403
Burning Music CDs……Page 407
Playing DVDs……Page 409
Using Keyboard Shortcuts……Page 411
11 Windows Movie Maker……Page 412
Getting Started with Movie Maker……Page 413
Importing Content……Page 415
Organizing Your Clips……Page 419
Creating a Project……Page 420
Editing a Project……Page 421
Editing Clips……Page 424
Adding Visual Content……Page 426
Adding Audio Tracks……Page 428
Publishing a Movie……Page 430
12 Connecting to the Internet……Page 432
Understanding Connection Types……Page 433
Connecting to the Internet……Page 436
13 Security and Privacy……Page 442
Checking Your Security Status……Page 443
Using a Firewall……Page 447
Updating Windows……Page 452
Defending Against Viruses and Spyware……Page 455
Setting Parental Controls……Page 461
Encrypting Data……Page 463
14 Internet Explorer……Page 466
Getting Started with Internet Explorer……Page 467
Navigating the Web……Page 468
Using Tabs……Page 475
Bookmarking Pages……Page 478
Blocking Pop-Up Windows……Page 481
Browsing Tips……Page 483
15 Email, Contacts, and Calendars……Page 492
Getting Started with Windows Mail……Page 493
Setting up an Email Account……Page 494
Sending Email……Page 496
Reading Email……Page 501
Receiving Attachments……Page 508
Applying Message Rules……Page 511
Using Newsgroups……Page 513
Managing Your Contacts……Page 515
Creating a Personal Calendar……Page 516
16 Windows Live Messenger……Page 518
Setting up Messenger……Page 519
Signing in to Messenger……Page 521
Creating a Contacts List……Page 524
Using Messenger……Page 525
17 Managing User Accounts……Page 530
Setting up User Accounts……Page 531
Using User Account Control……Page 538
Managing User Profiles……Page 539
18 Setting up a Small Network……Page 540
Understanding Network Types……Page 541
Sharing an Internet Connection……Page 545
Setting up a Network……Page 546
Managing a Network……Page 551
Sharing Files……Page 555
19 Working Remotely……Page 560
Dialing Direct……Page 561
Connecting to a Virtual Private Network Server……Page 562
Controlling a Computer with Remote Desktop……Page 563
Making Network Files and Folders Available Offline……Page 569
Using Laptop Utilities……Page 571
20 Maintenance & Troubleshooting……Page 572
Getting System Information……Page 573
Managing Tasks……Page 574
Cleaning up a Disk……Page 575
Defragmenting a Disk……Page 576
Checking for Disk Errors……Page 577
Managing Disks……Page 578
Scheduling Tasks……Page 579
Editing the Registry……Page 581
Reporting and Solving Problems……Page 582
Boosting Memory……Page 583
Restoring Your System……Page 584
Backing up Your Files……Page 587
Recovering After a Crash……Page 591
A Installing Windows Vista……Page 592
Getting Ready to Install Windows Vista……Page 593
Choosing an Installation Type……Page 596
Installing Windows Vista……Page 597
Activating Windows Vista……Page 600
Transferring Existing Files and Settings……Page 601
Index……Page 602
Back Cover……Page 626