Welcome: Control Panel and Settings

CFG03.
intro 5/30/03 10:51 AM Page 3
Welcome $
elcome to the third in the Focus Guide series
W from the makers of Microsoft Windows XP: The

Official Magazine! Last issue we looked at
Microsoft Word 2002, but this time we turn our attention
towards the broader subject of the settings and options in
Microsoft Windows XP itself.
The Windows XP Control
Panel is packed with specialised
tools that are used to change
the way your computer looks
and behaves. Some of these
tools help you adjust settings
that make your computer more
fun to use – running exciting
animated cursors for instance.
Other tools are more serious
and assist you in setting up Control Panel
Windows XP so it’s easier use.
This is also where you can and Settings
check on installed hardware, or
remove unused programs.
When you first open Control
Panel, you’ll see some of the most commonly used Control
Panel items organised by category, but if you do not see
the item you want, you can switch to Classic View at any
point. You can find out more about this on page 10. We’ve
also included loads of information about hidden settings
within Windows XP, and all its essential setup and
tweaking tools.
Within these pages you’ll uncover lots of ways to
squeeze more out of the excellent Windows XP operating
system. Have fun!
www.windowsxpmagazine.co.uk
Windows XP Control Panel and Settings-FocusGuide 3

CFG03.contents 5/30/03 12:54 PM Page 6
l Contents
Chapter 1 – IntroducingTheControlPanel 10
Control Panel layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Category view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Windows Update. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Troubleshooters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Advanced customisation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Toolbars and menu items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Chapter 2 – Display,TaskbarandStartMenu 18
Changing Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Managing the desktop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Using screensavers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Change the appearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Display settings explained . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Taskbar and Start menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Notification in the Taskbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Start menu appearance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Chapter 3 –AddHardware,AddorRemovePrograms 28
Installing hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
The New Hardware wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Will it work? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Add or Remove Programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Setting Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Removing components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Hidden applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Cleaning up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
6 FocusGuide-Windows XP Control Panel and Settings

Contents c
Chapter 4 – PrintingandImaging 38
Installing your printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Setting print options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Printer Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Ready to fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Sending a fax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Scanners and Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Pictures and images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Online processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Chapter 5 – InputDevices 48
Keyboard overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Shortcut keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
A new-look mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Mouse behaviour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Right-click options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
More right-click tricks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Symbol Commander. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Game Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Chapter 6– InitialPreferences 58
Number display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Time management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Talk to your PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Handwriting Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Mind your language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Managing languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Folder options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Fonts folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

l Contents
Chapter 7 – AudioRave 68
Setting sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Sound events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Creating sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Speech Recognition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Text-to-speech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Using Narrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Making noise. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Control audio quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Chapter 8 – OnlineSettings 78
Net connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Online protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Modem settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Internet Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Your History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Maintaining privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Prevent spying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Faster connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Chapter 9 – SystemProperties 88
System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Protecting files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Automatic updates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Remote Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Hardware Profiles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Device Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Advanced tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Allocating resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Virtual Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Startup and recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Contents c
Chapter 10 – MaintainWindowsXP 100
Understanding Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Stopping Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Event Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Computer Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Performance tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Scheduled Tasks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
The best option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Chapter 11 – PeopleandWindowsXP 110

User Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
User profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Copying profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Switching users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Control access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Registry access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Accessibility options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Other tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
OnYourCD-ROM 120
Glossary 126
SubscriptionOffer 127
NextMonth 128
Index 129

CFG03.chp_01 5/29/03 6:26 PM Page 10
Chapter1
l IntroducingTheCo
Learn more about the assortment of configuration tools
and settings vital to Microsoft Windows XP
T
he Control Panel puts the power
of Microsoft Windows XP at
your fingertips. It places at your
Yes you can… disposal a vast array of tools, utilities

and settings that enable you to manage
, Learn how to navigate all the hardware and software you have
the Control Panel installed on your PC. Access it by
, Discover the benefits clicking the Start button and selecting it
of Category view
from the menu.
, Make use of the The appearance of the Control Panel Page12 Use Category view or Classic
predefined 'tasks'
in Windows XP has been simplified to icon view when navigating Control Panel
within each Category
make it more accessible to the beginner.
, Customise icon layout
The most used icons have been
within Control Panel
combined and placed into several
different categories to make navigation
much easier. You can find more
information about what a particular
category does by holding the mouse
Project time... cursor over it and waiting for a pop-up
description to appear.
45 mins
Categories are key Page13 Discover the benefits of using
the Category view
All these categories make a range of
options available to you. For example,
More Info some of them enable you to personalise
the look and feel of Windows XP via
Display settings. Others have a more
practical application and give you the
opportunity to configure your hardware
devices. The Control Panel will always
Page14 Access Windows Update from

www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/using/productdoc/en/cpanel_overview.asp
within Control Panel

CFG03.chp_01 5/29/03 6:26 PM Page 11
IntroducingTheControlPanel c
ntrolPanel
IntroducingTheControlPanel
be your first stop for all those important PC
management tasks.
If you share your PC with others you’ll
need the Users icon to control the activity
of each individual, create new user
accounts and set the amount of system
access they’re entitled to. If you can’t see
exactly what you need, or if you’re a more
experienced user, you may prefer to click
on ‘Switch to Classic View’ which will bring Page15 Use Troubleshooters to solve
back the Control Panel of old with all the hardware and software problems
available icons displayed on one screen.
Take control now

This opening chapter will introduce the
Control Panel, explaining what it has to
offer and how you can personalise it and
make it your own. Then, over the coming
chapters, we’ll take an in-depth look at
what the Windows XP Control Panel can
do; how you can make best use of it along
Page16 Customise the look and feel of
with detailed analysis of the categories and the Control Panel by editing the registry
individual icons. There will be descriptions
of what each icon is used for and practical
help configuring settings and making use of
any tools and utilities that are available.
The chances are that up until now you
may have avoided certain areas of your
system due to lack of knowledge or even
confidence in making changes. Seize the
moment and find out exactly what the
Control Panel can offer…
Page17 Display the contents of Control
Panel on the Start menu
CFG03.chp_01 5/29/03 6:26 PM Page 12
l Chapter1
Control Panel layout
The introduction of Categories makes
finding things much easier in Control Panel
ny changes that need to be
Don't worry about

changing Themes in XP,
A made to the configuration of
Windows XP can be carried
out through the Control Panel. The
because you’ll still have
fact that icons are now grouped
Category view if you want together in Categories makes it
it. Even if you choose the
Classic theme it won’t
easier to find what you need. Having
affect the layout of the decided on your Category you can
Control Panel. select a particular icon or choose
from one of the predefined ‘tasks’. Choose a Category then select a specific task or
For example, choose Date > Time > go straight to a Control Panel icon.
Language and Regional Options and settings adjustments are already

one of the preset tasks enables you listed, which helps you if you’re
to ‘Change the format of numbers, unsure of how to go about making
date and times’. The more common a particular change.
Categories and tasks

Click here to skip all Along with definitions
. the Categories and $ of functions, the Help
predefined tasks and go and Support centre
straight to the original provides tours, tutorials
Control Panel view with and troubleshooters for
all its icons. Windows XP.
Access Windows Some Categories

. Update through the
$ such as Add or
Control Panel and go to Remove Programs don’t
the web page to download contain any tasks and will
and install all the latest take you straight to the job
security fixes and patches. in hand instead.
Click on ‘Other Categories such as

. Control Panel $ Performance and
Options’ to reveal the Maintenance have icons
icons that aren’t otherwise that perform functions.
listed in any of the Use the preset tasks here
categories shown. to improve performance.

CFG03.chp_01 5/29/03 6:26 PM Page 13
Category view
Switch to Classic View and you’ll lose quick
links to tasks and utilities in Windows XP
ontrol Panel gives you access
C to specific tasks. Choose the

Category you want to work
with and along with the icons that Tasks such as disk
defragmentation should
fall under its remit you’ll see the be carried out on a
heading ‘Pick a task’. Some of these regular basis. Failure to
do so will result in a
are shortcuts to functions within a degradation of
Control Panel icon; others link to performance over time
tools and utilities elsewhere. For and can also lead to
system instability.
example, open ‘Performance and From Category view you’ll be able to access
Maintenance’ and one of the tasks is essential maintenance tasks.
‘Rearrange items on your hard disk through the blocks of data on your
to make programs run faster’. Click hard disk and rearrange them
on this and the Disk Defragmenter contiguously to improve the
tool will launch. This will sort performance of your system.
. The Performance and Maintenance category in Control

Panel provides shortcuts that enable you to perform additional
tasks in Windows XP over and above those contained within You can make the
Control Panel icon
individual icons. appear in My Computer.
Click on Tools > Folder
. Back up your vital data using the Windows XP backup utility. If Options, select the View
you haven’t done so you’ll need to install it from your original CD. tab and check ‘Show
Control Panel in
. Use the quick link to ‘Free up space on your hard disk’ which will My Computer’.
launch the disk cleanup utility.

. Access links to tasks that are otherwise tucked away inside
Windows XP with ‘Pick a task’. Click on ‘Adjust visual effects’ to
speed up your PC by altering your display.
. The specification of your PC may not come easily to mind.
Don’t worry – click on ‘See basic information about your computer’
to check your CPU type, amount of installed RAM and Windows XP
version number.

CFG03.chp_01 5/29/03 6:26 PM Page 14
l Chapter1
Windows Update
Using Windows Update to download
important patches and updates
ne important option that’s This also encompasses upgrades to
Details of any hot fixes or

patches that you
O accessible from within
Control Panel is Windows
Update. Even though an operating
newer versions of applications such
as Internet Explorer. You can access
Windows Update via the link in
download and install from
system may have been released to Control Panel or by visiting
Windows Update will be the public, the development doesn’t windowsupdate.microsoft.com.
listed at the bottom of the
application list in Add or
stop there. How it’s being received The best way to keep your
Remove Programs. and its integration with other operating system up to date is to
applications is closely monitored receive automatic notification from
using feedback gained from the likes Windows XP. When you’re online,
of the error reporting process and your operating system will check for
general support calls. Using this any relevant updates and notify you
information Microsoft periodically via a flashing icon in the system tray.
publishes patches and updates that You’ll find out how to configure this
fix problems or security loopholes. setting later in this book.
Click on the Windows Update link in Control

1 Panel or go straight there in your browser by
typing windowsupdate.microsoft.com. Click on ‘Scan
Go to the Microsoft for updates’ and then wait a moment while a search is
http://office.microsoft.com/productupdates
website to download carried out for updates appropriate to your system.

and install the latest
fixes and updates for
any Microsoft Office
applications that you At the end of the scan details of all available
have installed. 2 updates will be listed as Critical Updates,
Windows XP and Driver Updates. The process will
recognise any previously downloaded items so there’s
no need to worry about installing the same thing twice.
Critical Updates should not be ignored. They

3 need to be downloaded and installed separately
from others, so do these first. For others just click on
Add for those you wish to take advantage of. Click on
Review and install updates when you’re ready.

CFG03.chp_01 5/29/03 6:26 PM Page 15
Troubleshooters
Within Control Panel step-by-step help is no
more than a click away
rom within the Control Panel left you’ll see a list of the
F you’ll have access to help for

any difficulties you may be
Troubleshooters relevant to that
section. For example, select the
www.support.microsoft.com
having with your system. They’re Network and Internet Connections If the troubleshooter
you’re using doesn’t solve
called Troubleshooters and there are category and you’ll have the Home the particular problem
several, each one designed to help or Small Office Networking, Internet you’re having there’s
more help and advice
you solve a particular problem. A Explorer and Network Diagnostics available online at
troubleshooter consists of a series of Troubleshooters at you disposal. Microsoft UK and Ireland
logical questions that check your Don’t worry if you can’t see a Help and Support.
current status, ask you what you’ve troubleshooter to match your

already tried and make suggestions particular problem – there are more
as to what may be necessary in order available than those listed here. Go
to put things right. In Control Panel, to the Windows XP Help and
select the category that covers the Support Center and search for
area you’re interested in and on the ‘troubleshooter’ to see more.
Problems with your browser can be solved

1 quickly and easily. In the Network and Internet
Connections category of Control Panel, click on Internet
Explorer under Troubleshooters. A list of common Wherever you are in
problems will then be displayed. Windows XP or any
application, if you run into
problems and need some
assistance just press
From the list, select the statement that best the [F1] key to launch
2 matches the problem you’re having. At the the help files.
bottom of the window, makes sure that ‘I want the

troubleshooter to investigate settings on this computer’
is checked and click on Next.
A suggestion as to how to resolve the problem

3 will be displayed detailing any changes that need
to be made along with the links to the relevant section.
If this doesn’t solve it check the option at the bottom of
the page and move on to the next suggestion.

CFG03.chp_01 5/29/03 6:26 PM Page 16
l Chapter1
Advanced customisation
Change the category in which a Control
Panel icon appears
ome applications create their Panel\Extended Properties\
Keep a record of any

alterations you make to
S own Control Panel icons and
place them under a particular
category. Use the Registry Editor to
{305CA226-D286-468e-B848-
2B2E8E697B74}. Each Control Panel
icon will be listed and the value date
the registry in case you
move an icon to the category of your of each designates which Control
don’t like the changes choice – you can also move existing Panel Category it falls under. Change
that occur as a result. If
you run into problems
icons. For example, Phone and the value to move the icon.
after editing the registry Modem Options falls under Printers Use the table below as a guide.
you can always use the and Other Hardware but you might For example, right click on the
System Restore tool.
want it under Network and Internet %SystemRoot%\system32\telephon.
Connections instead. Click on Start cpl and choose Modify. Change the
> Run type regedit and press Enter. Value data from 2 to 3 and click OK.
Locate the key HKEY_LOCAL_ Open Control Panel, click on
MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ Network and Internet Connections
Windows\CurrentVersion\Control and you’ll have a new icon.
Control Panel category codes

Codes for switching Control Panel icons to different categories
Category name . . . . . . . . . Value Date
Appearance and Themes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Printers and Other Hardware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Network and Internet Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Sounds, Speech and Audio Devices. . . . . . . . . . . 4
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Date, Time, Language and Regional Options. . . . 6
Accessibility Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Add or Remove Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Move icons to different categories by
User Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 making changes to the registry.
Other Control Panel Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0

CFG03.chp_01 5/29/03 6:26 PM Page 17
Toolbars and menu items
Customise your display and make Control
Panel more accessible
hat’s so great about new toolbar and drag them into the
W Windows XP is that it’s

fully customisable – you
can make changes to all aspects of
‘Control’ folder. Your original icons
won’t be affected or moved – by
dragging icons over you’re only You can make the
Control Panel icons
the interface and make it suit the creating shortcuts. appear on the Start menu
way you work. An example of this is With everything in place close the in Classic View as well.
Right-click on Start
the Control Panel desktop toolbar. Control Panel window so you have a choose Properties, select
Right click on the desktop, create a clear view of your desktop. Click on Classic Start Menu and
new folder and call it ‘Control’. Next your Control folder, drag to either click on Customize.
Under Advanced Start
switch to the Classic View in Control the top or one side of the screen menu options, check
Panel so that all the icons are visible. edge and release the mouse button. ‘Expand Control Panel’.
Resize or move this window so you You’ll now have a Control Panel
can see your desktop and the folder toolbar. To remove the toolbar right-
you’ve just created. Decide which click on it choose Toolbars and click
icons you’d like to appear on the on Control.
Rather than appear as a link on the Start menu

1 you can configure Windows XP to display the
Control Panel as if it were a folder. This will give you fast
access to the icons without having to go into the main Change the size of the
Control Panel screen itself. icons on your newly
created toolbar for a
better fit. Right-click
the toolbar and choose
To do this, right-click on the Start button and View > Small Icons.
2 choose Properties. With the Start Menu tab
selected, click on Customize and choose Advanced.
Under the Start menu items list, select ‘Display as a
menu’ then click on OK.
With immediate effect you’ll have direct access

3 to your Control Panel icons. Right-click on this
expanded menu and you’ll be able to sort the list
alphabetically. You can also drag individual items onto
the desktop and create shortcuts.

CFG03.chp_02 5/30/03 12:54 PM Page 18
Chapter2
l Display,Taskbarand
Making changes to the Windows XP interface
A
ll the tools you’ll need to
change the look and feel of
Microsoft Windows XP are at
Yes you can… your fingertips – whether it’s adding a

new background image to the desktop,
, Learn how to make changing the colour scheme, or making
changes using adjustments to taskbar settings.
Display settings
Everything you see can be personalised
, Switch between the
to suit your requirements and in this
Windows XP style
and Classic looks chapter we’ll show you how you can Page 20 Discover how Themes can give
change every aspect of the interface. Windows XP a whole new look
, Customise the style
and appearance of The alterations that you make can be for
the Taskbar practical purposes, or simply to make
, Tidy the system tray things more pleasing to the eye – there’s
and do away with a great deal of flexibility available.
unnecessary icons
Themes and wallpaper

Customisation starts with Display
Project time... Properties and its range of settings.
A Theme incorporates a number of
45 mins
different display aspects and the whole
interface can be changed in an instant
Page 21 Bring your PC to life by setting
a web page as your desktop wallpaper
simply by selecting an alternative to the
current Windows XP.
More Info Then there’s the Desktop. The blue
skies and rolling green hills that are the
Bliss desktop wallpaper may not be to
your liking, but they can easily be
Page 22 Screensavers can be used as

www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/using/productdoc/en/display_overview_P.asp
a security measure and act as a deterrent

CFG03.chp_02 5/30/03 12:54 PM Page 19
Display,TaskbarandStartMenu c
StartMenu
Display,TaskbarandStartMenu
changed. You’ll be able to choose an
alternative from the selection of
background images that are listed, or
import one of your own instead. Within
Display you’ll also be able to make changes
to the screen resolution and colour
settings. The software for your graphics
card will be accessible here.
Practical customisation Page 23 Change the appearance of

Pretty much every task you perform in toolbars and window title bars
Windows XP will begin with a click on the
Start button. The contents of the menu
that’s subsequently displayed and the
adjoining taskbar can both be adjusted to
suit your requirements.
It’s the ‘Taskbar and Start Menu’ icon that
gives you access to all these settings. Here
you can choose the style of the Start menu
by switching between the Classic view and
Windows XP. You’ll also be able to decide
Page 24 Control the size of your display
exactly what items should appear on it. You and adjust colour settings
have a similar level of control over the
Taskbar and its behaviour. You can choose
whether or not the Taskbar is displayed all
the time and whether the tabs for open
applications should be displayed
individually or grouped together.
Page 27 Customise the Start menu and

select Classic or Windows XP styles
CFG03.chp_02 5/30/03 12:54 PM Page 20
l Chapter2
Changing Themes
A Theme can change every aspect of your
Windows XP display
est described as a style based as standard. Luna is the brand new
B around a specific subject or

genre, a Theme gives you the
opportunity to customise multiple
Windows XP look which includes
the Bliss blue sky and green fields
background. Windows Classic harks
www.microsoft.com/windows/plus/windowsxp/default.htm
Try Windows XP Plus! for

high quality screensavers
and new themes.
aspects of the interface in one go. back to the look of operating systems
An individual Theme incorporates past. Remember that it’s only the
all elements of your display – the appearance of the interface that
background image, title bars and changes; you won’t experience any
fonts, screensaver, icons and even loss in functionality.
sound events. For example, a golf Additional themes are available
theme may turn the Recycle Bin icon for free on the internet. Alternatively,
into a putting green hole that you can buy the Plus! add-on pack
incorporates a sound event of the for Windows XP directly from
crowd cheering when anything is put Microsoft. This includes a selection
in it. Windows XP has two themes of exclusive themes.
Downloading and installing themes

The web has thousands of sites where you can get themes
The choice of themes on the web covers everything from
sports and nature to music and celebrities. Try the likes
of www.themeworld.com and www.themexp.org for
starters. Now, although the vast majority of themes won’t
cost you anything to download, installation is a different
matter. Most require that you have a theme installer
program on your system to enable you to load the theme
and use it. The application that was used to create the
theme may well have some bearing on the installer Use StyleXP to manage your themes
program that’s required. in Windows XP.
www.tgtsoft.com

CFG03.chp_02 5/30/03 12:54 PM Page 21
Managing the desktop
The right background wallpaper will help set
the tone of your customisation
he most noticeable aspect of of your image don’t match your
T the Windows XP interface is

the image it uses as a
wallpaper. Select the Desktop tab to
screen resolution you can use the
settings in the Position drop-down
box to make it fit. If you prefer not In Customize Desktop
under Desktop cleanup,
display details of all available to display an image on the desktop check the option to ‘Run
images. The list shows all the image select ‘None’ and instead pick a Desktop Cleanup Wizard
every 60 days’. This will
files that are stored in the following colour for your plain background. help remove any
locations: C:\Documents and Having decided on your unused icons.
Settings\USER\My Documents\My background, click on Customize
Pictures; C:\Windows\Web\ Desktop. Under the General tab
Wallpaper; and C:\Windows. Use you’ll be able to choose which
your own images by making sure system icons you want displayed on
they are saved to these locations or the desktop. Alternatively, click on
by clicking on Browse and selecting Change Icon and select a new design
them individually. If the dimensions for each one instead.
The active desktop option is alive and well in

1 Windows XP. This gives you the opportunity to set
a web page as your desktop background instead of a
static image. In Display Properties select the Desktop You can also clean up
tab then click on Customize Desktop to activate it. your hard drive and
remove any old and
unwanted files and
applications. The easiest
Choose the Web tab then click on New to add the way to do this is to
2 web page you want to use as your desktop right-click your drive in
My Computer, choose
background. Enter the full URL of the site you wish to Properties, and then click
use – for example, http://news.bbc.co.uk – and then on Disk Cleanup.
click on OK.
The new site will appear selected under Web

3 pages. Check the ‘Lock desktop items’ box to
prevent the modification of any web items that appear
on your desktop. When you’re done, click on OK to
activate your new desktop.

CFG03.chp_02 5/30/03 12:54 PM Page 22
l Chapter2
Using screensavers
Screensavers look great – but they serve a
practical purpose too
creensavers were originally around a dozen screensavers already,
S used to help prevent screen-

burn and increase the lifespan
of your monitor. Today’s monitors no
and further alternatives are available
on the web. Install any screensavers
that you download from the web in
www.2flyer.com
On the disc you’ll find a

free trial version of 2Flyer
Screensaver Builder 2.1.
longer need them for this purpose, C:\Windows\System32.
This easy-to-use program but they still make a valuable Each screensaver has its own
enables you to build your
own screensavers using
aesthetic contribution to your configuration settings. Also, from the
images, sound files, video system. A screensaver can also help Screen Saver tab you’ll have direct
and live web0sites. secure the contents of your PC – access to Power Option Properties.
whenever the mouse or keyboard If you leave your PC unattended for
is touched and your system comes long periods of time but you don’t
back to life, a password prompt will want to turn everything off, then
appear. It’s not hi-tech security but make use of the options here. You
it will be enough to deter casual can choose to run on reduced power
snoopers. You have a choice of after a specified period of time.
Can I use my old screensavers?

Use screensavers from older operating systems
If your old screensavers don’t show up on the Screen
Savers tab of Display Properties, don't worry – you can
use your old .scr files from Windows 95 and 98 and get
them working in Windows XP. Double-clicking will
activate them but this is not the ideal option as you want
to them to come on automatically. Open My Computer
and locate the .scr files that you want to use. Right-click
on them and select Install. Open Display Properties and
they should now appear under the Screen Savers tab. Screensavers with a searchable
Plenty more screensavers are available free online. database help you find the right one.
www.freesaver.com

CFG03.chp_02 5/30/03 12:54 PM Page 23
Change the appearance
Alter colour schemes and even the font on
window title bars with the Display setting
lthough you may like the
A overall look and feel of a

theme there may be one or
two aspects you’d like to change. By adjusting Appearance
settings you can alter a
The settings under the Appearance particular theme. To make
tab enable you to do this. Most sure those changes are
kept, select the Theme
themes have their own range of tab, click on Save As
colour schemes, for example the and name your theme.
Windows XP theme has the default
blue, olive green and silver. Switch If you’d like a change from the blue colour
to Windows Classic style and you’ll scheme, try olive green or silver.
have over 20 to choose from. The schemes that you can choose from.
same applies to any themes you may More personalisation options are at
have downloaded – each one will your disposal by clicking on the
have its own range of colour Effects and Advanced buttons.
. The images you choose as your background wallpaper may

not always match the default blue of the taskbar. Change the Color
scheme under the appearance tab to something more suitable.
http://www.themeworld.com
A new theme can have a
striking effect on the
. You can give your display a crisp, sharper looking appearance Windows XP interface.
Choose from hundreds of
by using ClearType under Effects settings. This will have the effect themes, all of them free
of smoothing out fonts and removing any jagged edges. to download.
. Effects can be added to menu items as well as the actions you

perform when working between folders. Choose either the Fade or
Scroll effect for the transition of menus and tooltips.
. Assign different colours and fonts to the various display
items in Advanced Appearance settings. For example, for the Active
Title Bar select a new size and colour for the bar.
. Advanced appearance settings also enable you to change
the fonts used for individual display items. For example, the
Windows XP style uses the font Trebuchet MS. Why not change it?

CFG03.chp_02 5/30/03 12:54 PM Page 24
l Chapter2
Display settings explained
Change the size and quality of your display
by making a few simple alterations
he final tab in Display
T Properties is Settings. Here

you control the size and
colour quality of your display. The
www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/default.aspx
Even with the correct

drivers and display
settings you won’t be
screen resolution you use can be
able to play the latest adjusted by moving the slider,
games unless you’ve got
an up-to-date version of
though your graphics card and
DirectX installed. monitor will determine how high
you’ll be able to go with it. Most
people use 800x600 for everyday use Your maximum resolution will depend on the
but gamers and those working with capability of your monitor and graphics card.
graphics applications will usually appearance this gives you over

increase to a much higher level. Medium (16 bit) is marked and well
Make sure that colour quality is set worth making the change with icons
to Highest (32 bit) – the improved having a brighter, fuller appearance.
Display settings
Always select the Gamers may wish to
. highest Color quality $ fine-tune the settings
you have available – doing of their graphics for
this will greatly improve optimum performance.
the overall appearance of Adjust OpenGL and 3D
your display. settings here.
It’s possible to make

. If drivers are installed
correctly, details of
$ manual adjustments
to the Brightness, Contrast
the make and model of
and Gamma settings for
your monitor and graphics
your display.
card will be displayed.
Your range of screen Click on the

. resolution options will $ Advanced button and
be determined by the you’ll be able to access the
capabilities of your configuration software for
graphics card and monitor. your graphics card.

CFG03.chp_02 5/30/03 12:54 PM Page 25
Taskbar and Start menu
Work smarter by making changes to the
way you access all Windows XP has to offer
he Start button forms part of
T the Taskbar and is the launch

pad for Windows XP. From
here you can access all areas of your
/On the disc/http://www.startbtn.main-page.com

StartBtn renamer is a
cool utility that enables
system: the applications, Windows you to change the text
utilities, the files and folders. The that appears on the Start
button. Just type in your
main Taskbar is made up of three new label and hit the
different sections: the Quick Launch button for instant change.
bar, the notification area (sometimes
referred to as the system tray) and The Taskbar and Start Menu icon are under
the area between the two, which will Appearance and Themes in Control Panel.
show a button for each program appearance. For example, you can
that’s running. Each area is fully group similar program buttons
customisable, enabling you to together and remove unwanted icons
manage its behaviour and from the notification area.
. Lock the taskbar in position to ensure that it always stays on

any open application. This will also prevent tampering by anyone
else who has access to your PC. The taskbar doesn’t have
to remain in its horizontal
. See more of an open applications window by setting the Auto- position at the bottom
of your screen. Click on it
hide option. The taskbar will only come into view when the mouse and drag to the left, right,
cursor is moved to the bottom of the screen. or top edge of your
screen to reposition it.
. Make more room on the taskbar by grouping together buttons
of the same applications. For example, if multiple browser windows
are open they can be consolidated into one single button.
. Save more space on the taskbar by deactivating the Quick
launch bar. The shortcuts that remain on your desktop for the likes
of Internet Explorer and Outlook Express will ensure you continue to
have quick program access.
. If time is not that important to you, use the option to remove the
clock from the notification area.

CFG03.chp_02 5/30/03 12:54 PM Page 26
l Chapter2
Notification in the Taskbar
Take charge of the mass of icons that
appear alongside your system clock
he notification area (or system check ‘Hide inactive icons’ to
This tiny but useful

T tray) can soon get clogged up
with all sorts of program
icons. Not only will this reduce the
remove those that haven’t been
clicked on recently, then click on
Customize to deal with the
HideOE – www.r2.com.au
program will help if you

use Outlook Express.
size of your overall taskbar, it will remainder. Each of your current
Rather than have the also affect the overall performance of icons will be listed along with their
open Outlook Express
take up space on the
your PC. The icons here are the last individual behaviour settings.
taskbar, this utility will items to appear when Windows XP Applications such as anti-virus and
minimise it to the system loads and too many will cause firewall software will be marked as
tray instead.
annoying delays to the start-up ‘Hide when inactive’. You can
process. It’s possible to remove an change notification behaviour by
icon from here while at the same clicking on an individual item. From
time leaving the applications intact the drop-down box that appears
and functioning as normal. In choose from ‘Hide when inactive’,
Taskbar and Start Menu Properties ‘Always hide’ or ‘Always show’.
Make use of the notification area

Easy access to programs and folders with this free program
The system tray is the ideal place to launch your
favourite applications more quickly. No doubt you
already take advantage of this when accessing the likes
of Windows Messenger and your anti-virus software. The
functionality of the system tray can be extended further
by using Kana Launcher. This program sits in the
notification area of the taskbar and with a right click of
the mouse gives you immediate access to any program,
file or folder on your PC. It’s fully customisable so you It’s all you need for one-click access
can add your own items and configure the menus. to any item on your system.
www.kana.homeip.net/launcher

CFG03.chp_02 5/30/03 12:54 PM Page 27
Start menu appearance
Tidy up your Start menu and choose exactly
which items you want displayed
etting to where you need to
G go is as simple as clicking on
the Start button. From here
you have system-wide access. You can download a
www.actualtools.com
number of utilities that will
Furthermore, the appearance, style enable you to customise
and layout of the Start menu can be the appearance of
Windows XP by adding
customised. The biggest single buttons to window title
change you can make is to switch bars and making
from the default Windows XP style windows transparent.
to the Classic Start menu style of Change the appearance of the Start menu and
previous operating systems. This give it the Classic look.
won’t alter any other aspects of the appropriate Customize button where
Theme you’re using: only the Start you can define the layout for the
menu will change. Both styles can be menu and choose exactly which
tailored further by clicking on the items should be displayed.
. You can choose how many of your most used applications

should appear on the Start Menu (the default is six). You can also
click on Clear List to remove all of them. If you want to manually
adjust the programs and
. Shortcuts to any browser or email applications that you use shortcuts that appear on
the Start menu, the folder
frequently can be placed on the Start menu. Check the Internet and you need is located at
Email boxes, then click on the drop-down box and select the C:\Documents and
Settings\USER\StartMenu.
application you want to use.
. Control Panel items can be displayed on the Start menu.
Choose the Advanced tab, then under the Start menu items list,
check ‘Display as a menu’ and click on OK.
. Tidy up the Start menu and remove details of all your recently
opened documents and files. Click on Clear List to remove all traces
of them.
. Classic Start menu users can click on Advanced to go directly
to the folder that contains all their program folders and shortcuts.

CFG03.chp_03 5/29/03 6:25 PM Page 28
Chapter3
l AddHardware,Addor
Manage all the software applications and hardware
devices installed on your PC
G
etting your hardware to work
with Windows XP is normally a
straightforward affair. On the
Yes you can… whole, plug-and-play ensures that your

system automatically recognises the
, Add non-plug-and-play presence of a new device the moment
hardware to it’s connected to your PC. Even if you
Windows XP
don’t have a disc, plug the device in and
, Safely remove
from then on hardware installation
unwanted software
applications should be relatively painless with Page 30 Techniques to identify
various pop-up balloon tips informing unknown hardware and retrieve drivers
, Uninstall any Windows
components that you you of the stage you’re at and whether
don’t use any action is required. However, as a
, Learn how to Set rule of thumb, if you have a new item of
Program Access and hardware that you want to use with
Defaults. Windows XP, it’s a good idea to check
the manufacturer’s instructions
carefully. In most cases the device will
Project time... come with its own CD which should
enable you to automate the process.
45 mins
Use the wizard Page 31 Installing non-plug-and-play
devices with the Add Hardware Wizard
Although Windows XP contains details
of hundreds of different drivers, not all
More Info items of hardware are plug-and-play
compatible. This means that on certain
occasions it will be necessary for you to
use the Add Hardware utility in order to
Page 33 How to use the Add or

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/322/2/05.asp
Remove Programs utility

CFG03.chp_03 5/29/03 6:25 PM Page 29
AddHardware,AddorRemovePrograms c
r RemovePrograms
AddHardware,AddorRemovePrograms
install an item manually. The wizard then
will take you through a step-by-step
process of adding the type of device you
want to use. It will also help you install the
correct driver, using one from Windows XP
or one that you supply.
Add or remove?
Managing the software applications that
are installed on your PC can be carried out Page 34 Install Service Pack 1 to use
with the aid of the Add or Remove the Set Program and Access Defaults tool
Programs tool. When it comes to tidying up
your hard drive and removing unwanted
applications this is the safest option.
Browsing through the contents of your hard
drive and manually deleting files and
folders associated with an application can
cause instability to your system. It’s
inevitable that remnants will be left behind
and it’s also all but inevitable that these will
cause you problems later. However, along
Page 35 Remove the clutter and
with third-party applications there may be uninstall unused Windows Components
certain Windows components installed on
your system that aren’t of any use to you.
Use the Add or Remove Programs tool to
streamline Windows XP and remove
anything that’s no longer required. Full
details on all this, including how the
Windows XP Service Pack 1 can help you
manage hardware, are in this chapter.
Page 36 Edit the registry to manually

remove Add or Remove program entries
CFG03.chp_03 5/29/03 6:25 PM Page 30
l Chapter3
Installing hardware
Identifying items of hardware and locating
the drivers required for correct installation
here may be occasions when
Along with the more

common items of
T plug-and-play doesn’t
recognise a new device that
you attach to your PC. If you don’t
hardware, such as
have an installation CD or disc from
Printers, Network Cards the manufacturer then you’ll need to
and Tape Drives, you can
use Add Hardware to
use Add Hardware in order to get the
add COM Ports to your device working. However, before you
system. This is useful if run the wizard you’ll need to ensure
you have a piece of
hardware, such as an that you have an up-to-date driver The website of your device manufacturer should
internal modem, that you for the device you wish to install. be your first stop for a driver.
are having problems with.
Without the correct driver your new manufacturer’s website. Go to the
piece of hardware won’t function Help or Support section and look for
correctly. When trying to locate this, a file that exactly matches the make
your first port of call should be the and model of your device.
. Most hardware devices should carry an FCC ID number to

help you identify who the manufacturer is. Go to www.uktsupport
It’s a good idea to gather .co.uk/reference/idhware.htm to search the FCC database.
together the drivers for all
your hardware devices
and store them in one
. Go to www.driverzone.com. Here you can search for the driver
location on your hard you need by device type. Links to manufacturers’ websites are
drive. Alternatively, burn a provided as well as an extensive archive of obsolete drivers.
CD that contains all the
files you need. . There is a utility program from www.sisoftware.net called Sandra
that has a tool that will run a diagnostic test of your system
identifying all hardware items and the drivers they require.
. Drivers written for Windows 95/98/Me are unlikely to work
with Windows XP. However, if you can obtain a Windows NT or 2000
driver there’s a good chance it will work.
. Use the Intel Chipset identification utility to identify the chipset
that your motherboard uses and help determine driver compatibility.
Go to www.intel.com/support/chipsets/inf/chipsetid.htm.

CFG03.chp_03 5/29/03 6:25 PM Page 31
The New Hardware wizard
You’ll need some help if your device isn’t
plug-and-play and you don’t have a disc
irst, look for the installation CD new pieces of hardware. If it fails to
F again. If you still can’t find it,

start by making sure the new
item of hardware is attached to your
find anything the next screen
enables you to manually select the
hardware category that your device Check here against
www.microsoft.com/hwdq/hcl/search.asp
specific make and model
PC. With the drivers you need close falls under. Click on ‘Show all types to see if hardware
to hand double-click on New devices’ for a list of manufacturers devices have been tested
with Windows XP.
Hardware in Control Panel. Click and select the one that corresponds
through the initial screens, then from with your item of hardware. If the
the Installed hardware list choose model is listed as well, this means
the type of device you want to Windows XP has a driver that you
install. If your particular item isn’t can use. However, if there’s no
listed, select ‘Add a new hardware matching information, click on Have
device’ and click on Next. Now Disk to use your own driver. Browse
Windows XP will perform a scan of to the location of your driver and
your system and try to identify any click on OK to begin the installation.
The importance of signed drivers

A signed driver is a guarantee of quality
Signed drivers are a new feature of Windows XP. For a
driver to be signed it must have gone through a rigorous
testing process by the Microsoft Hardware Quality Labs
to make sure that it is extremely unlikely to cause any
instability to your system. Another guarantee of signed
drivers is that they haven’t been tampered with in any
way and are free from viruses and trojans. When you try
to install a driver that hasn’t been tested, a warning will
appear asking you if wish to carry on. The fact that a
If you try to install an unsigned driver
driver hasn’t been signed doesn’t mean you’ll experience
your system will tell you so.
problems: the warning is a precautionary measure.

CFG03.chp_03 5/29/03 6:25 PM Page 32
l Chapter3
Will it work?
It’s useful to know beforehand if a device or
application is compatible – here’s how
ou’ll find that the great products and determine which
If you’re having trouble

running an application in
Y majority of new hardware
devices and software
applications will work perfectly well
version numbers of a particular item
are compatible with Windows XP.
You always need to bear in mind
Windows XP that
with Windows XP without any here that this website is by no means
appeared to work fine in problems at all. However, in helping exhaustive as the onus is very much
an earlier version of
Windows, don't worry.
you to make an informed decision on individual hardware
Use My Computer or on whether or not to buy a particular manufacturers and software
Windows Explorer to piece of hardware or software, it’s publishers to submit their products
locate the executable file
(.exe) for the program, always worth checking the Windows for inclusion. However, using the
then right-click on it and Catalogue at www.microsoft.com/ information contained within the
choose Properties. Under
the Compatibility tab windows/catalog. This site is split website, you can be safe in the
choose a Compatibility between hardware and software and knowledge that the item you wish to
model for the old
operating system.
you’ll be able to search through a purchase is guaranteed to work with
database of manufacturers and Windows XP.
How to install a graphics card

Having problems updating your drivers?
Keeping the drivers of your graphics card is essential,
especially if you intend to play the latest games. In most
cases you’ll have to remove your current driver before
installing the new one. If there’s no software program for
your video card you can uninstall your card by deleting
its entry under Display Adapters in Device Manager. Next
reboot your PC and cancel any automatic driver
installation it attempts. When start-up has finished you’ll
see that Windows XP is using a basic display driver at a
low resolution. This is the ideal base from which you can Remove your old graphics card before
now install the new video card drivers for Windows XP. installing the new one.

CFG03.chp_03 5/29/03 6:25 PM Page 33
Add or Remove Programs
The only way to remove an application from
Windows XP is the right way
hen removing software
W applications the safest

method is to use Add or
Remove Programs in Control Panel.
www.webattack.com/get/smartuninstaller.shtml
Unfortunately, not all
software uninstallers work
This will give you a detailed list of correctly: some leave
all the applications installed on your crucial parts of your
applications behind. Use
PC. Alongside each one you’ll see Smart Uninstaller to
details of the date it was last used remove any unwanted
along with information on its and hidden programs.
‘Frequency of use’. When clearing Click next to the word Used for a definition of
out your hard drive this will help what is meant by ‘frequency’.
you make an informed decision monitors the activity of your

about which items you should applications and defines the
remove and which you should keep. frequency levels as Rarely,
Over a 30-day period Windows XP Occasionally, and Frequently.
Add or Remove Programs

Highlight each
Add New Programs
$ application for details
. helps simplify the
of its size, how often it’s
used and the date it was
process of installing a new
last used. Some
application in Windows XP.
applications also carry
support information in case
you require assistance.
Add/Remove
. Windows Components When removing old
gives you the opportunity $ applications click on
to safely remove those Sort by and choose Date
tools in Windows XP that Last Used to see what’s
don’t get used. worth uninstalling.
It’s not just removal:
. Use this setting to $ some applications

determine your give you the opportunity
chosen default to modify their
applications for email and configuration using the
internet browsing. uninstallation routine.

CFG03.chp_03 5/29/03 6:25 PM Page 34
l Chapter3
Setting Defaults
Set your default applications with this new
tool that’s included in Service Pack 1
here are going to be certain Service Pack 1, this appears as an
T applications you prefer for

day-to-day tasks. For example,
Outlook Express would be your
additional option in Add or Remove
Programs. Click on Set Program and
Access Defaults and you’ll get three
support.microsoft.com/?kbid=332003
There’s no information in
the help files on how to
use Set Program and
choice for email and Windows options: Microsoft Windows, Non-
Access Defaults – you’ll Media Player for MP3s. However, Microsoft and Custom. Select the
have to go online.
alternative programs can sometimes former and your default programs
take it upon themselves to become for browsing, email, media player,
the default application for tasks such instant messaging and virtual
as these. Then, when you click an machine for Java will be set as
email link or double-click an MP3 Microsoft Applications. Choose the
file the wrong program is launched. Non-Microsoft option for programs
The solution is to use the Set from alternative manufacturers. By
Program and Access Defaults. Once selecting Custom you’ll be able use
you have installed the Windows XP either application type.
Windows XP Service Pack 1

What else do I get?
A Service Pack is a combination of software updates and
fixes that will bring an application up-to-date and so
ensure its smooth running. Even though extensive testing
will take place before its release, a program can never
truly be considered finished. This particular update deals
with issues that have come to light since the original
release of Windows XP. Service Pack 1 is available for
free download – though the file is around 130MB in size.
Alternatively, you can order a CD that contains the full Service Pack 1 is an essential update
service pack completely free of charge. for all Windows XP users.
www.microsoft.com/uk/windowsxp/servicepacks/sp1.asp.

CFG03.chp_03 5/29/03 6:25 PM Page 35
Removing components
How to remove unwanted Windows features
– and another way to install programs
aving streamlined your hard requirements. To remove a particular
H drive and removed all those

unwanted applications, you
can focus on Windows XP and
item, uncheck the box alongside the
tool or utility and click on OK.
Installation of most software Before removing an entire
component category
uninstall those components that applications is straightforward but if click on the Details button
never get used. In the Add or you need help select Add New and check the features
contained within. For
Remove Programs dialogue window Programs then click on CD or example, Accessories
click on Add/Remove Windows Floppy. If there’s a CD or disc in a contains items such as
Components. Here you’ll see details drive the installation file required Calculator and Desktop
Wallpaper which you may
of the tools and utilities that make will be located. Alternatively, click use regularly.
up Windows XP. Browse through the on Browse to locate an installation
list and highlight each group, then file stored on your hard drive. Under
click on Details. You may feel that Add New Programs there’s also a
items such as Games, Accessories button that will take you straight to
and Fax Services are all surplus to the Windows Update website.
One component that you may wish to start using

1 in Windows XP is the fax utility. It’s not installed
by default so click on Add/Remove Windows
Components and in the Windows Component Wizard Any items you remove
check the box next to Fax Services and click on Next. can easily be added
again. Reverse the
process, check the
boxes of the items to
During the installation you’ll be prompted to reinstall and make sure
2 insert your Windows XP CD-ROM so make sure you have the Windows
XP installation CD.
it’s close to hand. Pop the disc in the drive, browse to
the location E:\I386 (where E is the letter of your CD-
ROM drive) and click on OK.
The required files will be taken from the disc and

3 copied over. When this is complete click on
Finish. You will now be able to launch the Fax Console
by clicking on Start > All Programs > Accessories >
Communications > Fax > Fax Console.

CFG03.chp_03 5/29/03 6:25 PM Page 36
l Chapter3
Hidden applications
There’s more to Windows XP than meets the
eye – it’s hiding programs and utilities
ou’d think that all the tools your PC. The visibility of these items
Always take care when

editing the registry. Keep
Y and utilities installed in
Windows XP would be
displayed within Add or Remove
is controlled by the file sysoc.inf
which is located at C:\Windows\inf.
Double-click on the file to open it
a note of any changes
Programs, but the fact is that several and its contents will be displayed in
you make in case you of them are missing. This is Notepad. You’ll see various items
have problems with your
system afterwards. You
deliberate and is a way of ensuring listed and alongside some of them
can always use System that the inexperienced user doesn’t will be the word ‘hide’. As you may
Restore to revert your remove any applications vital to have guessed, it’s the presence of
settings back to a time
when everything worked. Windows XP. However, if you have a this word that’s stopping the items
more advanced knowledge of the from being displayed in Add or
operating system you may prefer to Remove Programs. To make them
make these items visible so that you visible all you need to do is delete
can make an informed decision as to ‘hide’ and the items will appear in
what should and shouldn’t be on the programs list.
Manual removal of program entries

A faulty uninstaller means some programs remain in the list
Open the Registry Editor and locate HKEY_LOCAL_
MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/
Uninstall. When you’ve located this registry key you’ll see
a separate sub-key for each application on the Add or
Remove Programs list in Control Panel. Scroll down and
locate the key that corresponds to the program you want
to remove. Right-click on it in the left pane and choose
Delete. Close the registry editor and then go into Control
Panel and open Add/Remove Programs. You’ll see from
Use the Registry Editor to remove any
the list of applications that your troublesome item has
details that have been left behind.
now been removed.

CFG03.chp_03 5/29/03 6:25 PM Page 37
Cleaning up
Deleting the unwanted files that remain on
your PC after Add or Remove Programs
ven though you’ve uninstalled
E an application correctly, most

tend to leave their original
folders behind in the Program Files Having uninstalled a
particular application you
directory. You’ve probably noticed should double-check the
messages such as ‘unable to remove Start menu to make sure
that all items have been
the following’. In most cases this is removed from there as
deliberate as the data left can retain well. If any rogue entries
information about you and your remain just right-click on
them and choose Delete.
system. Should you wish to reinstall A quick search of your hard drive for useless
the program at a later date this files can yield surprising results.
folder will personalise installation. list of applications displayed in the

Browse your Program Files folder Add/Remove Programs list. Right-
using Windows Explorer or My click on any folders you’re sure you
Computer and compare it with the don’t need and choose Delete.
. Don’t trawl through your hard drive for things to throw out.
Instead use the Windows XP search tool to track down unwanted
and redundant files. Although you may have
the desire to remove
. Use the [*] symbol to perform a wildcard search of files you want every last redundant file,
don’t be cavalier. Caution
to delete. For example, type *.tmp to find all temporary files. is required, particularly
with the likes of .DLL files.
. Caution is required when deleting individual files manually. Make full use of the
Recycle Bin so if you’ve
Avoid any system files, such as those with a .dll or an .inf extension.
deleted something that
Useless files that may be taking up valuable space on your hard you later realise you do
drive include .tmp, .gid, .chk and .fts files. actually require, it can
easily be restored to its
original location.
. Hold the [Shift] key down when pressing to delete to ensure that
the Recycle Bin is bypassed and removal is permanent.
. Rename the three-letter file extension of a file you’re unsure of
deleting. Changing this will stop it functioning and give you the
opportunity to monitor its impact on you system. You can rename it
again afterwards if necessary.

CFG03.chp_04 5/29/03 6:24 PM Page 38
Chapter4
l PrintingandImag
Printers and Faxes, Scanners and Cameras
T
hrough the Control Panel you’ll
be able to manage what are
probably your most used
Yes you can… peripherals. Options within the Printers

and Faxes and Scanners and Cameras
, Install and configure icons will enable you to install and
your printer configure these items of equipment. The
, Learn how to use the Printers and Faxes icon enables you to
Windows XP fax utility
see details of all printers that are
, Using the Scanner and installed on your system. If there’s more Page 41 Before printing make sure that
Camera Wizard
than one you’ll be able to select which all the settings for your device are optimised
, Order prints of your one is the default and will print first. All
digital images
new printers these days come with their
own installation disc, which makes
getting any of them to work with
Microsoft Windows XP simple. If you’re
using an older piece of hardware this
still shouldn’t be a problem as there are
Project time... plenty of drivers included with your
operating system that will help. Fax
60 mins
machines used as peripherals attached
to your PC aren’t that common but most
Page 42 Use Advanced printer options
to control spooling and separator pages
PCs do come equipped with a modem
that can also be used as a fax.
More Info
Page 43 Send and receive faxes using

www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/digitalphotography/default.asp
the Windows XP fax utility program

CFG03.chp_04 5/29/03 6:24 PM Page 39
PrintingandImaging c
ing
PrintingandImaging
Windows XP includes its own fax utility
software and following installation all
management and configuration can be
carried out via Printers and Faxes.
Scanners and Cameras

The Scanners and Cameras Control Panel
icon works in a similar way. Details of
installed web cams, digital cameras and
scanners will be given here. For example, Page 45 Manage your imaging devices
device properties will provide you with with the Scanners and Cameras option
information on the current status of your
digital camera, what the battery level is and
the number of pictures that have been
taken. There’s also a diagnostic test that
you can carry out to make sure your device
is functioning correctly. Although your
particular device should come with its own
software for taking or managing pictures
and scanning images, Windows XP has its
own utility that you can use. Using the Get
Page 46 Use the Get Pictures tool to take
Pictures tool with your digital camera still photos with your webcam
enables you to transfer any photos from
your camera onto your PC. You can rotate
and view the images you’ve taken and
select which ones you’d like to save to your
hard drive.
Page 47 Turn digital images into glossy

snaps with online photo processing
CFG03.chp_04 5/29/03 6:24 PM Page 40
l Chapter4
Installing your printer
Even if plug-and-play doesn’t work
installation will be straightforward
early all new printers support chances are that it will use a parallel
If your particular printer

isn’t listed you’ll need to
N plug-and-play, so installation
is usually just a case of
attaching the new device to your PC
connection, an example of which is
shown in the dialogue window. The
default port selection is LPT1. You
make use of your own
and then following the instructions should accept this and click on Next.
driver, in which case click on the screen to get it working. Windows XP will then take a
on Have Disk to locate it.
Whenever a new printer
Older printers will require a different moment to compile its printer driver
is installed you’re always approach, however. For these, click database. When it has done this
given the option of on Add Printer to launch the Add select the manufacturer of your
printing a test page. It’s a
good idea to do this just Printer Wizard and this will begin printer in the left pane then choose
to make sure everything the installation process. Choose the the model of your printer on the
works correctly.
local printer option then click on right and click on Next to begin the
Next. Here you’ll need to choose the driver installation. Keep your
printer port that you’re going to use. Windows XP CD to hand as you may
With most older printers, the need to copy files over from it.
Get more from your printer

Make full use of your printer and its high-quality colour output
Most new printers come complete with their own utility
programs that will provide you with tools for maintaining
your printer and monitoring ink levels. They’ll also feature
practical help for making the most of your printed output.
You’ll find that most colour inkjet printers, even those at
the lower end of the range can produce photo-quality
printouts. Your software will help by providing you with
practical guides that will advise you on the settings you
should use as well specifying which type of photo paper Get creative with an excellent range of
you should use, based on the resolution of your printer. fantastic projects for your printer.
www.homeandoffice.hp.com/hho/us/eng/creative_projects.html

CFG03.chp_04 5/29/03 6:24 PM Page 41
Setting print options
Before your print, check all your options and
tailor your print output
ou can start printing your
Y documents in seconds but

before you click on OK, take a
moment to explore the Print dialogue Some manufacturers
www.inkjet.co.uk
won’t support this, but if
window and see what options you yours does, here’s a trick
have. Click on the Properties button that will save you a
fortune on replacement
for access to the settings that will inkjet printer cartridges –
control your output. For example, if rather than buy new ones
you’re printing a Word document for when they run out you
can refill your old ones
your eyes only, then print quality Always click on Properties first and make sure instead. You can do this
may not be important. You can your printer settings are optimised. for both black and colour
cartridges. Go to the
change the setting to Draft, which photo quality paper and you’ll need inkjet website to see how.
will use less ink and probably print to change the paper setting in
quicker too. For high-quality images Properties so that the printer knows
you’ll probably be printing out on you’re using this paper type.
Print options
Choose the print Different documents
. quality that best suits $ have their own paper
the purpose of your requirements. If you need
document. If it’s just for to print to transparency
reference purposes then make sure you select the
Draft is your best bet. correct option.
You may need to For photo work, as

. rotate your page to
$ well as selecting your
suit your document layout. paper type and resolution,
To do this, change the specify also that you want
orientation here from your Photo colour ink
Portrait to Landscape. cartridge to be used.
Some printers have Take advantage of

. their default paper $ any utility software
size set to Legal (8.5”x14”) provided by your printer
– slightly smaller than A4. manufacturer and make
This can cause problems use of the tools and ideas
so check your setting. that are on offer.

CFG03.chp_04 5/29/03 6:24 PM Page 42
l Chapter4
Printer Properties
Making use of advanced configuration
options for your printer
etailed configuration settings
There’s a simple way of

making an exact copy of
D for your printer can be found
by right-clicking the printer
icon in Control Panel and choosing
your screen’s display.
Properties. These settings include the
Click on the Print Screen General tab, where you’ll find
button on your keyboard
then open any image-
confirmation of the make and model
editing program, including of your printer along with details of
Microsoft Paint. Then any special features – for example,
choose Paste and save
your file. whether or not it’s colour, the Printers using a parallel cable connection will
maximum resolution and if it’s usually be on port LPT1.
capable of printing double-sided. If other users on the network. There

you have home networking set up shouldn’t be any need to change the
click on the Sharing tab and check settings under the Ports tab unless
‘Share this printer’ to share it with you’re experiencing problems.
Advanced options
If you have more than At some point it may
. one printer on your $ be necessary to
network you can use the update the driver for your
Priority option to set which printer. Click here to install
printer jobs have the your new driver.
highest priority.
This option checks

. Spooling saves $ the printer setup
details of your print against the document
jobs to your hard disk; setup and will hold any
when your printer is ready documents that show a
it prints them out. mismatch in the queue.
Check this option A separator page can

. and details of your
$ help identify the end
document will be saved in and beginning of a printed
the Spool, so reprinting document. This is a plain
can take place from the text file using the .sep file
print queue rather than extension. It is located in
from the program. C:\Windows\System32.

CFG03.chp_04 5/29/03 6:24 PM Page 43
Ready to fax
If your PC has a fax modem you can install
the Windows XP fax utility
indows XP comes with its Windows XP CD-ROM, so make sure
W own utility for sending and

receiving faxes, if your PC
is equipped with a fax modem.
it’s close by. Insert the disc in your
drive, browse to the location E:\I386
(where E is the letter of your CD- You’ll need to configure
your fax to pick up after
However, the software you’ll need ROM drive) and click on OK. The so many rings. Right-click
isn’t installed by default, so go into required files will then be copied on Fax, in Printers and
Faxes, and choose
Control Panel and double-click on over. When this is complete click on Properties. Select the
Add or Remove Programs. On the Finish. You can now launch the Fax Devices tab, click on
left, click on Add/Remove Windows Console by opening Printers and Properties, then configure
your preferences
Components. In the Windows Faxes in Control Panel and double- under Receive.
Component Wizard place a tick in clicking on Fax. Alternatively, you
the box next to Fax Services and can click on Start > All Programs
click on Next to begin installation. > Accessories > Communications
Part of the way through the process > Fax, and then choose the Fax
you’ll be prompted to insert your Console from there.
Configuration first
Set up the fax console to include your personal details
When you first run Fax Console you’ll need to complete
the Fax Configuration Wizard. First enter the personal
information that will appear on any cover pages you send
with your faxes. Next decide whether or not you want to
be able to send and/or receive faxes. If you choose to
receive you’ll also have to decide whether or not you
want the modem to answer calls automatically. Finally,
click on Next and then enter the Transmitting Subscriber
Identification (TSID). This is information normally printed Enter the information that will be
at the top of a transmitted fax page, consisting of the displayed on cover pages.
name of the sender and their fax number.

CFG03.chp_04 5/29/03 6:24 PM Page 44
l Chapter4
Sending a fax
How to use Fax Console to send faxes from
Microsoft Windows XP
ou can use Fax Console to for example, the number of pages
Details of all incoming

and outgoing faxes are
Y send faxes in either of two
ways. The first is through the
console itself, which you can use to
you require and so on. When you’re
ready to fax just click on Print and
Windows XP will launch the Send
stored in these locations:
type out a message and send a cover Fax Wizard. Complete the cover
C:\Documents and sheet. The other method enables you page, then enter the details of the
Settings\All Users\
Application Data\
to fax documents directly from intended recipient and click on Next.
Microsoft\Windows applications such as Microsoft Word. Now check the box that will enable
NT\MSFax\Inbox AND To do this, open the file that you you to select a cover page template
\SentItems. You can
create a desktop shortcut would like to fax – for example, a and select the one that you want
for easy access. Word document, and click File > from the drop-down box that
Print, then click on the Printer drop- appears. Click Next and choose
down box and select Fax from the exactly when you would like to send
list of devices there. Set your other the fax – either immediately or at a
options as you would normally do – scheduled time in the future.
Sending only a cover sheet

Use the Fax Console to send a quick message
When you don’t need to send a fax from a specific
application such as Word, you can compose it using the
Fax Console. Click on File > Send a Fax and the Send
Fax Wizard will be launched. When you enter the
Recipient Information you can use any contact
information you have in your Address Book; otherwise
just enter the information manually. There’s no need to
create new faxes for recipients of the same message, as
you’ll be able to send the same fax to a group of people Send directly from Fax Console using
by entering their details here – the process is exactly the one of the pre-defined templates.
same as if you were faxing from an application.

CFG03.chp_04 5/29/03 6:24 PM Page 45
Scanners and Cameras
Managing your imaging hardware in
lthough it’s called Scanners
A and Cameras, this section of

the Control Panel is where
you can install or manage any type Not-so-perfect pictures
www.mediachance.com/digicam/index.html
taken with your digital
of imaging device connected to your camera can be enhanced
PC. Adding a piece of hardware here using the various free
image-enhancement
that’s not been picked up by plug- tools available for
and-play is more or less the same download from
process as that for adding a printer. mediachance.
To see more information about your All installed imaging devices can be found under
device, for example a digital camera, Scanners and Cameras in the Control Panel.
highlight it and click on ‘View device Look under Camera Status where
properties’ for more information. you’ll be able to see information on
The Test button will enable you to the number of pictures taken, as well
check that it’s working properly. as the current battery level.
. Your scanned images or digital photos can be imported

directly into Windows XP without your having to use another
application first. You can turn all the
images in your My
. The moment Windows XP detects the presence of a digital Pictures folder into a
personalised screensaver.
camera, the Scanner and Camera Wizard will begin to read the In Display Properties,
stored images. select the Screen Saver
tab and then in the
. Details of all imaging devices are stored under Scanners and drop-down box select
‘My Pictures Slideshow’.
Cameras – whether it’s a flatbed scanner, a handheld scanner, a
webcam or a digital camera.
. Any images that are processed by your imaging device will be
stored in a sub-folder of C:\Documents and Settings\USER\
My Documents\My Pictures.
. Use the Events tab in your device Properties to link the device to
a specific program on your PC – for example, all scanned images
will be opened in the same application.

CFG03.chp_04 5/29/03 6:24 PM Page 46
l Chapter4
Pictures and images
Importing pictures from your webcam into
ou can import pictures from adjustments to the images by
The best way to see your

images in the My Pictures
Y your webcam directly into
Windows XP. To do this,
highlight the device you wish to use
rotating them – to do this, simply
select one and rotate it either
clockwise or anti-clockwise to get
folder is to click on View
in Scanners and Cameras and then the position you want. You can then
> Filmstrip. This will give click on Get Pictures to launch the change the dimensions and file size
you a large preview of
one image at a time, with
wizard. On the left you’ll see a of an image by clicking on the
the rest displayed as preview of the image. Make sure that Properties button. Click on Next and
smaller thumbnails everything you need is in shot and enter a name for your images in
underneath.
also that the camera is focused. Next order to automatically create a sub-
click on Take Picture and you’ll see a folder in your My Pictures folder.
thumbnail of the image appear on Finally, check the box called ‘Delete
the right. Repeat the process, taking pictures from my device after
as many pictures as you need. If copying them’ in order to clear the
necessary you can make slight pictures from the device’s memory.
In order to make this alteration you’ll need to be

1 familiar with the concept of editing your registry.
Launch the Registry Editor and go to this location:
If you want copies of your HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
images there’s no need CurrentVersion\Explorer.
to try arranging them in a
Word processing
document for printing.
Instead, under Picture In the right pane right-click and choose New >
Tasks click on Print 2 DWORD Value and call it ThumbnailSize. Once
Pictures to launch the
Photo Printing Wizard and you’ve done this right-click on it, select Modify and give
choose from an array of it a value of between 32 and 96 – the higher the number,
different layouts.
the larger the thumbnail preview.
Close the Registry Editor and then log off and on

3 again for the changes to take effect. This is
usually quicker than a restart. To put things back the
way they were originally all you have to do is delete the
Registry key that you just created.

CFG03.chp_04 5/29/03 6:24 PM Page 47
Online processing
Ordering photographic prints of your
digital camera images
ou’ve extracted the images be any fussing around with lots of
Y from your digital camera and

imported them onto your
computer using the Scanner and
rolls of film, or paying for 36 prints
only to find that half of them haven’t
come out because of poor lighting or If your photographs never
www.kodak.com
turn out quite how you
Camera Wizard. The next logical focus. Owning a digital camera puts expected, take some tips
step is to print them out. However, you at a distinct advantage here as from the experts. The
websites of the major
if you have a large number of photos you’re able to judge the quality of an camera manufacturers,
to print out, your colour inkjet image before you print it out via the including Kodak, are
printer may not be the most cost- camera’s LCD viewer, or by packed with tips, tricks
and advice on how to get
effective way of producing them. importing it onto your PC and the perfect snap.
Instead, make use of all the previewing it there. Note that in
advantages of the online digital order to use the online processing
photo processing facility that’s facility, the images that you would
available in the My Pictures folder of like to order prints for will need to
Windows XP. This way there won’t be stored in your My Pictures folder.
Open the My Pictures folder, then open the sub-

1 folder that contains all the images that you would
like to order prints for. Under Print Tasks on the left,
click on ‘Order prints online’ to launch the Online Print If you own a digital
www.liti3d.com/start_here.htm
Ordering Wizard. camera that can record a
small amount of video
you can go online and
order a framed hologram
Choose the company that you’d like to process created from a short
2 your prints and click on Next. For each of your video clip.
prints you’ll be able to choose how you would like it to

be processed. For example, you can select different
sizes and quantities for each one.
Once you’ve decided on the prints you want,

3 you’ll need to sign in with your .Net passport to
complete the order process. Then all you need to do is
enter your address, confirm the type of delivery and
enter your credit card details.

CFG03.chp_05 5/29/03 6:56 PM Page 48
Chapter5
l InputDevices
Using the Keyboard, Mouse and Game Controllers and
Control Panel icons
T
he keyboard and mouse are
probably the simplest items of
hardware to set up on your PC.
Yes you can… You just have to plug them in, turn your
PC on and they’re ready to use straight
, Fine-tune your away. But although you’ll have instant
keyboard settings functionality, their respective Control
, Use keyboard Panel icons contain a number of
shortcuts to launch
settings that can be changed. Nearly all
applications
the actions that are carried out with the Page 50 Use settings to adjust the speed
, Customise the right-
mouse can also be performed using the and response times of your keyboard
click Send To menu
keyboard. In the rare event of your
, Install and configure a
mouse not functioning correctly it’s
game controller
useful to know how to open menus and
select items using keyboard keys rather
than the click of the mouse button.
Furthermore, keyboard shortcuts can
save time and help you perform certain
Project time... tasks more quickly – for example, hitting
[Ctrl]+[S] to save or [Ctrl]+[P] to print.
60 mins
We’ll look at these in more detail over
the coming pages.
Page 53 Configure the movement and
button sensitivity of your mouse
Keyboard configuration
More Info If you only have a basic keyboard
installed then the configuration options
available to you through Control Panel
will be rather limited. If you have a
Page 54 Add your own shortcuts to the

www.microsoft.com/enable/products/keyboard/keyboardsearch.asp
right-click Send To menu

CFG03.chp_05 5/29/03 6:56 PM Page 49
InputDevices c
multimedia or internet keyboard, however,

you will have more settings at your
disposal. In some cases it will even be
possible to configure keys to perform a
specific function, such as launching an
application. Other keys can be
programmed to launch a website in your
browser. You may be able to access these
options via the Control Panel, or you may
need to launch a separate utility program Page 55 A registry edit will add two more
for your keyboard. As far as your mouse is options to the right-click context menu
concerned, even on a standard device there
InputDevices
are still plenty of settings you can adjust –
for example, the type of pointer that’s used,
whether or not it leaves a trail when it’s
moved, and its sensitivity to double-clicks.
Game controllers
The other input device you’re likely to have
installed on your system is some kind of
game controller, perhaps a gamepad or
Page 56 Draw with your mouse to
joystick. This option in Control Panel will launch applications and perform tasks
enable you to add and configure your
device to work with Microsoft Windows XP.
In order to do this, select your device type
from the pre-defined list, or use the Custom
button to define its characteristics, then
calibrate and test it.
Page 57 Configure custom game

controllers to your system
CFG03.chp_05 5/29/03 6:56 PM Page 50
l Chapter5
Keyboard overview
There are only a limited number of
configuration settings for your keyboard
he installation of a keyboard been pressed. If you find yourself
Along with the keyboard

in front of you, it’s
T onto your system couldn’t be
simpler. All you need to do is
plug it in, turn your PC on and it
making a lot of mistakes while you
type, it may be worth moving the
slider to the left. The Repeated Rate
possible to display
should work straight away. Usually, option below this can be used to
another one on screen. additional drivers aren’t necessary speed up or slow down the rate at
Click on Start > All
Programs > Accessories
because Windows XP already has which a key’s character repeats itself
> Accessibility > On- everything it needs. The Keyboard when that key is held down. Use the
Screen Keyboard. Click icon in Control Panel gives you a testing area to fine-tune the
on the [Alt], [Shift] and
[Ctrl] buttons to display limited number of settings that adjustments you make. Changes
the symbols available. enable you to manage the behaviour made to the Cursor Blink rate setting
of the keys. Under the Speed tab, the apply to a range of programs,
Repeated Delay setting adjusts the including your word processing
time delay that follows before a applications, as well as the Run
symbol is repeated after a key has command and Notepad.
Troubleshoot your keyboard

A non-functioning keyboard is usually the result of bad connection
The most common problem that occurs is the message that
appears when your PC is booting up. The warning that reads
‘Keyboard not detected’ is usually the result of a loose
connection or the wrong socket being used at the back of your
PC. Only in extreme cases will it indicate that your keyboard is
broken – a power surge or power cut during an electrical storm
is enough to see off your keyboard. (A UPS unit is always a wise
investment in the long run, as it will save you the expense of
replacing damaged peripherals.) If you are experiencing Fine-tune settings and
problems, click on the Hardware tab in Keyboard Properties configure your keyboard.
and use the Troubleshoot option to help pin down the cause.

CFG03.chp_05 5/29/03 6:56 PM Page 51
InputDevices c
Shortcut keys
Open applications by using a combination
of keyboard keys
ather than going through the start the program or open the file.
R Start > All Programs menu to

launch an item, it’s possible
to launch applications and files
You have the choice of using one of
the function keys – for example [F8],
or a combination of keys, such as When browsing a web
page, hold down the
simply by pressing a pre-defined [Ctrl]+[Alt]+any other key you [Ctrl] key and move the
combination of keys. In order to do want. If you decide you want to use mouse wheel to increase
or decrease page
this, first of all you’ll need to create a function key, just press the one magnification. You may
a file shortcut for the particular item you would like to use in order to find that this shortcut
you want to open. Next, right-click select it. Alternatively, for a works in other
applications too.
on the shortcut and choose combination shortcut, hold down the
Properties from the menu. Next [Ctrl] key to display [Ctrl]+[Alt] and
switch to the Shortcut tab and click then press the additional key you
in the Shortcut key field. Here you’ll want to use. When you have
need to decide which key, or finished, simply click on Apply and
combination of keys, will be used to then click on OK.
Keyboard shortcuts
Work smarter with this selection of Windows key shortcuts
[WINKEY]+[D] Shortcut to the desktop
[WINKEY]+[M] Minimize all windows
[WINKEY]+[Shift]+[M] Undo minimize
[WINKEY]+[E] Open Windows Explorer
[WINKEY]+[Tab] Move between programs on the taskbar
[WINKEY]+[F] Open Search tool
[WINKEY]+[F1] Open Help and Support Center
[WINKEY]+[R] Open Run window
[WINKEY]+[Pause] Open System Properties Use key combinations
[WINKEY]+[U] Open Utility Manager to open applications.
[WINKEY]+[L] Lock the PCbx_text

CFG03.chp_05 5/29/03 6:56 PM Page 52
l Chapter5
A new-look mouse
How to change the appearance of the
mouse pointer
he installation of your mouse configured. Do you have two or
IE Booster will extend the

T is just as straightforward as
your keyboard. Again, all you
need to do is plug in, turn on and
three? Which should be the primary
button, the left or the right one? All
these basic preferences can be set
www.paessler.com/iebooster
context menu that

appears when you right-
you’re ready to start using it. The using the Mouse icon in Control
click a web page in only real difference is the number Panel. Things get a little more
Internet Explorer. Use the
options to see individual
of configuration options at your advanced when you start working
image data, information disposal from within Control Panel. with mouse ‘schemes’. These enable
on all the images on a When you start to move your mouse, you to choose how the pointer
page and all hyperlinks.
it will become apparent straight should appear when certain tasks
away what aspects need fine-tuning are carried out. Move the mouse
– for example, the speed at which pointer over a web link and it
the point moves along with the changes shape from an arrow to a
shape and size of pointer. The pointing finger. It’s here that you’ll
buttons of your mouse can also be be able change pointer images.
In Control Panel, click on Mouse, then select the

1 Pointers tab. Under Customize you’ll see
previews of all the cursor images used under the
If your mouse has a Windows Default mouse scheme. Each action has its
trackball this will require own image – for example Busy, Resize and Move.
regular maintenance.
Remove the ball and
clean the rollers inside to
get rid of accumulated You can change the designs that are used for the
dirt and dust. 2 pointer images by clicking on the Scheme drop-
down box and selecting an alternative from the list.
Once a new scheme has been selected you’ll see all the
pointers change.
You may find that you only want to change some

3 of the pointers, rather than go all the way and use
a completely new scheme. It’s possible to customise an
existing scheme by double-clicking individual pointer
images and selecting a new cursor.

CFG03.chp_05 5/29/03 6:56 PM Page 53
InputDevices c
Mouse behaviour
Configure the movement and visibility of
the mouse pointer
etting to where you need to
G go on your PC is all down to

the mouse. Although on the
odd occasion you’ll tap the keyboard Under the Pointers
Options tab check
and use a few keys to get where you ‘Enhance pointer
want to be, most of the time you will precision’ for greater
control when you’re
simply point and click to reach your working on fine detail and
objectives. It’s for this reason that only moving the mouse
the behaviour of the mouse is so pointer a small distance.
important. If its movement doesn’t There are a number of settings you can change
feel right when you’re navigating, it to get the feel of the mouse just right.
can not only be annoying but it can Fortunately, as well as its on-screen
slow you down as well. And if you appearance, every aspect of the way
persist with a faulty mouse, you’ll the mouse feels can be changed from
soon feel pains in your hand. within Control Panel.
. Under the Buttons tab of Mouse Properties you can define

which of your mouse buttons is primary and which is secondary.
By default, the left button is primary. Under Snap To, check
‘Automatically move
. Sensitivity is apparent when it comes to double-clicking the pointer to the default
button in a dialog box’ to
mouse button. Under ‘Double-click speed’ perform a test using the speed up access times in
yellow folder, then adjust the slider for a faster or slower response. your program and
dialogue windows.
. ClickLock is a little-used setting in Mouse Properties. By
default you have to hold the mouse button down when highlighting
or dragging. This option enables you to click once only.
. Motion under the Pointer Options tab controls the speed at
which the pointer moves around the screen when the mouse is
moved. Set this too fast and the mouse will be difficult to control.
. Checking the ‘Display pointer trails’ box will help with visibility
and give the mouse pointer a snake-like movement when it’s moved
around the screen.

CFG03.chp_05 5/29/03 6:56 PM Page 54
l Chapter5
Right-click options
Improve the way you work by adding new
items to the right-click Send To menu
lthough it’s the left mouse by clicking on Mail Recipient. You
Open My Computer, then

hold down the [Ctrl] key
A button that usually has the
primary function, don’t
overlook what can be achieved by
can also extend the functionality of
this menu even further by adding
your own shortcuts to it. The Send
and left-click on all your
right-clicking. The Send To menu To menu is a folder in its own right
hard drives, CD and DVD becomes available when working in so it’s just a case of adding your own
drives. Once they’re all
highlighted right-click on
My Computer and Windows Explorer shortcut. The Send To folder is
them and choose – for example, browse the contents classed as a system folder so it is
Properties. Details of all of your hard drive, right-click an hidden by default. To make it visible
your drives will be
contained in one easy-to- item and choose Send To. The menu open My Computer, click on Tools >
read dialogue window. that appears gives you instant access Folder Options and then select the
to common areas of your hard drive View tab. Under Advanced settings
that you may need, such as My scroll down to ‘Hidden files and
Documents and My Pictures. You folders’ and check ‘Show hidden
can even attach the file to an email files and folders’.
It’s easy to add you own items to this menu. First

1 go to the location of the Send To folder, which is
C:\Documents and Settings\USER. Open it and you’ll
If you’re the Administrator see a number of shortcuts, all of which correspond with
of your PC you may want the items on the Send To menu.
to restrict other users’
access to the options
under the Send To menu.
Log into their account More or less anything can be added to this menu.
then use the process 2 Add a folder shortcut simply by right-clicking
described to access their
Send To folder, then within the Send To folder and choosing New > Shortcut.
delete the items you wish Then you can browse to the folder you wish to add and
to remove.
click on OK.
You can also add a link to a CD or DVD writer.

3 Open My Computer and the Send To folder.
Adjust the windows so you can see both at the same
time, then drag the CD or DVD drive from My Computer
to the Send To folder to create a new shortcut.

CFG03.chp_05 5/29/03 6:56 PM Page 55
InputDevices c
More right-click tricks
Add Copy To and Move To options to the
right-click menu by editing the registry
his involves registry editing
T but it’s worthwhile. Open the

Registry Editor: click on Start
> Run, type ‘regedit’ and press If you want to try out a tip
that involves a registry
[Enter]. Find HKEY_CLASSES_ shortcut you can
ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ bookmark the area of the
registry you were working
ContextMenuHandlers. Right-click on so it’s easy to find the
ContextMenuHandlers, select New next time you return. In
> Key and call it Copy To. Repeat the Registry Editor, locate
the key you need, then
the process, this time creating a key Edit the registry and add two time-saving click on Favorites > Add
called Move To. Click Copy To, then options to the right-click menu. to Favorites.
in the right pane, right-click on for the Move To key but give this
Default, choose Modify and give it a value of {C2FBB631-2971-11D1-
the value {C2FBB630-2971-11D1- A18C-00C04FD75D13}. And there's
A18C-00C04FD75D13}. Do the same more right-click tricks below.
. Clear the mass of untidy icons on your desktop in an instant by

right-clicking, selecting Arrange Icons By and unchecking the
option Show Desktop Icons. Before making any
changes you should
. Take an image from a web page and save it for use as your ensure that you have
made a note of the
desktop wallpaper. Right-click the image, choose Save as, and then original settings before
select the new image under the Desktop tab in Display Properties. you change them. The
System Restore tool
. Right-click a blank space in a folder and choose the View should be active in case
you experience any major
option to change the layout of files and folders. Choose anything problems as a result of
but List view and you can right-click to select ‘Arrange icons by’ the alterations.
and choose ‘Show in groups’.

. Personalise the layout toolbar in My Computer or Windows
Explorer by right-clicking on it and choosing Customize.
. Contact details of anyone who has sent you an email
message can easily be saved by right-clicking the name of the
recipient in the email and choosing Add to Address Book.

CFG03.chp_05 5/29/03 6:56 PM Page 56
l Chapter5
Symbol Commander
No more double-clicks required – execute
tasks just by moving the mouse
e’ve already seen how be launched; a letter E will start
The trial version of

Symbol Commander is
W right-clicking the mouse
and using shortcuts can
help speed up the way you work.
Microsoft Excel. But this is not just
about launching applications – you
can also perform everyday Windows
on your cover disc.
For even more convenience you can tasks as well. The letter N will create
install Symbol Commander from the a new document in whatever
cover disc. Rather than use menus application you’re using. When
and shortcuts to launch an you’re browsing the internet, draw a
application or perform a task, with horizontal line to the left and you
this clever program all it takes is a can go back to the page you were on
quick move of the mouse – simply before; draw one to the right and
move the pointer to correspond with you can go forward a page. Symbol
a particular shape. For example, hold Commander is fully configurable –
down the right mouse button, draw you can set preferences for each
the letter W and Microsoft Word will symbol that’s drawn.
Symbol Commander is ready to use immediately

1 after installation. Click on the program icon in the
system tray. In front of you will be all the symbols that
Each symbol drawn with are available for use. It doesn’t matter which program is
the mouse is fully open, hold the right mouse button and draw a symbol.
configurable. You’re not
stuck with the
applications and tasks
that are activated. The program is very forgiving. The shape you
Double-click a symbol 2 draw doesn’t have to be geometrically perfect.
and choose the action
you’d like it to perform. However, you can adjust the sensitivity by clicking on
the Main Menu button and selecting Preferences. You’ll
also be able to change the button used for drawing.
Although drawn symbols can’t be changed, you

3 can alter the tasks they perform. For example, by
default email is set to launch Hotmail. Double-click the
email symbol in the main program window to configure
another program such as Outlook or Outlook Express.

CFG03.chp_05 5/29/03 6:57 PM Page 57
InputDevices c
Game Controllers
Play time will be much more enjoyable if
there’s a suitable game device to hand
dding a game controller to
A your system is as easy as

installing any other hardware
device. Plug-and-play should kick in If the game you’re playing
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=/support/kb/articles/q191/8/49.asp
is having problems
as soon as everything is hooked up. detecting your USB game
Windows XP will recognise a USB controller, go to the
Microsoft support
device and anything plugged into the website, where you’ll find
gameport on your soundcard. Should step-by-step instructions
you experience any problems with for solving the problem.
installation, open Game Controllers Add a ‘custom’ game controller if your device
in Control Panel and click on Add. isn’t one of those listed.
From the list of devices select the characteristics. Click on OK then OK

description that matches your to add your controller. Once you’ve
controller. If you don’t see it listed, done this, click on Properties to
click on Custom and define its perform the calibration process.
. Hardware not withstanding, for best performance in gaming

ensure that you have the most up-to-date drivers installed for your
graphics card along with the latest version of DirectX.
. Use approved drivers for your gaming device. A driver that’s
gone through the rigorous testing of the Windows Hardware Quality
Labs will not affect system stability.
. Configuration of every button and controller on your gaming
www.microsoft.com/hardware/sidewinder
For the ultimate in game

device can be carried out within Control Panel. controllers go to the
Sidewinder website. Here
. System crashes while playing a game point to an incorrect you’ll find all the latest
configuration. Check that the settings for your graphics card are not product information on
the full range of
too high. Next, try the graphics configuration the game suggests. Sidewinder joysticks,
wheels and gamepads.
. Problems running older games can usually be overcome.
In My Computer, locate the executable file for the game, right-click
on it and choose the Compatibility tab. Under Compatibility mode
choose an alternative operating system and click on OK.

CFG03.chp_06 29/5/03 6:35 pm Page 58
Chapter6
l InitialPreferences
Time, Date, Folder and Font options will probably be
your least-used Control Panel icons
F
or the most part, the date, time
and language settings won’t be
areas of the Control Panel that
Yes you can… you use on a regular basis. Usually, one

visit here is all it that’s required, unless
, Choose how date, time you want to take advantage of the
and currency should be additional options on offer. The setting
displayed
you’re most likely to want to change is
, Add new input
the clock that appears in the system
languages to
Windows XP tray. If you find that it’s gaining or losing Page 61 Synchronise your PC clock for
time it’s straightforward enough to greater accuracy
, Make changes to the
way folders are correct. Within the regional and
displayed language settings you’ll be able to
, Learn how to install adjust exactly how the measurements
new fonts for numbers, dates and time are
displayed. For example, do you want the
time displayed in 24-hour format?
Should the date be in long or short
Project time... format? You have the facility to
personalise Microsoft Windows XP to
90 mins
your exact requirements. Another useful
option enables you to change the input
Page 62 Install and use voice
recognition with Microsoft Word
language that’s being used, or add an
additional one. Over the coming pages
More Info we’ll look be looking at all these settings
Page 63 Use a graphics tablet and pen

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=177561
as an alternative input method

CFG03.chp_06 29/5/03 6:35 pm Page 59
InitialPreferences c
in more detail, as well as focusing on

alternative ways of inputting information
into your PC. For example, from within Text
Services and Input Languages you can set
an alternative to the keyboard and
InitialPreferences
configure your PC to use voice recognition
or a graphics tablet and pen.
Folders and fonts

We conclude this chapter with an overview Page 64 Install and use multiple
of the Folder Options and Fonts icons. Both languages in Windows XP
of these have a great deal of influence over
the way in which Windows XP looks and
behaves. For example, Folder Options
enables you to display common tasks on
the left side of your folders, giving you easy
access to commands such as copy, rename
and move. Decide how much information
your folders display and whether or not
system folders should be on view or remain
hidden. Although Fonts is one of those
Page 66 How to work with folders and
Control Panel icons that will probably change file associations
remain untouched, it’s worth understanding
more about the way it works should it ever
be necessary to perform tasks such as the
installation or removal of fonts.
Page 67 How to download and install

new fonts for Windows XP
CFG03.chp_06 29/5/03 6:35 pm Page 60
l Chapter6
Number display
Changing currency, date and time in
Windows XP
he appearance of the clock in displayed differently. For example, if
Make the Euro symbol

appear by using either
T your system tray is just one
item that can be changed
using the settings under the Regional
you would like to use imperial rather
than metric measurements, then
under the Numbers tab click on the
of these shortcuts:
and Language Options icon. Under drop-down box next to Measurement
[Alt]+0128 (on number ‘Standards and formats’ you’ll see system and choose U.S. To change
pad) or [Ctrl]+[Alt]+4.
that each country has its own the default 24-hour style of the
specific layout for numbers, system tray clock, select the Time
currencies and so on. You may not tab and choose an alternative under
like all the default layout choices Time Format. The English (United
that English (United Kingdom) has, Kingdom) layout is set to use the
but you can click on Customize to Pound symbol as standard. However,
change them. There are four tabs: if you want to work with the Euro
Numbers, Currency, Time and Date. symbol instead, you can change this
Amend any items you’d like to be under the Currency tab.
Location, location, location

The country setting you choose will help personalise web content
At the bottom of the Regional Options tab you’ll see
Location. Some online services, such as MSN, make
different information available to you depending on the
country you live in. In some cases they make this
decision based on the country that you have selected in
this option. The country that appears in this setting will
normally be the same as the one above in Standards and
Formats. However, if you live in the UK but want to keep
up with news and developments in, say, Spain then you Keep up with news from abroad by
can select your alternative country under Location. changing the geographical location.
www.msn.co.uk

CFG03.chp_06 29/5/03 6:35 pm Page 61
Time management
Configuring your system clock in
aving the clock visible in link. In this instance, double-click
H your system tray is extremely

useful. Unfortunately
however, it’s not uncommon for your
the clock in the system tray in order
to display Date and Time Properties.
Click on Update Now to check and Your taskbar can also
display the current date
PC’s clock to gain or lose time. To synchronise with the time server. In as well as the time. First
ensure greater accuracy, Time the server drop-down box you have right-click on it and make
sure it’s not locked. Next
Synchronisation was introduced in the choice of two different servers: click on the taskbar and
Windows XP. If you have this option time.microsoft.com and drag it up so it’s twice its
enabled, Windows XP will time.nist.gov. If one fails, try the normal height. You’ll now
see the time and date.
synchronise your PC clock with an other. You’ll be informed when your
internet time server once a week. clocks have been successfully
While this is ideal for anyone with a synchronised. It’s important to note
continuous connection, such as that your date settings must be
ADSL or cable, the synchronisation correct or the process will fail to
may not occur if you have a dial-up work properly.
You can increase your synchronisation options by

1 adding more time servers to the Internet Time tab
in Date and Time Properties. To do this you’ll need to
edit the registry. Click on Start > Run, type ‘regedit’ and Use the Breitling World
www.breitling.com/en/misc/bwt
then click on OK. Time utility to calculate
world time and convert
measurement units and
currencies in an instant.
In the Registry Editor, go to HKEY_LOCAL_
2 MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\DateTime\Servers. In the right-hand
pane you’ll see details of the current time servers
displayed in Windows XP.
To add another time server, right-click in the right-

3 hand pane, create a new String Value and label it
with the next number in the sequence. Right-click this
new item and choose Modify. Under ‘Value data’, enter
the URL of the new time server.

CFG03.chp_06 29/5/03 6:35 pm Page 62
l Chapter6
Talk to your PC
Composing letters and documents in
Microsoft Word using voice recognition
ll of the Microsoft Office 2002 with a USB connection is
The text you dictate can

also be formatted by
A suite of products (including
Microsoft Word 2002) come
complete with their own voice
recommended and, obviously, you
should go for the best quality you
can afford. Another feature you
voice. You can add
recognition capabilities. So instead should look out for is Gain
punctuation, symbols and of typing out letters or completing Adjustment. This enables you to
characters by speaking
into the microphone.
spreadsheets by hand you’ll be able play around with microphone
to talk to your PC and all the hard amplification and adjust the input
work will be done for you. There’s sound level to suit your voice.
no need for any third-party software But you shouldn’t view speech
either. All you’ll need to enable your recognition as a complete
computer to understand your voice replacement for your keyboard –
is a microphone and headset – well not just yet anyway. However,
everything else is included with your combining the two will help you
Microsoft Office application. A set work smarter and faster.
To install speech recognition, start by opening

1 Regional and Language Options, then select the
Languages tab and click on Details. Under Installed
The more you use the services, click on Add then check the Speech option
voice recognition feature and click on OK.
the more accurate it will
become. Make use of the
training feature and
dictate as much as Open your Office application (Word, for example)
possible to help the 2 then click on Tools and select Speech. If the
speech engine to
understand your voice. speech recognition engine has been pre-installed the
Language Bar will be displayed. If it hasn’t you’ll be
prompted for your Office XP installation disc.
Once installation is finished you need to complete

3 the Voice Training Wizard. The first part of this
helps you set up and position your microphone. The
next requires you to read sentences and passages of
text so the Speech engine can learn to understand you.

CFG03.chp_06 29/5/03 6:35 pm Page 63
Handwriting Recognition
Use a graphics tablet and pen and
Microsoft Word will read your handwriting
sing Handwriting Recognition although it won’t work in the
U you can input handwritten

text onto your PC. The
Handwriting Recognition engine will
program’s address bar. Handwriting
Recognition is also compatible with
Outlook Express so you can use it to If you need to insert
custom shapes or
then convert whatever you’ve compose email messages. But symbols into your
written into typed characters. If you although handwriting input is document, use Drawing
Pad. It’s a basic drawing
have Microsoft Word 2002 or another possible using your mouse (hold the tool that enables you to
compatible program, you can insert left button down while you form create a simple design
your handwriting as ‘ink’ instead of words) it’s going to be far easier to freehand and include it in
your document. You can
type. This method displays your text use a digital pen and tablet. You also insert picture and
in the document exactly how it was should easily be able to pick up graphic files from this
dialogue window.
written. You’ll be able to use something that’s adequate for the
Handwriting Recognition in Internet job for less than £100, and with
Explorer to enter information in text Office XP or one of its products, such
boxes that appear on websites, as Word 2002, that’s all you need.
The installation process is similar to that of the

1 speech recognition feature. Activate first through
the Regional and Language Options icon in Control
Panel. Keep your Office XP application CD to hand as Rather than convert your
this may be required if the feature wasn’t pre-installed. written words into type
you can click on the Ink
button within Writing Pad
or Write Anywhere and
When you first use this tool it’s inevitably going to your actual handwriting
2 take some time to get used to it – and for it to get will appear in your
document instead of it
used to you. Errors will crop up initially. Try to write being transformed into
clearly in your normal, joined-up style using capital typed text.
letters and punctuation.
Should any mistakes appear while you type, just

3 highlight the error and click on the correction
button. A list of alternative words and letter sequences
will be displayed and you should be able to select the
ones you intended from there.

CFG03.chp_06 29/5/03 6:35 pm Page 64
l Chapter6
Mind your language
How to use the Language bar in
nce you’ve added another button becomes available under
If you’re working with

more than one language
O input method, the Language
bar appears on your desktop.
This floating toolbar will also appear
Preferences. Click on this for four
options that enable you to control
the appearance and behaviour of the
Word 2002 has a tool
if you add an additional input Language Bar. If you’ve chosen not
that enables you to language. To try this out, open the to display the Language Bar you can
translate words or
sections of text. Select
Text Services and Input Languages switch between input languages
this by clicking on Tools, dialogue window. Under Installed using keyboard shortcuts. To do this
then Language. You may Services, click on Add and choose click on Key Settings. The default
need your installation CD
to hand if the feature French. This will appear on the sequence to switch between two
wasn’t installed originally. Language Bar along with English languages is [Alt]+[Shift], although
(United Kingdom). Then you simply it’s possible to customise this by
click on the language you want to clicking on the Change Key
use. Once additional services have Sequence button and choosing a
been added, the Language Bar new shortcut there.
Add another language

How to input using another language
It’s possible to perform a variety of tasks in Windows XP using
different languages. However, as a user of the Home Edition you’ll
only be able to view menus and dialogue boxes in English. The
facility to use another language on the interface is available only to
corporate users via the Multilingual User Interface Pack (MUI).
This is an add-on to the English version of the Professional
Edition. Although as a home user you can’t change the language
of the interface there is still multilingual support available. Use the
Regional and Language Options to alter the configuration and you You can work with more
can start to input information in another language, write new than one language.
documents, send email and browse web pages.

CFG03.chp_06 29/5/03 6:35 pm Page 65
Managing languages
Learning how to work with multiple
languages in Microsoft Windows XP
ou need to be aware that
Y using an additional input

language in Windows XP will
affect the layout of your keyboard. When you start using a
new language, your
It’s likely that your new choice will keyboard layout will
have its own letters and symbols. change. Use the [Alt] key
plus the letter keys to
Depending on the language you’ve insert idiomatic symbols
chosen the main letter keys will for languages other than
probably remain unchanged, but it’s the one you’re using.
likely that there will be changes in Use the Translate tool in Word 2002 when
functionality when you use the working with multiple languages.
[Shift] and [Alt] keys. For example, you’ve made the language bar
when you press [Shift]+[F3] you visible, switching from one language
probably won’t see the Pound to the other to get the items you
symbol you’re used to. However, if need won’t be difficult.
. Features that you take for granted in Word (for example the
dictionary) will also be available in another language. You can install
a new dictionary as well as the auto correct function.
www.google.com/language_tools
With Google you can
enter the URL of a foreign
. There’s no point typing in Spanish while the English auto language website and
convert its page contents
correct function is turned on. Click on Tools > Language > Set into English.
Language and choose between the two.
. Word can detect each language as it’s typed. In Tools >
Language > Set Language, check the option labelled ‘Detect
language automatically’.
. Grammar tools and language pack updates are available for
free download at http://office.microsoft.com/downloads.
. Working with two or more languages can be confusing at
times. To help make things clearer, open Word and click on Tools >
Language > Translate to find out exactly what a particular word or
passage of text means.

CFG03.chp_06 29/5/03 6:35 pm Page 66
l Chapter6
Folder options
Managing the appearance and behaviour
of your folders
he Folder Options icon gives this tab you can choose to use
The default view in

Windows XP won’t show
T you access to the same
settings that are available in
any Windows Explorer or My
single- or double-clicks to access
items. Under the View tab you’ll find
more advanced settings. You can use
your file extensions. To
Computer window. Under the ‘Folder views’ to apply the
make these visible select General tab you’ll find display and characteristics of one folder to all the
the View tab, scroll down
the list and remove the
behaviour settings. In Tasks, the others on your system. The list of
tick from ‘Hide extensions default is the Windows XP view with check boxes under ‘Advanced
for known file types’. Click its list of common tasks, but you can settings’ controls a number of
on Apply, then OK, to
reveal the three-letter set the alternative option and go different features, including the
extensions of your files. back to using the Windows Classic visibility of important system files
view. With ‘Browse folders’ you can and folders. These are hidden from
choose to open folders in the same view by default, although it may be
window or open a new one each necessary for you to access them
time. From the remaining option on from time to time.
File types
Set the default applications for each of your file types
Whenever a new application is installed there’s a chance that it
will make itself the default application for certain file types.
Taking music files as an example, by default, Windows Media
Player will play your MP3s. However, install an alternative media
player and there’s a good chance it will make itself number one
and take over as the default application for playing those files.
In some cases applications will ask you to confirm if they
should be set as the default, but others aren’t so polite and will
just go ahead and take over the job. From the File Types tab Do not alter the settings of
you’ll be able to choose exactly which application will open your system files.
when a particular file type is double-clicked.

CFG03.chp_06 29/5/03 6:35 pm Page 67
Fonts folder
Viewing and installing new fonts in
indows XP comes with an on Fonts to open the folder. Then
W impressively large
selection of fonts for you
double-click on any font to check out
its style with the numerical and
www.microsoft.com/typography
to use in your applications. But you textual preview. One item you are There’s much more to
fonts than meets the eye.
won’t ever be limited by this choice, sure to find particularly useful in the At the Microsoft
because whenever a new piece of Fonts folder is the Similarity button. typography website you’ll
find out more about
software is installed on your PC it Click on this and then select a font creating your own fonts,
too will add its own fonts to your name from the drop-down box and along with copyright and
Fonts folder. Even after you’ve your list of fonts will be rearranged licensing issues.
finished using such a program and and displayed in order of similarity.

have uninstalled it from your system If you want to see all your fonts
the fonts it brought with it are likely together and compare several at a
to remain. This is because each font time, then use Microsoft Word,
is in fact a file in its own right. Go which is great for previewing all the
into Control Panel and double-click different styles.
New fonts
Download and install free fonts from the internet
You’ll find plenty of new font styles on the internet. 1001
free fonts is one of dozens of websites offering fonts that
are free to download and use. All fonts are listed
alphabetically. Just click on the A-Z listing to access
more. Most of the fonts you download will be
compressed in a zip folder. You have to unzip this folder
and extract its contents to a safe location. Next, open
Control Panel and double-click on the Fonts icon. Click
on File > Install New Font, browse to the location of the Use the recommended installation
font file and click on OK to install it. technique with any new fonts.
www.1001freefonts.com

CFG03.chp_07 29/5/03 6:56 pm Page 68
Chapter7
l AudioRave
Sounds and Audio Devices and Speech
A
ll the sounds you hear in
Microsoft Windows XP are
made possible by the
Yes you can… soundcard you have installed on your

PC. Audio settings are controlled
, Assign sounds to through two icons in the Control Panel:
system events Sounds and Audio Devices and Speech.
, Set levels for audio Any action or event that takes place on
input and output
your system which requires audio will
, Manage speech have its roots in these settings. Whether Page 70 Change the master volume
recognition profiles
it’s the master volume for the CD that controls in Windows XP
, Use Narrator and get you’re playing or the sound you hear
your PC to talk back
when a new email arrives, configuration
of these items, and more, is at your
fingertips. Your soundcard is also
capable of recording sound as well as
playing it. Depending on the complexity
of your device you’ll be able to set levels
Project time... for Line In and Mic volume. You can
make sure your playback and recording
60 mins
hardware is functioning correctly by
using the Sound Hardware Test Wizard.
Page 71 Use sound schemes and
control program event audio notifications
Notification sounds
More Info Notification sounds play all the time
while you’re using your PC. There’s the
click-click sound you hear while
browsing the web; the dull beep that
Page 72 Create and edit your own WAV

files for use as sound events
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/default.asp

CFG03.chp_07 29/5/03 6:56 pm Page 69
AudioRave c
sounds to inform you that a mouse or

keyboard action you’ve attempted isn’t
possible. Some people find these audio
notifications helpful and informative, while
for others they only serve to annoy. Using
the settings in Sounds and Audio Devices,
you can customise what is played and
when. It’s possible to set your own sounds
for specific events or ‘theme’ your audio by
choosing a sound scheme. Page 73 Managing and training Speech
Recognition profiles in Windows XP
Text to speech
We covered speech recognition in an earlier
chapter. The Speech icon controls two
different settings. A growing number of
AudioRave
applications now use a process called ‘Text
to speech’. This is where your computer
plays back text as spoken words. The voice
that’s used and its output quality is
controlled here. Each person that uses this
feature will have their own profile, and
Page 75 Use Narrator to convey the
details of these profiles are stored here. contents of your screen display
Correct audio settings are essential for
speech recognition to work correctly so it’s
important to use the configuration options
here to get the levels right. Also, the
accuracy of the speech recognition engine
will only improve if you practice using the
Train Profile option.
Page 76 Control audio quality in

Windows Media Player 9 series
CFG03.chp_07 29/5/03 6:56 pm Page 70
l Chapter7
Setting sound
Configuring your Sounds and Audio
Devices Properties
onfiguration of the audio on the Advanced button to display
If you’re not sure where to

C input and output for your
system is done under Sounds
and Audio Devices. You can control
all the other settings for your
soundcard. Click on Options and if
Advanced isn’t greyed out you can
www.dolby.com/ht/Guide.HomeTheater.0110.html#chapter3
position your speaker

system to best effect,
volume from within a media player, fine-tune output by adjusting
help is at hand courtesy but the master volume control is settings for Bass and Treble. Click on
of Dolby, where you’ll see
plenty of diagrams and
here. The chances are that your the Advanced button under Speaker
examples of layouts. soundcard is only playing to half its Settings and choose the Speaker
potential loudness because of its setup that corresponds with your
default setting. Under Device system. This enables Windows XP to
volume, move the slider to High to maximise audio output for your
get the maximum output. Check the system configuration. Check the
box ‘Place volume icon in the settings under the Performance tab
taskbar’ so that the master volume and ensure that they are set to Full
setting is close to hand. Next click and Best, respectively.
Audio and Voice Settings

Understanding Control Panel audio settings
Windows XP sets the device it considers to be the default used for all
playback and recording that takes place. But depending on the type
of hardware you have installed and how your system is configured
you may have more than one device available to you. Under the
Audio tab you have the opportunity to choose which one you would
like to use for both recording and playback of audio. Click on the
drop-down boxes to see if there is an alternative. The Voice tab
specifies the hardware and volume control settings used for voice
playback and recording. At the bottom you’ll see the Test hardware You can fine-tune your
option. This launches the Sound Hardware Test Wizard which is audio settings.
extremely useful for making sure everything is working OK.

CFG03.chp_07 29/5/03 6:56 pm Page 71
AudioRave c
Sound events
Assign a sound to a program event and hear
Windows XP in action
ertain actions performed in possible program events. Therefore,
C Windows XP trigger a small

sound file to be played.
Program events such as new email
if you want to hear more sound
notifications you’ll need to select one
from the drop-down box. Choose
http://audacity.soundforge.net/windows.php?lamg=en
You can personalise
program event notification
arriving in your inbox, logging off, from the conservative sounds of the sounds by adding your
trying to do something that can’t be Windows Default scheme, or go wild own from Audacity.
done, or emptying the Recycle Bin all with Jungle sounds. Having selected
have their own sounds. Using Sound the scheme you want to use, take the
Schemes, you’ll be able to apply a time to have a good look at the
whole set of sounds to the events Program events listed underneath.
that take place on your system. Go through each event one at a time
Although you’re probably used to and you’ll see details of the file
hearing notification sounds already that’s being used for each of them.
in Windows XP, by default there’s no Click on the black arrow button to
sound scheme in place covering all hear a preview.
Sound schemes
Personalise Windows XP and give it a uniform sound theme
Having chosen a particular scheme, you’re not stuck with
the sounds that it uses for all program events. There may
be one or two that you wish to change – for example you
may not want to hear a sound being played each time
Windows XP starts up. That’s no problem; in the Program
events list below, scroll down to Start Windows then click
on the Sounds drop-down box and select None. Using
this same technique you can choose an alternative
sound from a program event. Remember that you can Choose a new sound scheme for
preview it before deciding to use it. Windows XP program events.
www.microsoft.com/enable/training/windowsxp/soundscheme.htm

CFG03.chp_07 29/5/03 6:56 pm Page 72
l Chapter7
Creating sounds
Personalise sounds events in Windows XP
by creating your own WAV files
hen a sound is played to
The excellent Audacity

W indicate a program event it
makes use of one of the
many WAV files that are stored on
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/windows.php?lang=en
is a complete WAV file

authoring tool and is
your hard drive. But although there’s
ideal for creating sounds a good selection available, you may
for use as program
event notifications.
be looking to personalise your
system and use non-standard
sounds. The web is a good source of The easy-to-use interface makes editing WAV
files very straightforward.
files but even better still is having
the opportunity to make your own. and there are plenty of useful tools
Using Audacity on the cover disc at your disposal. You will also be
you’ll be able to create and edit WAV able to record directly into the
files. The program’s straightforward program using a microphone, or
interface makes it simple to edit files other line input device.
. Edit one or both channels of your WAV file. Wait until the mouse
pointer displays the letter L or R (left or right) before clicking and
making changes to a single channel.
. Visually edit your WAV file using tools such as Cut, Copy and
The only file type that Paste to remove and add sections to the track. You can also mix
Audacity works with is
WAV files. If you want to two WAV files to achieve more effect.
make use of sound
captured in MP3 or WMA . Apply effects to different sections of the WAV file. For
files you’ll need to convert example, you can amplify one part and silence another. You can
them first.
also fade in and out, and even reverse a track.
. Any music files that you have on your PC in WAV format can be
edited and used to create new sounds for any program events that
take place.
. Attach your microphone and make voice recordings to
personalise program events. For example, record phrases such as
‘You have mail’, ‘The system is closing down’ and so on.

CFG03.chp_07 29/5/03 6:56 pm Page 73
AudioRave c
Speech Recognition
Managing your Speech Recognition Profiles
and audio levels
e have already looked at drop-down box to see if you have
W how speech recognition

can be installed and used
in applications. Installation of this
any alternatives. For greater accuracy
you’ll need to ensure that your audio
input levels are at their best. Click Practice makes perfect.
If you plan to use speech
feature is in part handled through on Configure Microphone to launch recognition as a major
Regional and Language Options. the Microphone Wizard and read out input method, set aside
time to train your profile
However, the audio settings for the the sample text. When you’re happy and improve the
input and output devices, along with with the volume level, click on Next. accuracy of speech-to-
playback and recording accuracy, are If you’re using a microphone text conversion.
dealt with under the Speech headset, the next piece of text helps
Recognition tab of Speech Properties. you position the headset so that it
It’s likely that you’ll only have one doesn’t sound like you’re blowing
speech recognition engine installed into the mic. Once you’ve made your
on your system and that’s what’s adjustments, click on Finish to close
listed under Language. Click on the the wizard.
Recognition Profiles
Managing and training speech recognition profiles
Each person using Speech Recognition has their own
profile. The recognition engine uses profiles to ensure
that speech is converted to text more accurately. This
option is also useful for people who use speech
recognition on their laptops while in different locations.
The background noise at the home and office is going to
differ so setting up a profile for each place will help
accuracy. The more you use speech recognition the
better the results will be. Set some time aside to use the Train your profile by reading excerpts
Train Profile option. Here you’ll read passages of text and from The War of the Worlds by HG Wells.
help the engine learn the idiosyncrasies of your voice.

CFG03.chp_07 29/5/03 6:56 pm Page 74
l Chapter7
Text-to-speech
Sit back and listen while your computer
talks to you
he other tab in Speech Speech tab you can select the
You can start having fun

T Properties controls the options
for text-to-speech translation.
This is the process whereby the
character you would like to hear
when items are read out to you.
The default choice is Microsoft Sam.
http://readplease.com
with text-to-speech
straight away thanks to
written word on screen is converted Depending on your system, and the
ReadPlease 2003 on the into the spoken word, albeit using an text-to-speech engine that you have
disc. This program will
read the contents of your
electronic voice. This has useful installed, you may or may not have
email and web pages. applications for those who make use access to other characters. Click on
Just select the text that of the accessibility features in Preview Voice to help you decide
you would like read out
and the program does Windows XP. For those with which one you should choose. If
the rest. impaired vision, the text-to-speech you’re having trouble understanding
engine can convey the contents of a what the character is saying, use the
document or screen of information slider to adjust the voice speed. If
so that it can be more easily you’re still not happy, choose a
understood. Under the Text To different character.
Install ReadPlease from the cover disc and then

1 launch the program from the All Program Menu.
This clever utility will read out any text that you see on
Check out the website for screen. Click on Play for a quick demonstration of its
www.microsoft.com/speech
www.microsoft.com/enable
Windows speech impressive capabilities.

technologies, with news
and information, and also
the website for
accessibility information. ReadPlease will read the text from items such as
2 web pages, emails and word processing
documents. All you need to do is highlight the passage
of text that you would like read out, paste it into
ReadPlease and click on OK.
You can change the voice that reads out your text
3 by clicking on the arrow underneath the image in
the program window. Choose from two male or two
female voices and adjust the speed at which the voice
will play back.

CFG03.chp_07 29/5/03 6:57 pm Page 75
AudioRave c
Using Narrator
Let Windows XP tell you everything that’s
happening on screen
ost users with special needs pretty much sums up the way in
M will probably require their

own specialised programs
on a daily basis. However, the
which the program works. It uses
the Text To Speech engine to give
you a description of the contents of a Launch the Narrator tool
by holding down the
options available in the Accessibility window, menu options, or any text [Win] key and pressing U.
tools go some way to helping people that you type. Furthermore, you can This will launch the Utility
Manager first. Click on
get as much use as possible out of specify which items you would like this to launch Narrator
their computer. One such utility in to hear details of. For example, new and then follow the
Windows XP is Narrator. This will windows, menus and shortcut instructions on screen.
read back to the user full details of menus can all be read out loud as
what’s on screen. It’s ideal for soon as they are displayed. You can
anyone with impaired vision as well also set Narrator so that the mouse
as those who would benefit from a pointer moves around the screen
running commentary of all the tasks automatically and points to the
they perform. The name Narrator active item.
Program options
Configure Narrator to work the way that’s best for you
In the Narrator dialogue box you have four options.
‘Announce events on screen’ gives you an audible
description of the current window. For example, in an
open browser window displaying a Google search page,
Narrator reads out a description of the title along with
your search criteria. ‘Read typed characters’ reads back
every key you press – ideal for slower or inaccurate
typists. ‘Move mouse pointer to the active item’ clarifies
actions made. ‘Start Narrator minimized’ will ensure that Narrator uses the Text to Speech engine
the dialogue window is out of sight while the program is to verbally convey your screen contents.
in use and stops it from cluttering up the toolbar.

CFG03.chp_07 29/5/03 6:57 pm Page 76
l Chapter7
Making noise
Make the most of your audio settings with
the new Windows Media Player
aving adjusted your speakers
H and configured your master

controls in Sounds and Audio
Devices, your volume settings, along
www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/bonuspack.aspx
The full Windows Media

Bonus Pack is 18.2MB
and is available as a free
with treble and bass, are no doubt
download. If that’s too big now pitch-perfect. You just know
for you, there’s a link they’re going to sound good in
where you can choose
the components you Windows Media Player. But before
want to download. you start playing your favourite
tracks, make sure they sound their Do your soundcard justice – play your favourite
best by upgrading to Windows tracks back using Windows Media Player.
Media Player 9 series. The upgrade is everything you need to enjoy sound
free but at the same time why not and vision to the full and it will put
use the Windows Media Bonus Pack a number of excellent new features
as well? This free add-on contains right at your fingertips.
. Plus! MP3 Audio Converter will take all your existing MP3 files
and convert them to the WMA format. This uses a different kind of
compression and can cut file sizes by around 50%.
. Power Toys for Windows Media Player do away with the need
to edit the registry. This add-on simplifies the process of making
otherwise complex adjustments.
. Additional stunning visualisations that brighten up your
Upgrading to Windows
display, change colour, and move in time with the track that’s
Media Player 9 series currently being played.
couldn’t be simpler. Open
your current player and . Make over Windows Media Player with brand new skins.
click on Help > Check
For Player Updates to get Personalise the outward appearance without the loss of any of the
the latest version. player’s functionality.
. Movie Maker Creativity Kit is a vast collection of sound
effects, music loops, clips, videos and titles that will all combine
to make your home videos even more memorable.

CFG03.chp_07 29/5/03 6:57 pm Page 77
AudioRave c
Control audio quality
Fine-tune audio quality when playing back
music in Windows Media Player 9 series
e’ve already seen how you
W can configure the master

volume controls by
adjusting the settings under Sounds In Options select the
Copy Music tab and use
and Audio Devices. However, when the slider to adjust the
you’re playing back a music file or sound quality of the
music you record in
CD in Windows Media Player you’ll Windows Media Player.
want to fine-tune the sound so that Lower quality recordings
it’s just right. When you play a track will take up less space.
the Graphic Equalizer settings will Take advantage of all the new audio settings in
appear. If you’re not sure what levels Media Player 9 series.
to use, click on the Preset option and slider that enables you to adjust left
choose a music genre type to set the and right speaker output. See the
levels automatically. To the right of box below for further details on
the Graphic Equalizer is the balance more audio adjustments.
. Recorded music may play at the wrong speed. Click on the

arrow next to Graphic Equalizer and skip to Play Speed Settings.
Move the slider in small increments until you get the right sound. You can change the
colour of the Windows
. Skip to the next setting: Quiet Mode. Click on ‘Turn on’ and Media Player interface by
clicking on the brush
switch between Medium and Little Difference as an experiment to button in the bottom right
remove the harshness from playback. corner of the screen.
. Enhance the quality of your audio using the next option: SRS
WOW Effects. Give your playback a deep rich bass sound by
adjusting the TruBass and WOW Effect sliders.
. More information and demonstrations of what can be
achieved using SRS WOW Effects can be found at
www.srslabs.com/demonstrations.asp.
. Crossfading and AutoVolume Levelling enables you to set the
interval at which you want the next track to fade in before the
previous one has completely finished.

CFG03.chp_08 30/5/03 3:18 pm Page 78
Chapter8
l OnlineSettings
Internet Options, Network Connections,
Phone and Modem Options
T
oday’s PC is no longer an island.
Whether you’re connecting to
the internet, a LAN at work, or
Yes you can… just hooking up two PCs at home you’ll

find all the settings you need in Control
, Set up a new internet Panel to successfully manage all
connection aspects of your connection. It’s Network
, Optimise dial-up and Connections that’s used to make and
broadband settings
maintain all these external links. Each
, Configure internet will have its own icon from where it will Page 80 Getting hooked up is easy with
options for privacy
be fully configurable. An important new the Network Connections Wizard
, Activate the Internet addition to Microsoft Windows XP is the
Connection Firewall
Internet Connection Firewall. If you
don’t use any other kind of online
protection it’s strongly recommended
that you activate this feature for all your
net connections. We’ll look at this in
more detail over the coming pages.
Project time...
Connectivity
45 mins
Broadband may be the latest buzzword
but even if you already have a
Page 81 Stay safe online and use the
Internet Connection Firewall
broadband connection, the chances are
that your PC still has a normal dial-up
More Info modem installed as well. In addition to
being an ideal backup for your new
high-speed link, it also doubles as a fax
machine, something your cable or ADSL
Page 82 Optimise the settings of your

www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/using/howto/default.asp
dial-up modem

CFG03.chp_08 30/5/03 3:18 pm Page 79
OnlineSettings c
modem won’t be capable of. Phone and

Modem Options will show details of your
installed modem and will give you the
opportunity to test it and make sure that it’s
working correctly. And if you are using a
dial-up modem to connect to the internet
Page 83 Your essential browser
there’s a good chance that your settings settings explained and configured
aren’t optimised for speed. We’ll also be
looking at the various ways in which you
OnlineSettings
can tweak your internet connection for
optimum performance.
Internet Options
The Internet Options icon will display
exactly the same details as those that are
available from with Internet Explorer.
Information about the web pages you’ve
Page 84 Make use of your History to
visited along with the temporary internet speed up browsing
files and cookies that are stored on your
computer can be accessed from here. As
well as elements of browser configuration
there are settings that cover your security
and privacy while you use the internet. Your
enjoyment of all that the internet has to
offer is paramount but this must be
tempered with caution, as there are rogue
websites that try to take advantage of
poorly protected PCs. All this and more is
covered in detail in this chapter. Page 85 Remove spyware from your
system and maintain your privacy
CFG03.chp_08 30/5/03 3:18 pm Page 80
l Chapter8
Net connections
Internet and network connections are easily
configurable from within Control Panel
ost ISPs are kind enough to
Home networks are

M supply software that
configures your internet
connection automatically. Even if
www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/home/using/howto/homenet/ics.asp
becoming the norm

rather than the exception.
you’re not fortunate enough to have
The Windows XP website such a disc to hand, you’ll find that
will give you details of
how to share your
it’s just as easy to use the Network
internet connection. Connections Wizard in Control
Panel. Not only will this step-by-step
guide help you hook up to the Creating new network connections is easy with
internet but it will also enable you to the connections wizard.
create a network from scratch, or you have all information that’s been
connect your PC to an existing one. provided to you by your ISP. This
Whether it’s a dial-up or broadband will include login details, telephone
connection you’ll need to make sure numbers and server addresses.
Network connections
It doesn’t matter If you’re using more
. whether it’s for a LAN $ than one dial-up
or the internet, click on connection you can set
‘Create a new connection’ your preferred link as the
and launch the Network ‘default’ so that this one is
Connections Wizard. used all the time.
Your ISP isn’t always

. Click on View Status
of this connection for
$ to blame for
connection difficulties.
confirmation of your server
Click on ‘Repair this
and IP addresses and to
connection’ to see if you
check the speed of your
can solve the problem.
internet link.
To add firewall
. Right-click on an $ protection, right-click

existing connection on a connection, choose
and choose Properties to Properties and select the
adjust the configuration appropriate option from
settings of your link. the Advanced tab.

CFG03.chp_08 30/5/03 3:18 pm Page 81
OnlineSettings c
Online protection
Stay safe while you’re online by using the
Windows XP Internet Connection Firewall
ny PC that’s connected to the however, protect you against data
A internet is at risk from

malicious users. However,
your vulnerability can be drastically
leaving your PC against your will.
For example, certain viruses and
Trojans that find their way onto your Windows XP has number
of other new security
reduced by making sure that your PC system will interrogate your drive for features. For example
is adequately protected with a data of a personal nature and will right-click on a folder,
choose Properties and
firewall. In Windows XP, you have then send this back to the malicious select the Sharing tab.
the most secure Windows operating user via your connection. If you Now check the box
system to date. Included is the don’t have any other kind of firewall ‘Make this folder private’.
Internet Connection Firewall which protection running on your system at

will provide your PC with basic the moment you should start using
protection from web-borne threats. the Internet Connection Firewall
The primary objective of the firewall now. You will need to activate it
is to monitor and block any separately for each internet
suspicious inbound traffic. It won’t, connection that you use.
The firewall isn’t turned on by default; you need

1 to activate it for all your connections. In Control
Panel open Network Connections, then right-click on a
connection, choose Properties and select the Advanced If you do not have any
tab. Check the box under Internet Connection Firewall. firewall protection already
installed on your PC, you
should get some now.
The next step is configuration. Click on the

2 Settings button. To enable this, click on the
Security Logging tab and check both boxes under
Logging Options. Under Log file options you’ll see the
location and name of the actual log file.
The log file will help you determine whether or not

3 someone is trying to gain access to your system.
By monitoring dropped packets you can see those
pieces of data that have been rejected by the Internet
Connection Firewall.

CFG03.chp_08 30/5/03 3:18 pm Page 82
l Chapter8
Modem settings
Optimising your dial-up modem settings
for a faster connection
n ADSL or Cable modem can Maximum speed settings. With a
Before making any

A be pretty much left to its own
devices, with little need for
configuration on your part. However,
dial-up modem you’ll be doing well
if you can get a transfer speed of
between 5k and 6k, but switch
http://bandwidthplace.com/speedtest
changes to your
connection settings it’s
if you have a dial-up modem there between 57600 and 115200 and see if
worth carrying out a are a number ways of improving you get any improvements. Under
speed test so you can
gauge the effectiveness
functionality and boosting Hardware features leave all three
of the changes you performance. In Network boxes checked. It’s likely that your
make. See how fast you Connections, right-click on the dial- ISP will have given you DNS
really are.
up account you want to configure addresses. These help cut the time it
and choose Properties. Under the takes to locate information on the
General tab you’ll see details of the internet. Under the Networking tab,
device you’re using along with the with Internet Protocol highlighted,
phone number of your ISP. Click on click on Properties and enter your
Configure and experiment with DNS addresses.
There are more settings you can adjust that will

1 help improve the performance of your dial-up
modem. In Control Panel double-click on Phone and
Although your PC may be Modem Options. Skip Dialing Rules and go straight to
optimised there are a the Modems tab. Click on Properties.
number of external
factors that can affect the
speed of your internet
connection. You’ll never Click on the Modem tab and check your setting
achieve the true 2 for Maximum Port Speed. The figure here
connection speed of
56kbps, 256kbps and so determines the maximum speed at which programs can
on – though if you’re transit data to the modem. In the drop-down box select
lucky you’ll get very close.
the highest figure: 115200.
Next, move along to the Advanced tab and click

3 on Advanced Port Settings. Here you can set the
limits for the Receive and Transmit buffers. Adjusting
both of these to their highest levels will increase the
rates at which you send and receive information.

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OnlineSettings c
Internet Options
A guided tour of your most essential
browser settings
ith your connection
W working to full capacity it’s

time to turn your attentions
to your browser. The Internet Options There’s no need to type
the full URL when
icon in Control Panel reveals the entering a web address.
same settings as those you’ll find in All you need to do is type
the name part, for
Internet Explorer. From here you can example futurenet, then
configure preferences for the way hold down [Ctrl] and
your browser works, as well as press Enter. The www.
and .com parts will be
controlling vital aspects of being Control how much information is stored in your added automatically.
online, including the likes of cookies, History and Temporary Internet folders.
privacy and security. For example, You will also have full control of
you can set the URL for your home your internet History, the folder of
page; that’s the first web page you information that contains details of
see when your browser is launched. all your web activity.
General settings
Choose the web page Click on Settings to
. you would like to see $ reveal options for
each time Internet managing your Temporary
Explorer starts up. Enter a Internet files. You can
URL or click on Use Blank restrict the amount of hard
for no home page. drive space they take up.
Cookies are small This contains all the

. text files that are $ details of the URLs
used by websites to you’ve visited over the
record your visits and specified period. It’s the
set preferences for ideal tool for tracking
subsequent visits. Delete down a page whose
them for 100% privacy. address you’ve forgotten.
Use this option to If a web page hasn’t

. change the colour $ specified the use of
that’s used for the pages a specific font you can
you have and haven’t choose here which one
visited yet. you’d like to use.

CFG03.chp_08 30/5/03 3:18 pm Page 84
l Chapter8
Your History
Improve your browsing experience by
making full use of your internet History
he History feature in Internet record Internet activity but it will
Changing the
AutoComplete options in
T Explorer is one of your
browser’s greatest assets. The
fact that it remembers your every
also keep a note of every document
you have accessed on your hard
drive, including any emails that you
Internet Explorer has an
footstep on the web helps you to have composed. Your browser can
effect on other areas of track down those important URLs record as many URLs as you like –
your system, including
Run, My Computer and
that you didn’t note down or all you need to do is set a maximum
Windows Explorer. bookmark. Even if you only have a number of days’ storage time.
vague recollection of a result from a Viewing your History is just as
search engine, that’s no problem – simple – click the button on the
your History records every website toolbar. You’ll then be able to sort
that’s been loaded into your browser. through the URLs you’ve visited
This particular feature also comes in using criteria such as frequency of
handy for retrieving other files on visits, date visited and order visited
your PC. Not only does the History on the current day.
Using AutoComplete
Speed up browsing by completing URLs automatically
You may feel it necessary to curtail the activities of the History but
this can have a detrimental effect on your browsing capabilities.
Along with keeping tabs on the pages you have visited, the actual
URL for each page is recorded by your browser for use at a later
time. The AutoComplete feature in Internet Explorer comes in
handy in two ways. First, it can help speed up browsing by
finishing off a previously visited URL quicker than you can type it.
Second, if you can only remember part of a web address, you
only have to enter that part into your browser; a list of alternatives Save time with automatic
will appear from which you’ll be able to select the URL you want address completion.
to return to.

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OnlineSettings c
Maintaining privacy
Anonymity is difficult, but you do have some
control over your personal information
our privacy may be important
Y to you, not that you’ve

anything to hide, it’s just that
there’s a principle involved. Check your privacy
www.privacy.net/analyze
settings to find out how
Unfortunately, as much as we’d like much information can be
to preserve our privacy online, it just ascertained just by visiting
a website.
isn’t possible. Although you can’t
really be personally identified just by
browsing, it is possible for other
users to tell that your PC is Your History only holds URL information, not
connected to the net and that is temporary files such as images.
using the net for some purpose or want to improve your privacy, the
another. But Internet Explorer is settings and the information that
adept at gathering and storing details Internet Explorer stores are all under
of your online activity and if you your control.
. Remove all URLs by clicking on Tools > Internet Options and

choosing Clear History. Alternatively, be selective and remove
specific addresses from the History list. Remove URLs that
appear in the address
. Temporary Internet Files stores copies of text and images drop-down box in
Internet Explorer.
from the pages you have viewed. Click on Delete Files to remove Launch the Registry
copies of all files including offline content. Editor and go along to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\
. Choose the temporary files you want to delete by clicking on Software\Microsoft
\Internet Explorer\
Settings > View Files. Select those you want to remove then right- TypedURLs. In the right
click and choose Delete. pane, right-click and
delete those URLs that
you no longer require.
. Even with temporary files deleted there are still traces of the
URLs you’ve visited in AutoComplete. Disable this in Internet
Options by unchecking ‘Use inline AutoComplete’ under Advanced.
. Decide how much information AutoComplete remembers
about you. Under the Content tab click on AutoComplete and clear
your AutoComplete form and password History.

CFG03.chp_08 30/5/03 3:18 pm Page 86
l Chapter8
Prevent spying
Rogue websites and certain software
applications are keeping an eye on you
lthough some software log of all your activity on the web
Identify any items of

spyware that may be on
A publishers give you the
chance to use their
applications free of charge, any
and report back its findings to the
marketing company while you are
online. The application that you
your system and remove
shortfall is made up through banner thought was freeware is in fact
them safely with the help advertising within the program. The ‘spyware’. But the worst thing is that
of Ad-aware.
‘clickthrough’ rate of these ads, and in the vast majority of cases you
any subsequent sales from this kind won’t ever be aware of the fact that
of sponsorship is how the software the application you’re using is
developer is able to offer you the keeping a close eye on your online
application free of charge. While this activities. Spying can also occur
is a good idea, some of the when you visit certain websites.
marketing companies that place the A cookie or tracking file is placed on
banners also include a tracking your hard drive where it monitors
program as well. This will create a your behaviour.
Install Ad-aware from the cover disc, then click

1 on Start and your system will be scanned for
spyware. This will take a while to complete as numerous
If you’re happy to leave checks are carried out. Try to avoid performing any
Ad-aware to its own other tasks on your PC while the check is taking place.
devices it will scan and
delete any spyware files
automatically. Click on
Settings > Automation Once the scan is complete you’ll see a summary
and check the option to 2 of the findings. Click on Next to see what
‘Clean Automatically’.
spyware components are present on your PC. Ad-aware
lists details of all the items including their name and
exact location on your hard drive.
Check the box next to the items you wish to

3 remove and click on Next. Your selection won’t be
deleted permanently; instead it will be placed in
‘quarantine’. This will enable you to monitor the effect
its removal has on the original application.

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OnlineSettings c
Faster connections
Improve the speed of your broadband
connection by editing the registry
ou can speed up your (decimal). The following entry you
Y broadband connection by
making registry changes in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\
may have to create yourself, if it is
not already in your registry. Create a
new DWORD Value called TcpMax Star downloader is a free
utility that will speed up
CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\ DupAcks and give it a value of 2. transfer times for your file
Parameters. First change the default This next entry should already be in downloads. It also
contains a resume facility
time to live (TTL) for data packets: your registry; if not create it as well: that will ensure that
DefaultTTL=128 (decimal). Next SackOpts=1. The last two options partially downloaded data
change this: EnablePMTUBHDetect shouldn’t need creating; just check is saved if your
connection is interrupted.
=0. (The Maximum Transmission or amend the values to read: Tcp13
Unit (MTU) is the maximum size of 23Opts=1 and TcpWindowSize =
data packets sent over the internet.) 32767 (decimal). You could also try
Amend this setting first: Enable increasing the latter setting to either
PMTUDiscovery=1, followed by 93440, 186880, or 372300 to help
GlobalMaxTcpWindowSize=32767 speed things up.
Click on a file download link and the ‘Save as’

1 dialogue window will appear confirming the
filename and the location where it will be saved. Click
on New to create a category and add a description to Before making changes
your download. Click on Start when you’re ready. to the registry make a
backup or keep a note of
your settings so they can
be easily restored if you
The download window will be displayed showing run into any problems.
2 details of the total file size along with its progress
so far. Simultaneous Downloads shows the various
segments that will be combined later to make one file.
This method will help to accelerate your file downloads.
If there is a problem and you lose your

3 connection everything downloaded so far will
have been saved. There’s no need to start again. Once
your connection resumes, go into Downloading in Star
Downloader, highlight your file and click on Resume.

CFG03.chp_09 29/5/03 6:49 pm Page 88
Chapter9
l SystemProperties
Your complete guide to managing advanced system
settings in Microsoft Windows XP
P
erformance and Maintenance
describes perfectly the features
of the System icon. Many people
Yes you can… steer clear of this particular area of

Control Panel for fear that the
, Improve performance configuration of its settings will be too
by adjusting visual advanced for them; and that it wouldn’t
settings
make much difference to the overall
, Change processor and
performance of their system even if they
memory priorities
could configure it. It’s a common Page 90 Configure the amount of drive
, Optimise your virtual
misconception that you would only be space allocated to System Restore
memory
entering its realms if you were trying to
, Manage system
fix a particular problem, or if you were
restore settings
an experienced enthusiast looking to
tweak a setting or two. Over the coming
pages we’ll dispel this myth and along
the way we’ll show you how and why
you should be making full use of what
Project time... System Properties has to offer.
The System icon

15 mins
In previous versions of Windows the
Page 92 Set preferences for receiving
information from Windows Update
System icon really only consisted of
Device Manager, the main tool for
More Info managing installed hardware. While this
feature remains, other features have
now been added, and together they
offer you much greater control over your
Page 94 Create and use hardware

www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/using/howto/default.asp
profiles in Windows XP

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SystemProperties c
operating system. As well as configuring

hardware and making sure it’s working
correctly there’s now a comprehensive
range of new settings that you can adjust
to enhance the performance of your
computer. The more obscure settings, such
as Hardware Profiles, will be explained, as
will the concepts of virtual memory and the
paging file.
Page 95 Use Device Manager to view
System Restore details of all your installed hardware
If you do run into any trouble while
SystemProperties
reconfiguring Windows XP, the System
Restore utility enables you to take your
operating system back to the state it was
in at a particular point in time when
everything worked perfectly. Another
feature is Remote Assistance, which
enables you to send a help request to
another user who will then be able to
connect directly to your PC and help you to
Page 96 Change visual effects and
solve a particular problem. Alternatively, of improve performance and display
course, if you feel you now have the
knowledge and experience to be able to
lend a hand to someone else, then you can
play the role of helper by connecting to
their PC. In this chapter we’ll focus on all
the different options and settings you’ll find
under the main tabs in System Properties
and give you practical advice on how you
can use them to get more out of your PC.
Page 98 Learn more about how Virtual

Memory works
CFG03.chp_09 29/5/03 6:49 pm Page 90
l Chapter9
System Restore
Managing the settings for the Windows XP
recovery tool
nfortunately, installing new failure, or the theft of your machine.
For more information

U hardware and software
doesn’t always go according
to plan. The changes you make can
System Restore is a tool that should
be used at times when you’ve made
a mistake configuring Windows XP
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/itpro/managing/restore.asp
on System Restore,
including setting a restore
sometimes result in instability and and you’re unable, for whatever
point and using it, go to error messages. With System Restore reason, to undo the changes you’ve
the Microsoft website.
you have a tool that gives you the made. It is also to be used when you
opportunity to take a step back in find that your PC isn’t working as it
time and restore your files to their should following the installation of a
original state, before the faulty particular software application. In
changes were made. It is by no both these scenarios System Restore
means a replacement for regular can help. You should see System
backups, however, which remain the Restore as a tool that complements
only way to compensate you against your existing setup, rather than as a
the likes of a complete hardware replacement for something else.
Configure System Restore

Choose which drives you want to be protected by System Restore
The System Restore Utility will take up around 10% of free
space on all the drive partitions that are present on your PC.
This is fine for drives that contain important system files but
rather unnecessary if all you’re storing is data. Click on the
Settings button to see how much space has been used up.
Fortunately, you can choose which drives use System Restore
so that disk space isn’t wasted. Select the drive you require
and then click on Settings, check the box ‘Turn off System
Restore on this drive’ and click on OK. Note that you won’t be Choose how much hard drive you
able to use this method to switch System Restore off on your allocate to System Restore.
main Windows XP partition.

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SystemProperties c
Protecting files
Avoid losing precious data when using
System Restore
ystem Restore will remove configuration, certain ‘monitored’
S and replace files based on the

settings from a specific date.
However, when it comes to using
files types (including .dll and .exe
files that were outside the My
Documents folder and installed after On the Windows XP
installation disc is a
this utility you want to be sure that the date of the restore point) may be complete backup utility.
important files and folders aren’t lost lost. Probably the items most at risk Don’t rely on System
Restore as your only
when you make this step back in are any downloaded programs and method of retrieving data
time to use a Restore Point. Any files you may have that are not in case of disaster.
information stored in your My stored in this safe location.
Documents folder should be safe and Obviously, you can move any items
remain untouched, but files stored to My Documents in order to protect
elsewhere on your hard drive may them but another option is to edit
not fair so well. It’s possible that the registry and make a specific
after you have used System Restore location exempt from the System
to go back to an earlier Restore process.
The registry already contains details of certain

1 files and folders that are excluded from the
process. Open the Registry Editor and locate this Key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\ It makes sense to set
Control\BackupRestore\FilesNotToBackup. your own restore points
before upgrading device
drivers or installing new
items of hardware, in
Right-click on this and choose Edit > New > case you run into
2 Multi-String Value. You’ll now need to create a problems afterwards.
new Key for your folder. For reference purposes, give

it a name that you will recognise and remember – for
example, the folder name itself.
Next, right-click on your new Key and choose

3 Modify. Then under Value Data enter the full path
to your particular folder. When you’re done click on OK.
This change won’t come into effect until the next
Restore Point is created.

CFG03.chp_09 29/5/03 6:49 pm Page 92
l Chapter9
Automatic updates
Configuring Windows Update to
automatically search for new updates
eriodically, Microsoft will that you may miss a vital update.
Once you’ve downloaded

P publish patches and updates
that fix problems or secure
security loopholes that have come to
The best way to keep your operating
system current therefore, is to
receive automatic notification from
www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/default.mspx
all the vital updates for

your system, go to the
light in Windows XP. As well as Windows XP. This way, whenever
Windows Downloads technical matters, these updates you’re connected to the internet,
website where you can
download a variety of
cover upgrades to newer versions your operating system will check for
tools, add-ons and of applications such as Internet any relevant updates and will notify
program demos. Explorer. We’ve already seen how you of them with a flashing icon in
you can download these manually the system tray. You can configure
from windowsupdate.microsoft.com, this option from within System
but there’s a drawback with this Properties and alter the way you are
method in that there’s an element of informed by selecting the Automatic
chance involved – if your visits to Updates tab and configuring your
the site are infrequent it’s possible Notification Settings.
Update options
Choose how and when you want your updates to take place
Your first choice is ‘Download the updates automatically and notify
me when they are ready to be installed’. If your bandwidth capacity
isn’t a problem then this option is ideal. The flashing icon will notify
you when a download is complete. Next up is ‘Notify me before
downloading any updates and notify me again before installing
them on my computer’. This will inform you that an update is
available, again with the flashing icon, but will leave you to decide
whether or not you want to download it. Finally ‘Turn off automatic
updating – I want to update my computer manually’ means that you Select how you want to be
won’t receive any notification at all and you’ll have to rely on regular notified of new updates.
visits to the Windows Update site.

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SystemProperties c
Remote Assistance
Connecting to another PC over the internet
and getting help with your problems
lthough they are available in need to configure the settings for this
A other applications this is the

first time that a remote access
utility has been included within a
first under the Remote tab in System
Properties. In order to receive help,
check ‘Allow Remote Assistance If you want to make use
of the Remote Assistance
Windows operating system. Using invitations to be sent from this tool you can send a
Remote Assistance you can connect computer’, then click on the direct request to the other
party using the link in
over the internet directly to other Advanced tab, and under Remote Help and Support Center.
machines that are also running Control, check ‘Allow this computer
Windows XP. You can now sort out a to be controlled remotely’. Note that
problem on another system just as in order for Remote Assistance to
easily as if you were sat in front of it. work, both parties will need to be
Conversely, if you’re the one who connected to the internet and be
needs help, it isn’t far away – using either Windows Messenger,
another Windows XP user can or an email client such as Outlook
connect to your PC, though you’ll or Outlook Express.
If you’ve agreed to help a friend (the Novice)

1 they’ll send you a request, for example via email,
to connect to their PC. This makes you the ‘Expert’.
Double-click the file attachment that comes with the You will only be able to
email, then click on Yes to connect. send help invitations via
Windows Messenger or a
compatible email client.
MSN Messenger will not
The Remote Administration dialogue window will work with this service.
2 appear, though you may need to wait for the
connection to establish. In the right pane of the dialogue
window you’ll see the other person’s PC, just as they
see it. Send messages back and forth in the left pane.
Initially you’ll only have ‘read only’ access. Click

3 on Take Control and a message will be sent to the
Novice asking for permission for full access to their
system. Once they agree you can access their PC from
within the right pane of the Remote Assistance window.

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l Chapter9
Hardware Profiles
Using hardware profiles to run your PC
with different configurations
very time your PC starts it disabled accordingly. This way you
E loads a Hardware Profile

containing details of the
can save on system resources when
you’re not using it. Another instance
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308577
Detailed information on hardware configuration and device would be if you use a laptop and a
how to set up a hardware
profile for a laptop can be
drivers that Windows XP will be docking station. Depending on
found here. using. You can create additional whether or not it’s attached you’ll be
Hardware Profiles that enable you to using different pieces of hardware
run different configurations. You’ll each time – you may only be able to
then be able to choose which profile use an item such as a tape drive or
to use at startup. There are a number printer when the docking station is
of occasions when this will come in attached. A Hardware Profile would
useful – for example, if you don’t be useful here in enabling you to
use a particular piece of hardware select the configuration you require,
too often, you can configure a profile and avoid the need to configure
and have that device enabled or devices and drivers each time.
The easy way to create a new Hardware Profile is

1 to copy an existing one. Click on Copy and a
duplicate will be made. Highlight each of the Profiles,
click on Properties, check the box ‘Always include this
profile as an option when Windows starts’ and click OK.
When naming your Set a default profile to load each time Windows
hardware profile, be as 2 starts, or select from a menu. To set a default, use
descriptive as possible.
You can select a the arrow buttons to put your preferred one at the top of
hardware profile and click the list. For a choice, under Hardware Profiles Selection,
on Properties for a more
detailed description. check ‘Wait until I select a hardware profile’.
Next, restart your PC and select the profile you

3 want to change. Go into Device Manager and
locate an item of hardware. Right-click on it and choose
Disable or Enable to make it inactive or active in the
current profile. Close the Device Manager.

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SystemProperties c
Device Manager
Learning more about Device Manager
and the information it can give you
elect the Hardware tab and
S click on Device Manager to

view details of all the
hardware installed on your PC. The You can change the
region code for your DVD
default view lists devices by type player under Device
and you can see at a glance if a Manager. However, you’ll
only be able to do this a
particular item is working correctly – set number of times
symbols such as a question mark or before the option
exclamation mark indicate that a becomes disabled.
device is not working correctly. Click Use Device Manager to view details of all your
on the [+] sign next to the category installed hardware devices.
and then double-click on the item. rectified. If it’s a driver problem

Under Device Status there will be a select the Driver tab to either update
brief description of what’s causing or roll back the driver to a version
the trouble and how it can be that was installed previously.
. Viewing devices by connection will give you details of how all

your hardware is physically configured without having to open up
your PC and take a look. Not all your installed
hardware is displayed by
. You can check the IDE channels on your motherboard. This default. In Device
Manager, click on View >
enables you to see which devices are attached to which channel ‘Show hidden devices’ to
when viewing by connection. reveal the other items.
. Some hardware devices have additional settings that can be

configured from within Device Manager. To view these double-click
an item and select the Advanced tab, if available.
. Problems with a particular hardware device may be caused
by an old or damaged driver. If a previous version of a driver worked
properly, click on Roll Back Driver and go back to using that one.
. Click on Action > Print for a hard-copy listing of all the
information that’s contained within Device Manager.

CFG03.chp_09 29/5/03 6:49 pm Page 96
l Chapter9
Advanced tab
Boost performance by making changes
to settings under the Advanced tab
lthough it’s labelled as the only just meets, or isn’t far above
You can make more

changes to the startup
A ‘Advanced’ tab, don’t let this
put you off from taking a look
and adjusting any of the settings
the minimum system requirements
for Windows XP, you’ll find this part
of the operating system particularly
process by adjusting the
here. The features under the useful. Shadows on icon text and
settings under the Advanced tab give you control over animated effects that appear when
System Configuration
utility. To launch this click
three key areas of your operating performing tasks will all use up
in Start > Run, type system: Performance, User Profiles surprising amounts of resources.
msconfig and Enter. and Startup and Recovery. Under Depending on the specification of
Performance Options you have your PC you can either use the
Visual Effects and Advanced settings. Visual Effects tab to optimise your
The first of these deals mainly with interface for appearance and
the Windows XP interface and gives aesthetic appeal, or you can select
you numerous options on how you the options that will ensure you get
can have it displayed. If your PC the best performance from your PC.
Making changes
Adjusting visual effects in Windows XP
Under the Visual Effects tab the default setting is ‘Let
Windows choose what’s best for my computer’. You have
three other options you can adjust: best performance; best
appearance; or make custom changes. You’ve probably been
blissfully unaware of how menus and buttons appear and
perform, but scroll down the list here and you’ll see the effects
you’ve been using until now, along with some you haven’t.
Some of the options will bring great effects to the Windows XP
interface but the trade-off is your system’s resources. If your Set visual effects for aesthetic
PC is new this won’t be a problem, but if you’ve upgraded an appeal or optimum performance.
older machine you may be better off with ‘best performance’.

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SystemProperties c
Allocating resources
Deciding how your CPU and memory is
used in Windows XP
nder Performance Options
U click on the Advanced tab

and the first setting you’ll see
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3BQ308417
is Processor Scheduling. By default For the definitive guide
on setting performance
Windows XP will allocate most CPU options in Windows XP
resources to programs rather than go to the Windows
support website.
background tasks. You can speed up
other tasks by checking the
Background services option. There’s
no harm in experimenting with this Choose how the lion’s share of resources
to find out which option works best. should be distributed.
The Memory Usage option enables Programs by default but if you’re

you to choose between Programs or using cache-hungry editing software
your System Cache for the lion’s for graphics, audio or video, check
share of its resources. It’s set to the System Cache option.
The Applications tab

The Applications tab Windows Task
. will list all programs $ Manager shows you
that are currently running how your PC’s resources
on your PC. This will are used. Press [Ctrl]+[Alt]
correspond with the tabs +[Del] to display this
that are on your taskbar. dialogue window.
Under the Processes Each process

. tab you’ll see details
$ involved is listed
of every application and separately, along with the
background task that’s amount of memory and
currently running in CPU resources that it’s
Windows XP. using up.
You can override You stop a process

. preset priorities by $ running by clicking
right-clicking an item, here. Be careful what you
choosing Set Priority and cancel though, as it may
then selecting a new level affect the stability of your
of priority. computer’s system.

CFG03.chp_09 29/5/03 6:49 pm Page 98
l Chapter9
Virtual Memory
Finding out what Virtual Memory is and
how to configure yours
he final setting under the sets the size of the paging file
T Performance Options
Advanced tab is Virtual
automatically and the amount of
space it takes up is usually around
Learn how to configure Memory. As its name implies, this one and a half times the amount of
paging files for
optimisation and recovery
does not exist physically in the same RAM you have. Its filename is
in Windows XP. way as your RAM does. What pagefile.sys and it’s stored in the
happens is that when your system is same folder as your system files –
performing its tasks and is running usually the root of your main drive.
low on memory, it turns to your hard You can improve performance and
drive for assistance. A portion of make your PC run faster by freeing
your hard drive is then used to up system resources and moving
simulate normal system RAM – your paging file to a different drive.
hence the name Virtual Memory. This will need to be another physical
At times it’s also referred to as the drive rather than a different partition
‘swap file’ or ‘paging file’. Windows on your current drive.
Open System Properties, select the Advanced tab

1 and click on Performance > Settings. Choose the
Advanced tab, go down to Virtual Memory and click on
The paging file can Change. Your C: drive should be highlighted, showing
contain important an amount for the Paging File.

personal information
including passwords. Use
the instructions here on
how to clear its contents Select a new drive from the list, go down to ‘Total
at shutdown. 2 paging file size for all drives’ and note the figure
next to Recommended. Check Custom size and then
enter this figure next to Initial size. Enter a limit next to
Maximum size, double the Initial size, then click on Set.
Under Drive, click on C: again and check ‘No

3 paging file’. A warning message will appear
regarding debugging information. Click on Yes to
continue, then OK, and you’ll be prompted to reboot.
Your paging file will be moved when your PC reboots.

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SystemProperties c
Startup and recovery
How to configure all your Windows XP
startup options
his area of Device Manager check box. You can also select a time
T enables you to control the way

your PC starts – whether it’s
by selecting one of a number of
limit for selecting from the recovery
options list. When a problem occurs
with a piece of hardware or a Use the system
configuration utility to
operating systems or a recovery software application, Windows XP remove applications from
option. If more than one operating will display a Stop Error on screen. the startup process that
may be slowing your
system is installed on your PC, when In some cases, after the error has system down. Be sure to
you boot up you’re given the option been displayed the system will leave anti-virus and
to choose which one you would like restart automatically. To stop this firewall programs
untouched.
to use. The time limit for making from happening, go down to System
your choice is set to 30 seconds but Failure and uncheck ‘Automatically
you can change this figure here if restart’. You can then make any
you need to. If you would like the necessary changes to Windows XP
default operating system to start and restart your computer yourself
each time, then just clear the first in your own time.
Error reporting
Let Microsoft monitor your system’s problems
When Windows XP encounters a severe problem, or if an
application terminates prematurely you will have noticed
a small window popping up informing you that a log of
the error has been created. Click on Error Reporting and
you can choose whether or not this feature is activated,
and if so, whether it should be restricted to the operating
system and/or programs. If you do receive an error
message and decide to click on Send, the report will go
to http://oca.microsoft.com where it will be analysed. Send all your error reports to
You can also check the status of your error report and Microsoft for monitoring.
view any comments that have been made about it.

CFG03.chp_10 29/5/03 6:47 pm Page 100
Chapter10
l MaintainWindows
Using Administrative Tools, Scheduled Tasks and
Power Options
O
ver the previous chapters
we’ve looked at a number of
configuration settings that you
Yes you can… can change to improve the performance

and behaviour of Microsoft Windows XP.
, Learn how to use However, on occasions it will be
Administrative Tools necessary to monitor your operating
, Stop unnecessary system and carry out regular
services and boost
maintenance procedures in order to
performance
ensure its continued smooth running. Page 102 Disable services and free up
, Configure power-
To this end Administrative Tools in system resources
saving options in
Windows XP Control Panel places at your disposal
a number of utilities that will help you.
, Schedule tasks to
launch and recur Some of them are aimed squarely at
automatically programmers and those with an
advanced knowledge of Windows.
However, for the home user there is
still plenty that can be learned. Over
Project time... the coming pages we’ll show you all
the relevant tools and settings.
45 mins
Maintenance Page 104 Keep a close eye on activity
in Windows XP with the Event Viewer
You’ll already be aware of the
importance of performing regular
More Info maintenance tasks such as cleaning
your hard disk and carrying out
defragmentation frequently. To make
this job easier you can use the
Page 106 Use the Performance tool to

www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/columns/crawford/october08.asp
monitor different aspects of Windows XP

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MaintainWindowsXP c
XP
Scheduled Tasks in Control Panel. Rather

than trying to remember what needs doing
and when it needs doing, you can create a
scheduled task and have a particular job
carried out automatically. You can choose a
specific date and time for the task, as well
as setting it to recur on a regular basis.
MaintainWindowsXP
When configuring a task to use a particular
tool, you can use command line switches to
set the program options you require – for Page 107 Schedule tasks to run
example, if you’re running the Disk Cleanup automatically at the time of your choosing
wizard, you can add /C: (where ‘C’ is the
letter of the drive you wish clean up).
Power options
The last Control Panel icon we’ll be
covering in this chapter is Power Options.
Windows XP comes with a number of
settings that can be used to manage your
power usage more effectively. Rather than
turn off power completely it’s possible to
Page 108 Power Management in
put your PC ‘to sleep’ so that power Windows XP explained
consumption drops, but you can still bring
your PC back to life quickly. We’ll also
explain the differences between the
Hibernate and Standby options that you
see when you’re turning your computer off,
and tell you which one should be used in
which circumstances.
Page 109 Check your system to see if

you have full power management capabilities
CFG03.chp_10 29/5/03 6:47 pm Page 102
l Chapter10
Understanding Services
Using the Services Administrative Tool
to manage system processes
e looked in the previous clipboard and error reporting.
You won’t need all the

services and processes
W chapter at background
services and processes and
how you can reallocate system
Windows Task Manager lists regular
applications alongside Services (next
to the likes of winword.exe and
that are running on
resources to those items that need wmplayer.exe you’ll see the less well
Windows XP. Stopping them the most. However, the level known svchost.exe and spoolsv.exe).
those that aren’t required
can free up RAM and
of detail in Windows Task Manager The best way to see all these
CPU power. However, only gives you a snapshot of what’s processes, and control how they
extreme caution is going on and does not detail the work is to double-click on Services
required when you’re
suspending or disabling exact nature or purpose of a under the Administrative Tools icon
any service or process. particular process. The correct label in Control Panel. Alternatively, click
for these services and processes is on Start > Run, type services.msc
Services, and they perform specific and OK it – the program window
tasks which in turn support other will display all Services installed on
operations, such as printing, the your system in alphabetical order.
Remember that Windows Task Manager only

1 gives you a brief overview of all the various
processes that are running on your computer at any one
Although Windows Task time. For more information on individual items use the
Manager will indicate all Services tool.
services and processes
that are running at any
one time, use the
Services tool to control The startup time for your computer can be
their activity. 2 affected by your having unnecessary services
running. Focus on those Services whose Startup type is
labelled as Automatic – it may be that certain items can
be disabled.
Before stopping or disabling a service, right-click

3 on it, choose Properties and select the
Dependencies tab. Here you’ll be able to see how vital
the service is to your system as a whole, and whether or
not it’s safe to amend it.

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MaintainWindowsXP c
Stopping Services
By suspending or deleting unnecessary
Services you can free system resources
ou may be keen to end those
Y Services you think you don’t

need, but be cautious. Some
are vital to Windows XP; stopping If you do experience any
problems after disabling a
them can have disastrous results on Service, start it again
the stability of your PC. The immediately.
Dependencies tab is a good guide.
This will show you if a particular
Service has a direct impact on
another. The list below shows some Check the Dependencies tab to see what impact
of these services with details of what one Service has on another.
they’re for. Our recommendations on any kind of network other than the
disabling Services apply to anyone internet. Discard services one at a
using a standalone PC in normal time, so that any ill affects can be
circumstances and not connected to monitored before you move on.
SERVICE NAME INFORMATION

Alerter Sends system alerts to users. You might as well disable this if
you’re not on a network.
Application Management Enables you to remove software. Do not disable this Service.
Error Reporting Service Enables you to send error messages to Microsoft. Disable this if
you don’t send details of your error messages.
Messenger Enables you to send network messages. Disable this if you’re

not on a network
Network Connections Vital for internet connectivity. Do not disable.
Network DDE No real requirement on a standalone PC. Disable it.
Windows Time If you set your clock manually and don’t use the internet server,
then you can disable this.
Workstation Vital for internet connectivity. Do not disable.

CFG03.chp_10 29/5/03 6:47 pm Page 104
l Chapter10
Event Viewer
Using the Event Viewer to see what’s
happening on your system
he Event Viewer is much like
You can customise

the Event Viewer and
T a diary that records details of
tasks, actions and processes
performed within Windows XP. Any
add more ‘snap-ins’
occurrence or ‘event’ that’s deemed
to improve your significant will have its own entry.
options and give you
increased functionality.
Launch the Event Viewer from
Administrative Tools in Control
Panel. In the left pane, your system
is divided up into three areas: Every event that takes place on your PC is
Application, Security and System. recorded here.
Click on one to open it and you’ll Viewer is excellent for helping you
see details of all the events that have track down any problems you’re
taken place, along with the date and having with your system. It displays
time they occurred. This Event five different Event Types…
. Error – if anything terrible should happen, such as a program

crash that results in data being lost, then details of exactly what
Right-click on a particular happened will be logged here. Also, if a particular service or
event and choose
Properties to see a full
program that’s due to launch at startup fails to do so, this event
description. You’ll also will also be recorded.
see a link to a page
where more help and . Warning – This indicates something that may require attention
information is available.
in the future but isn’t particularly significant at the moment.
. Information – This is used to record a successful event, such
as an application launching or a driver loading.
. Success Audit – This notes when a security access succeeds
– for example, a login attempt that works.
. Failure Audit – This notes the opposite. It appears when a
login attempt fails because it’s unauthorised, or if a user attempts
to access a certain part of the system.

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MaintainWindowsXP c
Computer Management
Finding out system information and making
unique alterations to Windows XP
he excellent Computer on your computer. In order to
T Management utility provides

you with a selection of tools
and features that you won’t find
change a drive letter, right-click on
a volume and select ‘Change drive
letter and paths’. With the drive There’s more than one
way to access Computer
anywhere else in Windows XP. For letter highlighted, click on Change Management. Click on
example, if you’ve installed another and select a new letter from the list Start > Run, type
compmgmt.msc and
hard drive, or have made changes to in the drop-drown box. If the drive press Enter. Alternatively,
an existing volume, you may find letter you need is already in use by right-click on
that your drive letters have changed another volume then you just need My Computer and
choose Manage.
and that they no longer run to do some letter-swapping. For
sequentially. To remedy this, select example, select Z as a temporary
Disk Management under Storage and name, reboot your PC, and then run
in the right pane you’ll see a the Disk Management console again
graphical representation of all the and select the letter you want to use
hard drives and volumes that exist as a permanent name.
MMCs explained
The Microsoft Management Console
The individual Administrative Tools in Control Panel are
based on the Microsoft Management Console, whose
effectiveness derives from the ‘snap-ins’ added to it.
The snap-ins that come with Windows XP include a
performance monitor and the Event Viewer, which
enables you to analyse the behaviour of specific actions.
Although not displayed under Administrative Tools, there
are more MMCs with their snap-ins available for you to
use. The easiest way to find them is to use the Search Use Computer Management to make
tool in Windows XP – use *.msc as your criterion and unique changes to Windows XP settings.
look in your Windows folder.

CFG03.chp_10 29/5/03 6:47 pm Page 106
l Chapter10
Performance tool
Monitoring Windows XP using the
Performance tool
hile the Windows Task
You can also launch the

Performance tool by
W Manager gives you an idea
of how your system’s
resources are being used, there’s
clicking on Start > Run,
another tool that gives a broader
typing perfmon.msc and picture. Open Administrative Tools in
pressing Enter.
Control Panel and double-click on
Performance. This excellent utility is
divided into two sections. The
System Monitor gives you a Each line on the Performance graph identifies a
graphical representation of system different counter.
activity by way of a constantly period of time and produce reports.

updating histogram. Performance You can add a counter that will
Logs and Alerts can be used to track monitor the activity of a wide variety
specific areas of your system over a of Performance Objects.
. Obtain and view real-time data that relates to all aspects of

your computer’s system, including your memory, hard disk and
It’s possible to customise processor usage.
the Performance tool and
add your own ‘snap-ins’
by clicking on File >
. Each aspect has its own counter – use the logs to monitor
Add/Remove Snap-in. these counters and record specific items of performance data.
. Three counters are used by default but the Performance tool
is fully configurable and you can create your own counters to track
down information.
. Click on View > Customize to configure the program window so
it only displays the items you want to use.
. Add your own counters by clicking on the [+] symbol button.
A number of additional counters will be displayed, each one
covering a different aspect of the system. Click on Explain for
more information on the function of a particular counter.

CFG03.chp_10 29/5/03 6:47 pm Page 107
MaintainWindowsXP c
Scheduled Tasks
Configuring specific tasks in Windows XP
to run automatically
aintenance is something one is due, it’s far easier just to set
M that must be carried out on

a regular basis to ensure the
continued smooth running of your
them all to run automatically. Using
the Scheduled Tasks option in
Control Panel you can select any In Internet Explorer, use
the Favorites settings to
computer. Over a period of time, left program or application and set it to schedule the download
to its own devices and without run at a specific date and time and at and synchronisation of an
existing offline web page.
proper care and attention on your regular intervals thereafter. You can
part, the performance of your system also set a task to run each time your
will eventually degrade to such an computer starts. The Task Scheduler
extent that even the simplest tasks is ideal for setting up maintenance
can prove difficult to complete. The tools such as the Windows XP
onus is on you to perform these Disk Defragmenter. To give you an
maintenance chores, but rather than idea of how the process works, see
trying to remember the last time one our guide below for scheduling the
was carried out, or when the next Disk Cleanup tool.
Open a command line window and type cleanmgr

1 /sageset:100. The Disk Cleanup dialogue box will
appear. Check the items you want to clean every time
you run this process – for example, Recycle Bin, Every task you create will
Temporary Internet Files, Old Chkdsk files. Click on OK. appear as an icon in the
Scheduled Tasks folder.
Double-click an item to
edit its settings.
The setting you have just created will now be
2 saved in your registry. Next, create a new shortcut
in your Windows folder using cleanmgr /sagerun:100 as
the command line. Give it a name you’ll recognise, such
as Auto Cleanup, and save the shortcut.
Go into Control Panel, select Scheduled Tasks

3 and ‘Add a new task’. Click on Browse and locate
the shortcut file you just created. Then work your way
through the wizard and choose a convenient time to
schedule the cleanup operations you selected.

CFG03.chp_10 29/5/03 6:47 pm Page 108
l Chapter10
Power Management
Using Power Options to save on electricity
bills and battery life
aptop users will already be The settings available to you under
You’ll also be able to set

your PC to Hibernate or
L accustomed to the benefits of
the power-saving features in
Windows XP. But anyone with a
Power Options in Control Panel
depend entirely on the hardware
configuration of your PC. For
Standby after a period
desktop machine will also be able to example, to have the full range
of keyboard and use these same settings to cut down of power-saving features at your
mouse inactivity.
on the amount of electricity their PC disposal, your computer will need
uses. The power management to be Advanced Configuration and
features in Windows XP enable you Power Interface (ACPI) compliant.
to put your computer to sleep, rather If you have a newer machine, then
than turn it off completely. This will compatibility with this shouldn’t be
enable you to save on the electricity a problem. You can refer to your
that you’re using, but at the same computer’s handbook for
time you’ll still be able to get your confirmation of whether your PC
PC up and running again quickly. is up to the job.
Saving power
Hibernate or Standby – the difference explained
Click on the Start button and choose Turn Off Computer. You’ll
see two options for powering down, rather than turning off
completely. One is Standby, and the other is Hibernate. If the
Hibernate button isn’t visible, hold down the [Shift] key and move
the mouse pointer over the Standby button. If you cannot see the
Standby button, this means that your hardware doesn’t support
this feature. The levels of power management offered by
Hibernate and Standby differ: Standby reduces the amount of
power that goes to your hard disk and monitor; Hibernate writes Set your power saving
an image to your hard drive, saving the details of the current state options in Control Panel.
of your PC for the next time you switch it on again.

CFG03.chp_10 29/5/03 6:47 pm Page 109
MaintainWindowsXP c
The best option
Choosing your power-saving scheme and
checking for compliance
hen you’re leaving your PC to choose and when, but as a guide:
W for short periods of time

you should use the
Standby option. However, for longer
Standby is fine if your PC is left
unattended for a couple of hours or
so – the time it will take to resume Another way to check for
ACPI compliance is to
periods it’s best to use Hibernation here is very quick; Hibernation is look at the tabs under
instead. This will create an ‘image’ more favourable if you have a lot of Power Options
Properties. If you see a
on your hard drive that will include work in progress and you want to tab labelled APM then
exact details of the files, folders, save that state, say overnight. In this your system is not
settings and applications that were case, Hibernation would also be your ACPI-compliant.
in use when you chose to Hibernate. most economical choice. If it hasn’t

Then, when the time comes to turn been necessary for the image to save
your PC on again, all those same a huge amount of data, then you’ll
items will appear on the screen, just also probably find the restoration
how you left them. There are no from Hibernation a lot quicker than
hard-and-fast rules on which option the normal boot process.
If your system is ACPI-compliant you’ll have

1 access to all the power management features.
You can check for compliance by going into Control
Panel, double-clicking on System and selecting the Power management in
Hardware tab. Windows XP will only
function correctly if all
power management
options are turned off in
Click on Device Manager and go down the list of the BIOS. Disable any
2 items until you reach System Devices. Click on options such as hard
disks powering down
the [+] symbol alongside to expand its contents. If your after so many minutes.
system is compliant you’ll see an item called Microsoft
ACPI-Compliant System.
Your power management options are fully

3 configurable. You can decide how long it will be
before your monitor and PC go into Standby or
Hibernation. To access these settings, go into Control
Panel and double-click on Power Options.

CFG03.chp_11 5/29/03 6:57 PM Page 110
Chapter11
l PeopleandWindows
Working with and controlling User Accounts
and Accessibility Options
A
nyone who shares their
computer with others will be all
too familiar with the problems
Yes you can… this can bring. The arguments over

whose turn it is to use the machine will
, Create user accounts rage on for eternity. The next bone of
for everyone that contention is privacy. Fortunately, this is
accesses your PC
easily solved, as Microsoft Windows XP
, Set individual
gives you the opportunity to create
permissions for
files and folders individual logins for each user, which Page 112 Creating user accounts in
means that data, including email, Windows XP
, Give users fixed
amounts of space documents and folders can be kept
on your hard drive separate and private from anyone else
, Configure and use who uses the PC. Each user also has the
Accessibility Options opportunity to personalise their view of
Windows XP. Any changes made to
items such as desktop settings, icon
layout and folder views will be preserved
Project time... for the next time they login.
Privacy issues
60 mins
Individual user accounts will help to
Page 113 Keeping accounts and
contents private with passwords
keep things organised on your hard
drive. Each user will have their own area
More Info where their documents are kept.
Furthermore, these will remain private
from everyone else that uses the PC. At
least one person who uses the machine
Page 114 Sharing files and folders

www.microsoft.com/enable/training/windowsxp/adjuseraccounts.htm
between users

CFG03.chp_11 5/29/03 6:57 PM Page 111
PeopleandWindowsXP c
XP
will need to be the Administrator. This

privilege will give them unrestricted access
to all areas of the system, including other
PeopleandWindowsXP
users accounts. The Administrator will be
able to perform housekeeping tasks and
set access levels for the other users. For
example, the Administrator can decide
whether or not another user can install
software applications or make changes to
system files. The User Accounts icon in Page 116 Setting hard drive space
Control Panel is where new user logins are limits for each user
created and existing ones modified. Each
user can have their own unique screen
name and choose an image that will appear
alongside their name on the login screen.
At this point the account type can be set as
well – either Computer Administrator for full
access, or Limited, for access with certain
restrictions. We’ll look at all this in more
detail in this final chapter.
Page 118 Using the Utility Manager to

Accessibility options control all accessibility tools
The final Control Panel icon we’ll be looking
at is Accessibility. From here you’ll be able
to make changes to Windows XP and
improve its functionality. Those users who
have some impairment of vision, hearing or
mobility will benefit from the changes that
can be made here. There are a number of
individual tools that can help.
Page 119 Using the Accessibility

Wizard to configure options
CFG03.chp_11 5/29/03 6:57 PM Page 112
l Chapter11
User Accounts
Setting up and working with User Accounts
in Windows XP
lthough creating new little more secure in that a correct
You’re not stuck with the

image that’s chosen for
A accounts is a relatively
straightforward process, as
the Administrator, it’s worth taking
username will need to be entered.
If security between your users is
vital then this should be your
your user account. Click
a little time to understand just how preferred method. To set the login
on ‘Change my picture’ this works. You can control how screen you’d like to use, open User
and choose an alternative
from those listed, or
users log on by setting the type of Accounts in Control Panel and click
import one of your own. interface that’s used. The default is on ‘Change the way users log on or
the Welcome Screen, which displays off’. Uncheck ‘Use the Welcome
each user’s name along with the screen’ if you want to use the more
picture they’ve chosen. All the user secure ‘Classic login’ method. One
needs to do is click their name and thing you will notice here is that the
enter a password when they are name of the last user to log on is
prompted to do so. The alternative to always displayed under the User
this is the ‘Classic login’, which is a name field.
Creating a new user account is easy. Open

1 Control Panel, double-click on User Accounts
then select ‘Create a new account’. Give the account a
Deleting an account isn’t name. This can be the actual user – for example, Maria,
as final as you may think. – then click on Next.
If you wish, you can
preserve the items that
were in a user profile
folder, while at the same Next you have to choose an account type. This
time removing the ability 2 will determine overall access to your system. It’s
to log on.
probably a good idea if there is only one Computer
Administrator, so set this account as Limited and click
on Create Account.
Configuration can be done by you, the

3 Administrator, or by the new user. The
Administrator always has full control over accounts,
even if passwords have been entered. Click the account
name to make changes, such as the picture used.

CFG03.chp_11 5/29/03 6:57 PM Page 113
User profiles
Each User Account has a profile folder that
contains all personal files and settings
ach user has their own profile,
E created the first the time they

log on. A profile is a folder
that stores all personal configuration Given the wide range of
the Administrator’s
information, including cookies and capabilities for security
desktop settings. All profiles are reasons, try to ensure
that the other accounts
stored at C:\Documents and you create don’t have this
Settings\USERNAME. This contains level of access.
an array of sub-folders and files,
including the Application Data Users can have their own passwords to keep
folder, which holds information their documents and settings private.
about applications installed by that for that user’s My Documents folder.

particular user. It also contains the It’s useful for the Administrator to
message Store Folder for Outlook know where these items are, so user
Express, as well as being the location activity can be monitored if required.
. You can choose an alternative picture to the one that appears

next to an account name. Simply click on ‘Change the picture’.
To make full use of the
. Ensure privacy by password-protecting users’ documents. file-sharing and security
Click on ‘Create a password’ and choose a password hint for the features in Windows XP
your hard drive will need
more forgetful users. to be formatted as
NTFS – not FAT.
. Account types can be changed at any time. The Administrator
can change access levels from Limited to Computer Administrator.
. Having a bad memory won’t prevent you from logging in to
Windows XP. Click on ‘Prevent a forgotten password’, launch the
‘Forgotten Password Wizard’ and make a ‘password reset’ disc.
. Remove an obsolete account by clicking on ‘Delete the
account’ and then choosing either its full or partial removal. Delete
Files will get rid of everything, while Keep Files will preserve the
contents of the user’s desktop and My Documents folder.

CFG03.chp_11 5/29/03 6:57 PM Page 114
l Chapter11
Copying profiles
If you want all users to be treated the same
then give them exactly the same profile
ou may decide that you want under User Profiles. Here you’ll see
Taking an existing profile

and copying it can save
Y all the users who have access
to your computer to have
exactly the same levels of access,
full details of each user account,
along with a good indication of how
much hard drive space each one is
you time when changing
permissions, folders, and so on. The using up on your PC. Highlight the
settings. Copy a pre- easiest way to do this is to copy the configured user profile name that
configured profile to the
account of a new user.
profile of one account and use this you’d like to copy and then click on
as a template for subsequent users’ Copy To. Next, click on the Browse
profiles. First of all, create new button and locate C:\Documents and
accounts for all your users, but only Settings\USERNAME (where
configure one of them with all the ‘username’ is the account or
settings and access levels you want accounts that you’d like to copy the
to allow. Next, open Control Panel, profile over to). Finally, click on OK,
double-click on System, select the then OK again, to complete the
Advanced tab and click Settings copying process.
Sharing documents
Not everything needs to be kept private
A particular folder can be made available to all other users by
copying or moving it to the Shared Documents folder. To do this,
right-click on the folder, choose Sharing and Security, then click on
the Shared Documents folder link. In Windows XP Professional
Edition you can change the appearance of this tab and make the
option unavailable by going into Folder Options in Control Panel,
selecting the View tab and unchecking ‘Use simple file sharing’.
Alternatively, you can protect a folder and keep it safe from the
prying eyes of other users with administrator access. Right-click on Click the link to share
My Documents and select Properties. Choose the Sharing tab, then your documents.
check the box ‘Make this folder private’.

CFG03.chp_11 5/29/03 6:57 PM Page 115
Switching users
Switching between users without losing any
work or disconnecting from the internet
here may be times when one the PC is switched from one account
T user needs to interrupt

another briefly in order to
check their email, make a small
to the other. This will ensure that
none of your users can claim
exclusive use of the PC simply For more information on
www.microsoft.com/enable/training/windowsxp/fastuserswitching.aspx
configuring and using
change to a file or quickly print out because they fear losing their work Fast User Switching, go
a document. Fortunately, there’s a or internet connection. For example, to the Microsoft website.
facility within Windows XP called a file download will continue
Fast User Switching that will ensure uninterrupted even when a user
the minimum amount of disruption switch is carried out. To take
to the user that’s being interrupted. advantage of this feature, click on
It’s possible to switch between users Log Off, then Switch User, and select
without even having to save work or a new account to use. Fast User
close any open applications Switching is turned on by default in
beforehand – any items in progress User Accounts but it will only work
will be preserved while control of if the Welcome Screen is being used.
Fast log off

Take advantage of this high-security keyboard shortcut
On occasions it may be necessary to leave your PC on
but attended. As the Administrator, with your higher
levels of access, leaving the system in such a vulnerable
state is obviously a concern. Logging off and shutting
down isn’t an option because of the time involved.
Instead you can ‘lock’ the PC and only a user with
administrative access (you) will be able to unlock it.
To use this feature, Fast User Switching will need to be
turned off. Then all you need to do is press the Windows Choose how users log on and off from
logo key and [L]. The PC will be locked and only the entry their accounts.
of the correct user name and password will let you in.

CFG03.chp_11 5/29/03 6:57 PM Page 116
l Chapter11
Control access
Restricting the level of user access
to important files and folders
ou can control the level of how much or little access you want
The contents of any

folder stored in My
Y access granted to individual
users in Windows XP. For
example, with certain files or folders
to give them. Users of Windows XP
Home Edition will not be able to
access this option while the
Documents can be kept
you may want to give some users the operating system is running
private from other users. ability to edit them, while others will normally. In order to access it you’ll
Right-click on the
document, choose
only be allowed to view them. If you need to restart your computer and
Sharing and Security and are using Windows XP Professional press the [F8] key during the reboot.
then check ‘Make this this option is immediately available. When the Windows Advanced
folder private’.
All you need to do is right-click on Options Menu appears, choose Safe
any file or folder, choose Properties Mode and Press Enter to start
and select the Security tab. You’ll Windows. Use the process
then be presented with a list of all mentioned previously to set your
users, along with a variety of options access permissions, then reboot your
that you can check, depending on computer normally.
Your users can soon fill your hard drive with any
1 number of music files or images. Fortunately, it’s
possible to limit the amount of drive space available to
Although every user can each user. Open My Computer, right-click on your main
have full administrator hard drive, choose Properties and select the Quota tab.
access, it’s probably best
to restrict this to just one
user. This ensures that
not everyone can make Check ‘Enable quota management’ then set a
changes to vital settings. 2 space limit for all new users by checking the
option ‘Limit disk space to’. Enter a figure for the
maximum allowable amount, and a warning level for
when their allocated space is getting low.
Click on Quota > New Quota Entry and enter the

3 name of the user account you’d like to limit. Click
on Check Names to make sure you’ve got it correct,
then click on OK. Then enter a usage limit, along with a
warning level, and click on OK.

CFG03.chp_11 5/29/03 6:57 PM Page 117
Registry access
Controlling user level access for specific
registry keys
ou can set access permissions
Y for the registry in the same

way you do for other files and
folders. Initially, only the creator of a If you’re using the Home
Edition of Windows XP
registry key and the Administrator of there’s no need to boot
the PC have control over that key. into safe mode if you’re
going to set permissions
The Administrator has the ability to in the registry. Safe mode
override this and decide exactly who is only required for file
has access to what part of the and folder access.
registry. The level of access can be Keep the registry fully secure and set levels of
controlled right down to each key. user access.
To do this, open the Registry Editor your system will be displayed. By

and select the key you would like to adding or removing the ticks in the
control, then click on Edit > boxes you’ll be able to control access
Permissions. All the user names for to that key.
. Create user accounts so everyone who has access to your PC

can keep their files, folders and email private from everyone else.
Click on Advanced for
. Windows XP Professional enables you to identify important further permissions, then
files and folders, and set different access levels for individual users. select a user name and
click on Edit and select
specific levels of access
. Those who are using the Home Edition will have the same for a particular key.
settings, but will only be able to access them by rebooting and
starting Windows XP in Safe Mode.
. One user can be interrupted by another and Windows XP can
be switched to their account without fear of losing unsaved work.
The process is called Fast User Switching and can be activated
under User Accounts in Control Panel.
. Setting permission levels in the registry is exactly the same
in both Professional and Home Editions. Right down to sub-key
level you can decide which users are able to edit or read only.

CFG03.chp_11 5/29/03 6:57 PM Page 118
l Chapter11
Accessibility options
Making Windows XP easier to understand
by configuring accessibility
ccessibility Options under
Rather than go through

Control Panel you can
A Control Panel enhance the
appearance and behaviour
of the Windows XP interface to make
access all the
it more accessible to those users
Accessibility tools and with vision, hearing or mobility
options by clicking on
Start > All Programs >
impairment. We’ve already seen how
Accessories > the Narrator tool can help by reading
Accessibility. aloud a description of any text that’s
being displayed on-screen, but there Use the Utility Manager to control any
are a number of other tools and accessibility tools that are running.
settings we’ll look at now that can Panel you’ll find all the tools you
be just as effective in giving help need to start making the desired
when and where it’s needed. In the changes to your mouse, keyboard
Accessibility Options of Control and display functions.
. Use the Accessibility Wizard to configure the keyboard, sound,

mouse, and display in Windows XP to suit you.
www.microsoft.com/enable/default.aspx
More information about

accessibility and . You can enlarge certain areas of the screen and make text easier
Microsoft products can to read by using the Magnifier tool
be found online.
. The on-screen keyboard is a valuable tool for any user with
limited mobility who cannot use a regular keyboard. Using any kind
of pointing device, whether it’s a mouse or digital pen, you’ll be able
to select the keys you need on-screen.
. Narrator is an excellent tool that will verbally convey the text
that appears on-screen. As well as reading out the contents of
menus and window title bars, it will read out text as you type,
ensuring greater accuracy.
. Use the Utility Manager to check the status of an Accessibility
program and to start and stop it. You can launch the Utility Manager
by pressing the Windows key plus [U].

CFG03.chp_11 5/29/03 6:57 PM Page 119
Other tools
Seeing more clearly with the help of the
Magnifier tool
he Magnifier tool is ideal for picture. Within the Magnifier
T anyone with impaired vision –

any area of the screen can be
magnified for a better view. It’s
Settings window you’ll also be able
to change the Magnification level
from its default setting of 2, up to 9, The Accessibility Wizard
is the easiest way to set
intended primarily to provide a if necessary. If you find it difficult to up Windows XP with the
minimum level of functionality for work with a larger-than-life version accessibility options that
are best for you.
users with slight vision impairment of your current document taking up
but could be used by all users. part of your screen, you can click on
Launch Magnifier from Accessibility the Invert Colors option and cut out
Options and you’ll see the top half of some of the glare. The Tracking
your program window disappear, to options are all in use by default. It
be replaced with a magnification may be however, that you only need
area. Move the mouse pointer to any help on specific areas, in which case
location and the top section of your uncheck everything except ‘Follow
screen will give you the bigger mouse cursor’.
Accessibility wizard
Optimise your configuration with the wizard
You can use the Accessibility wizard to configure
Windows XP by using the tools that will assist with your
sound, vision and mobility needs. Launch the wizard
from within Accessibility Options and begin by choosing
the text size you want to use in all program windows.
Next, enhance your configuration by choosing from a list
of statements that apply to you. For example, you can
choose to have visual warnings appear whenever
Windows XP makes a sound, or have captions displayed Use the wizard to configure
for speech and sounds. accessibility options in Windows XP.
www.microsoft.com/enable/products/microsoft.aspx

CFG03.gloss 29/5/03 6:33 pm Page 126
l Glossary
Your handy guide to important terms you’ll see used
by your computer and throughout this Focus Guide
Boot – The process of starting Double-click – To position gigabyte (GB) contains 1,024 word processing, spreadsheet
and resetting your PC, all the way the cursor over an object and megabytes (MBs). The average and image files. Store music and
from pressing the power switch press twice on the left mouse PC has 40GBs of storage space. work-in-progress files here.
to when Microsoft Windows XP button in quick succession: the
has finished loading. standard method of launching Hardware – The physical Network – A private group
an application or file. components of a computer of computers and associated
Broadband – A high-speed system, including any peripheral devices, such as printers. Only
internet connection (like ADSL), Drag – To move an item on equipment such as printers, computers on the network can
where files download faster than the screen by selecting it, then modems, and mouse devices. interact with the network, unlike
with a standard modem; ideal for pressing and holding down the being on the internet.
watching movie clips or listening left mouse button while moving Icon – A small graphical image
to music over the internet. the mouse. You can do this with displayed on the screen to Program – A complete,
icons and windows, amongst represent an object that can be self-contained set of computer
Browser – A program, such other items. manipulated by the user. Most instructions that you use to
as Internet Explorer, which is commonly used to launch files perform a specific task, such
used to read web pages and Drive – Anything in your and programs. as word processing, music
download files from the internet. computer which can store data playback, or data management.
on it; this includes hard disk Install – To add a program or
Codec – A small set of drives, CD drives and floppy application to your computer, to Recycle Bin – The place
codes or instructions which disc drives. be stored on the hard disk. It will (accessed by an icon on the
adds functionality to a program, stay there permanently until you desktop) where Windows XP
or which enables certain files to DVD – Digital Versatile Disc: choose to uninstall it. stores deleted files. You can
be accessed. looks like a CD, but can store retrieve files deleted by mistake,
much more data. Most Internet – A worldwide or you can empty the Recycle Bin
Cursor – The on-screen commonly used for high-quality network of computers and to create more disk space.
arrow which is always visible movies. Requires a DVD drive information. You can read web
in Windows XP, controlled by to be read. pages and download files Right-click – To position
moving the mouse around. from the internet with your the cursor over an object and
Use it to make selections and Email – A typed message Windows XP computer. press the right-hand mouse
tell the computer what you want sent electronically across the button once – usually offers a
it to do. internet from one person’s Maximise – To enlarge a selection of alternative actions
computer to another. window to its biggest size (usually for an object in Windows XP.
CD-ROM – Data CDs for so it fills the entire screen) by
use only in a computer; they File – A generic name for a pressing the maximise button Start button – The big
usually contain an application stand-alone data object in on the top-right of a window. button which is almost always
or other files. Windows XP. This can be a visible on the bottom-left of your
document, an image, a song, or Minimise – To reduce a screen. Use this to access your
CD-R – A blank CD onto almost anything self-contained. window to its smallest size, so it programs from the Start menu.
which you can record data or You’ll need a specific program to is shrunk to a labelled button on
audio with a CD-RW drive. A read what’s in certain types of file. the taskbar. Press the minimise Taskbar – This wide, short
CD-RW is a CD-R which can button on the top-right of a bar contains the Start button and
be rewritten multiple times. Folder – A container for window to do this. appears by default at the bottom
programs and files in graphical of the desktop. Click the taskbar
Desktop – The main screen user interfaces, shown by a My Computer – An icon buttons to switch between
in Windows XP: the colourful graphical image of a document on the desktop that enables you programs currently being used.
background that appears every folder in Windows XP. It can hold to see and alter everything stored
time your PC finishes loading up. files and/or additional folders. on all your computer’s drives. Window – A portion of the
You access main icons such as screen where programs and
My Computer and Recycle Bin Gigabyte – Standard unit My Documents – processes can be run. You can
from here. of data for computers. One Another icon that links to all your have several windows open.

CFG03.index 29/5/03 6:30 pm Page 129
Index c
Your quick reference list to what’s included in this
Focus Guide! See Contents for full chapter listings
A E
Accessibility options . . . . . . . . . . . .110, 118, 119 Event Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Active Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Folder options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
www.microsoft.com/office
If you’re having problems
Add Hardware wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 then start by taking a look
Add or Remove Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 F at the program’s Help file
– hit [F1] to bring it up, or
Adding new hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 go to Help > Help Topics.
Administrative tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 For more general help
and tutorials, head over
Advanced display settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 G to the Office section on
the Microsoft website, at
Appearance settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Game controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
the address given here.
C H
Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Handwriting Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Category View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Hardware profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
Changing Control Panel categories . . . . . .16 Hidden applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Changing currency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Changing thumbnail sizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 I
Classic Start menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Input Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Classic View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Internet Connection Firewall . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Clear Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Internet History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Compatibility mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Internet Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78, 83
Computer management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Internet Time Synchronisation . . . . . . . . . . .61
Control Panel customisation . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Control Panel layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Customisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 K
Customise Start menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Keyboard settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
D Keyboard shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Desktop cleanup wizard` . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Device Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 M
DirectX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Modem settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Disk Defragmenter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Display adapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Mouse pointer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

CFG03.index 29/5/03 6:30 pm Page 130
l N
Index
Narrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 Signed drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Network connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Sound events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Network connections wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Sounds and audio devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Notification area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Speech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Number display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Start button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
For serious technical Start menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
http://support.microsoft.com
problems, there’s a
substantial and very
O Switching users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
useful support resource Online print ordering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
at the address to the left.
Type the keywords of System Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16, 90, 91
your problem into the P
Search box on the top-
left of the screen – for Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 T
example, ‘Microsoft Word Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . .13 Taskbar and notification area . . . . . . . . . . . .17
formatting’ – and click the
green arrow button to Phone and modem options . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
search the Help archive.
Photo Printing Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Text-to-speech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Plug-and-play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Power options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100, 108, 109 Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Print options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Translate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Printer installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Troubleshooters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Printer properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Printers and Faxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 U
User Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110, 112
R User Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Remote assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
Remove Windows components . . . . . . . . . .26 V
Virtual memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98
S Voice Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62, 73
Scanner and Camera Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Volume settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Scanners and cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Scheduled tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100, 107 W
Screensavers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Wallpaper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Search tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Windows Catalogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Send To folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Windows components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Windows Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14, 92
Set program and access defaults . . . . . . . .25 Windows XP Fax utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Shortcut keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Windows XP service pack 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

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CFG03.

intro 5/30/03 10:51 AM Page 3

W from the makers of Microsoft Windows XP: The

Windows XP Control Panel and Settings-FocusGuide 3

6 FocusGuide-Windows XP Control Panel and Settings

Windows XP Control Panel and Settings-FocusGuide 7

8 FocusGuide-Windows XP Control Panel and Settings

Chapter 11 – PeopleandWindowsXP 110

Windows XP Control Panel and Settings-FocusGuide 9

Yes you can… disposal a vast array of tools, utilities

Page14 Access Windows Update from

10 FocusGuide-Windows XP Control Panel and Settings

Take control now

Don't worry about

Language and Regional Options and settings adjustments are already

Categories and tasks

Access Windows Some Categories

Click on ‘Other Categories such as

12 FocusGuide-Windows XP Control Panel and Settings

C to specific tasks. Choose the

. The Performance and Maintenance category in Control

launch the disk cleanup utility.

Windows XP Control Panel and Settings-FocusGuide 13

Details of any hot fixes or

Click on the Windows Update link in Control

website to download carried out for updates appropriate to your system.

Critical Updates should not be ignored. They

14 FocusGuide-Windows XP Control Panel and Settings

F you’ll have access to help for

current status, ask you what you’ve troubleshooter to match your

Problems with your browser can be solved

bottom of the window, makes sure that ‘I want the

A suggestion as to how to resolve the problem

Windows XP Control Panel and Settings-FocusGuide 15

Keep a record of any

Control Panel category codes

Other Control Panel Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0

16 FocusGuide-Windows XP Control Panel and Settings

W Windows XP is that it’s

Rather than appear as a link on the Start menu

With immediate effect you’ll have direct access

Windows XP Control Panel and Settings-FocusGuide 17

Yes you can… your fingertips – whether it’s adding a

Themes and wallpaper

Page 22 Screensavers can be used as

18 FocusGuide-Windows XP Control Panel and Settings

Practical customisation Page 23 Change the appearance of

Page 27 Customise the Start menu and

B around a specific subject or

Try Windows XP Plus! for

Downloading and installing themes

20 FocusGuide-Windows XP Control Panel and Settings

T the Windows XP interface is

The active desktop option is alive and well in

The new site will appear selected under Web

Windows XP Control Panel and Settings-FocusGuide 21

S used to help prevent screen-

On the disc you’ll find a

Can I use my old screensavers?

22 FocusGuide-Windows XP Control Panel and Settings

A overall look and feel of a

. The images you choose as your background wallpaper may

. Effects can be added to menu items as well as the actions you