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100 Things You Need to Know about Microsoft Windows Vista

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100 Things You Need to Know about Microsoft Windows Vista
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100 Things You Need to Know about Microsoft Windows Vista

Book

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Description

  • Copyright 2008
  • Edition: 1st
  • Book
  • ISBN-10: 0-7897-3727-2
  • ISBN-13: 978-0-7897-3727-4

Tired of clawing your way through computer books that start at the beginning of recorded history just to find one tiny nugget of information you need? Tired of wrenching your back to pull that massive Windows tome off your bookshelf? Tired of wishing you could find a simple answer to what should be a simple problem? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then 100 Things You Need to Know about Microsoft® Windows Vista™ is just the book you’ve been looking for. Chock full of timesaving tips, heady solutions, and expert know-how, this book doesn’t break the bank nor does it require a Bowflex body to hoist it around. Inside you’ll find step-by-step help for the 100 things every Windows user needs to know when making the big switch between Windows XP and Vista. Even if you’re brand new to Windows (meaning Vista is your first-ever operating system), you’ll find the advice here indispensable. In this book, we assume, for instance, that you really don’t give a hoot about what TCP/IP is. We’re betting you just want to get your Internet connection up and running, and leave the techy muck to the propeller heads.

•    Want all the cool new cutting-edge features and interface Windows Vista offers? Well, before you run out and buy the software, you need to ensure your system will support it! We walk you through, step-by-step, how to manually check if your PC and other hardware and software are supported for use with Windows Vista. We show you how to perform common upgrade tasks, if needed, before you install Vista. In addition, we provide tips and procedures on backing up your data.

•    Having to choose between five different versions (yes, Vista comes in FIVE flavors!) can be confusing! Don’t sweat it, though--we’ve got you covered. We show you how to decide which flavor of Vista is best suited to you! Then we walk you through installing and setting up Vista for the very first time.

•    Next we dig into the new Vista interface, which is quite a change from the old XP! Then we give you a tour of the many new and enhanced features. While you might fancy yourself a wicked-smart Windows user, don’t skip this section! We’re positive you’ll find things you didn’t know that will help you make Vista do thy bidding.

•    Don’t like the slick new Vista interface? (Macintosh, anyone?) We show you how to harness the power of Vista while keeping the look and feel of your XP. Who says change has to be painful?

•    After you have the basics nailed, we then show you some of the cool things you can do with Vista, from customizing its performance, to disabling annoying security controls, to connecting to a wireless network.

Sample Content

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Introducing Windows Vista

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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION  1

What’s in This Book  2

Who Can Use This Book  2

How to Use This Book  3

Get Ready to Vista!  3

CHAPTER 1: UPGRADING TO WINDOWS VISTA  5

#1 Use Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor  6

#2 System Requirements and Recommendations 12

#3 Check the Processor (CPU)  13

#4 Check Memory (RAM) 15

#5 Verify Hard Drive Space 16

#6 Check CD Drive Type 19

#7 Verify Graphics Card Specs   20

#8 Verify Audio Card 21

#9 Check PC Peripherals and Accessories 22

#10 Verify Software Applications Are Vista Compatible 22

#11 Move to a New PC Preloaded with Windows Vista 23

CHAPTER 2: CHOOSING AND INSTALLING A WINDOWS VISTA EDITION   27

#12 Compare Vista Editions  28

#13 Full or Upgrade Version? 30

#14 Upgrade In-Place or Clean Install? 30

#15 Back Up Your Data 31

#16 Install Windows Vista 34

CHAPTER 3: INTRODUCING WINDOWS VISTA   43

#17 New Look and Functionality 44

#18 Parental Controls 48

#19 Windows Defender and Windows Firewall 53

#20 Network and Sharing Center 56

#21 Instant Search and Internet Explorer 7 61

#22 Photo Gallery  62

#23 Windows Aero and Windows Flip 63

#24 Windows Mobility Center and Tablet PC Support 65

#25 Windows Meeting Space  66

#26 Windows SideShow 67

#27 Windows Automatic Backup 69

#28 Windows Complete PC Backup and Restore 70

#29 Windows Media Center 71

#30 Windows DVD Maker 73

#31 Games 74

#32 Windows Fax and Scan 75

#33 Remote Desktop Connection 76

#34 Shadow Copy 77

#35 Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption 78

#36 Language Packs 79

CHAPTER 4: CHANGING THE LOOK AND FEEL OF VISTA   81

#37 Banish the Welcome Center  82

#38 Disable Windows Sidebar  82

#39 Change Windows Themes 84

#40 Add the Main Icons 86

#41 Add the Microsoft Internet Explorer Icon 87

#42 Reduce Large Icons 95

#43 Rename the Computer Icon 96

#44 Rename the Network Icon 96

#45 Change to the Classic Start Menu 100

#46 Display the Log Off Button on the Start Menu 101

#47 Show Thumbnails of Pictures 104

#48 Remove Tabbed Browsing from Internet Explorer 7 105

#49 Display the Menu Bar in Internet Explorer 7 107

CHAPTER 5: FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND IN VISTA   109

#50 Renamed Windows Applications  110

#51 My Documents   114

#52 Shared Documents Folder 116

#53 View the Folder Path 117

#54 Up Arrow Has Been Removed   118

#55 My Network Places 120

#56 Desktop Settings 121

#57 Advanced Performance Settings   123

#58 Network Connection Status Details 124

#59 Wireless Network Connection Priorities and Preferences 125

#60 Network Connections 129

#61 HyperTerminal 132

#62 Run Prompt 135

#63 System Restore  136

#64 Web Desktop Items 138

#65 Drag the Shortcut Icon in Microsoft Internet Explorer 7   138

#66 Find On This Page in Internet Explorer 7 139

#67 View History in Internet Explorer 7 139

#68 Secure Website Padlock in Internet Explorer 7 141

#69 Volume Control 143

#70 Add/Remove Programs 143

#71 Display Properties  145

#72 Filmstrip View  147

CHAPTER 6: TIPS AND TRICKS  151

#73 Apply the Vista Style to XP Computers 152

#74 Display a Menu of Items on the Start Menu 152

#75 Add More Gadgets to Sidebar   157

#76 Change Power Button on Start Menu 158

#77 Set Up Additional Clocks for Other Time Zones   160

#78 Use Military Time Format for the Clock   161

#79 Use the Taskbar Address Bar  164

#80 Resize Icons with the Mouse  165

#81 Search from the Start Menu  167

#82 Use the Show Desktop Shortcut on the Taskbar Menu 170

#83 Create a Shortcut to Network Connections  170

#84 Restart the Windows Explorer Shell Without Rebooting Windows 173

#85 View List of Shared Files and Folders 175

#86 Select Files Using Check Boxes  176

#87 Use a USB Flash Drive to Improve PC Performance 178

#88 Refresh Your PC with a Nightly Reboot 180

#89 Disable User Account Control Pop-up Alerts 183

#90 Disable UAC Pop-up Alerts for Only Administrators 185

#91 Use Computer Lock for Security When Leaving 187

#92 Create a Shortcut to Lock Your Computer 189

#93 Auto-Login to Bypass the Logon Screen 190

#94 Change Windows Using Flip 3D  191

#95 Add Providers to Live Search in Internet Explorer 7 192

#96 Change the Home Page of New Tabs in Internet Explorer 7 193

#97 Use Windows Keyboard Shortcuts 196

#98 Use the Snipping Tool to Capture Screenshots 197

#99 Adjust Audio Levels per Application  198

#100 Use the Sync Center  198

Index  201

Index

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Introduction

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Updates

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