| Dedication | ix |
| Acknowledgments | xxxv |
| We'd Like to Hear from You! | xxxvii |
| Conventions and Features Used in This Book | xxxix |
| PART 1 SETUP, STARTUP, TUNE-UP | 1 |
| CHAPTER 1 Introducing Windows XP | 3 |
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| What's New in Windows XP | 4 |
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| Increased Reliability and Security | 5 |
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| Fresh Visual Design | 8 |
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| Improved Usability for Everyday Tasks | 8 |
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| Internet Enhancements | 12 |
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| Integrated Tools for Working with Digital Media | 13 |
| Digital Music | 13 |
| Digital Pictures | 14 |
| Digital Video | 16 |
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| Network Smarts | 17 |
| CHAPTER 2 Installing and Configuring Windows XP | 21 |
| Avoiding Compatibility Problems | 21 |
| Preparing to Install Windows XP | 24 |
| Setting Up Windows XP | 25 |
| Performing a Clean Install | 27 |
| Upgrading a Previous Windows Version | 30 |
| Installing Windows XP on a Computer with Other Operating Systems | 31 |
| Controlling Setup with Switches | 35 |
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| Activating Windows XP | 36 |
| Automated Setup Options | 39 |
| Installing the Deployment Tools | 40 |
| Using Answer Files for Automated Installation | 41 |
| Using Disk Imaging | 46 |
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| Moving Windows Settings and Files | 49 |
| Transferring Files and Settings Between Computers | 51 |
| Saving Files and Settings to a Folder or Drive | 53 |
| Choosing Files and Settings to Transfer | 54 |
| Restoring Files and Settings on Your New Computer | 61 |
| Service Packs, Patches, and Windows Update | 62 |
| Accessibility Options | 63 |
| Adding and Removing Windows Components | 65 |
| Configuring System Restore Options | 68 |
| Configuring Startup Options | 73 |
| Customizing Multiboot Menus | 73 |
| Modifying Boot.ini | 74 |
| Adding the Recovery Console | 77 |
| CHAPTER 3 Controlling Access to your Computer | 79 |
| Introducing Windows XP Security | 80 |
| Permissions and Rights | 80 |
| User Accounts | 81 |
| Account Types | 83 |
| User Profiles | 86 |
| Simple File Sharing vs. Windows 2000-Style Sharing | 87 |
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| Working with User Accounts | 89 |
| Creating a New User Account | 91 |
| Changing Account Settings | 91 |
| Deleting an Account | 94 |
| Controlling How Users Log On | 96 |
| Using the Welcome Screen | 98 |
| Bypassing the Logon Screen | 101 |
| Configuring Fast User Switching | 103 |
| Logging Off or Locking Your Computer | 104 |
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| What Happened to the Administrator Account? | 106 |
| Logging On as Administrator | 106 |
| Adding Administrator to the Welcome Screen | 107 |
| Securing the Administrator Account | 107 |
| Advanced Account Setup Options | 108 |
| Using the Local Users And Groups Snap-In | 111 |
| Using the Net User and Net Localgroup Commands | 113 |
| Setting Logon Passwords | 116 |
| Creating a Secure Password | 117 |
| Setting a Password | 118 |
| Tightening Password Security | 120 |
| Recovering from a Lost Password | 122 |
| Setting Up Windows XP on a Shared Computer | 125 |
| CHAPTER 4 Help and Support Options | 129 |
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| Using the Help And Support Center | 130 |
| Searching for Help Topics | 132 |
| Using the Help Index | 134 |
| Customizing the Help And Support Center | 136 |
| Sharing Help Files | 138 |
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| Connecting to Another PC with Remote Assistance | 141 |
| How Remote Assistance Works | 142 |
| Sending a Remote Assistance Invitation | 145 |
| Working in a Remote Assistance Session | 147 |
| Maintaining Security | 149 |
| Improving Remote Assistance Performance | 150 |
| Other Support Resources | 151 |
| Contacting Microsoft Support | 151 |
| CHAPTER 5 Installing, Uninstalling, and Managing Programs | 153 |
| How User Rights Affect Program Setup Options | 153 |
| Installing Programs | 156 |
| Installing 32-Bit Windows Programs | 158 |
| Installing and Running 16-Bit Windows Programs | 159 |
| Installing and Configuring MS-DOS Programs | 161 |
| Making a Program Available to All Users | 164 |
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| Forcing Older Programs to Run Properly | 165 |
| Managing Installed Programs | 166 |
| Uninstalling Programs | 167 |
| Managing Program Shortcuts | 168 |
| Running a Program as Another User | 169 |
| CHAPTER 6 Setting Up and Troubleshooting Hardware | 173 |
| A Crash Course in Device Drivers | 173 |
| Are Signed Drivers Safer? | 175 |
| Will Drivers Written for Other Windows Versions Work with Windows XP? | 178 |
| Setting Up a New Device | 178 |
| Managing the Plug and Play Process | 179 |
| Configuring Non-Plug and Play Devices | 182 |
| Finding Information About an Installed Driver | 185 |
| Viewing Device and Driver Details | 186 |
| Adjusting Advanced Settings | 189 |
| Viewing and Changing Resource Assignments | 192 |
| Managing Installed Drivers | 195 |
| Updating a Device Driver | 196 |
| Rolling Back to a Previous Driver Version | 196 |
| Uninstalling a Driver | 197 |
| Enabling and Disabling Specific Devices | 197 |
| Decoding Hardware Errors | 199 |
| CHAPTER 7 Tuning Up System Performance | 205 |
| Detecting Common Performance Bottlenecks | 206 |
| Monitoring Memory Usage | 209 |
| Avoiding CPU Overload | 214 |
| Making the Most of Virtual Memory | 215 |
| Managing Programs and Processes | 219 |
| Configuring Programs That Run Automatically | 224 |
| Controlling Services at Startup | 228 |
| Advanced System Performance Measurement | 229 |
| Using the Performance Console | 229 |
| Advanced System Tweaks | 235 |
| PART 2 CUSTOMIZING WINDOWS XP | 239 |
| CHAPTER 8 Tweaking the Windows XP Interface | 241 |
| A Road Map to the Windows XP User Interface | 242 |
| Making It Easy to Start Your Favorite Programs | 243 |
| Setting the Appearance of the Start Menu | 244 |
| Controlling the Content of the Start Menu | 246 |
| Using Personalized Menus | 255 |
| Using the Quick Launch Bar and Other Desktop Toolbars | 256 |
| Making It Easy to Open Your Favorite Documents | 261 |
| Working with Recently Opened Documents | 262 |
| Customizing the Start Menu with Shortcuts to Other Folders | 265 |
| Managing Desktop Clutter | 267 |
| Controlling Desktop Icons | 267 |
| Making Desktop Icons Easier to See | 271 |
| Changing the Background | 273 |
| Displaying Web Content on Your Desktop | 275 |
| |
| Changing Colors, Fonts, and Visual Effects | 282 |
| Modifying the Predefined Color Schemes | 284 |
| Finding Other Themes | 286 |
| Customizing Visual Effects for Better Performance | 288 |
| Customizing the Taskbar | 288 |
| Changing the Taskbar's Size and Appearance | 289 |
| Making More Room on the Taskbar | 289 |
| Getting the Taskbar Out of Your Way | 291 |
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| Removing Unneeded Icons from the Notification Area | 292 |
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| Streamlining Control Panel | 293 |
| CHAPTER 9 Configuring Shutdown and Power Management Options | 299 |
| How Does Your Computer Manage Power? | 300 |
| Configuring Your Computer's BIOS | 300 |
| Conserving Power on All Computers—Even Desktops! | 301 |
| Using Standby to Reduce Power Use | 303 |
| Shutting Down Your Computer | 307 |
| Hibernating for Maximum Power Savings | 308 |
| Waking Up Your Computer | 310 |
| Using Power Schemes | 313 |
| Conserving Power on Portable Computers | 313 |
| Displaying a Power Status Indicator | 314 |
| Protecting Your Data During a Power Outage | 315 |
| Configuring a UPS | 315 |
| ACPI vs. APM | 318 |
| Determining Whether Your System Is ACPI-Compliant | 319 |
| Upgrading to ACPI Support | 320 |
| Enabling APM Power Management | 321 |
| CHAPTER 10 Automating Windows XP | 323 |
| Scheduling Tasks to Run Automatically | 324 |
| Running a Program at a Scheduled Time | 324 |
| Monitoring Scheduled Tasks | 326 |
| Advanced Scheduling Options | 327 |
| Scheduling Tasks with the Schtasks Command | 329 |
| Downloading Web Pages at a Scheduled Time | 331 |
| Automating Command Sequences with Batch Programs | 335 |
| Using Batch Commands | 336 |
| Creating a Simple Batch Program | 340 |
| Using Advanced Techniques | 343 |
| Automating Tasks with Windows Script Host | 356 |
| Finding Scripting Resources | 356 |
| Choosing a Scripting Language | 358 |
| Using the Script File Format | 360 |
| Debugging Scripts | 361 |
| Introducing Objects | 365 |
| Example Scripts | 369 |
| PART 3 MANAGING FILES | 375 |
| CHAPTER 11 Windows Explorer for Experts | 377 |
| |
| Choosing Between Common Tasks and Classic Folders | 377 |
| Toggling Between Folder Views | 379 |
| Using the Details Section of the Task Pane | 379 |
| Customizing the Toolbars | 380 |
| Displaying the Status Bar | 382 |
| Using Explorer Bars | 382 |
| Using the Search Bar | 383 |
| Using the Favorites Bar | 383 |
| Using the Media Bar | 385 |
| Using the History Bar | 385 |
| Using the Folders Bar | 386 |
| Choosing View Options | 387 |
| Making All Folders Use the Same View | 389 |
| Changing Views in Common Dialog Boxes | 389 |
| Customizing Details View | 390 |
| Sorting and Grouping Icons | 391 |
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| Choosing a Folder Template | 393 |
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| Putting Pictures on Folder Icons | 395 |
| Choosing Advanced Folder Options | 395 |
| Automatically Search for Network Folders and Printers | 396 |
| Display File Size Information in Folder Tips | 396 |
| Display Simple Folder View in Explorer's Folders List | 397 |
| Display the Contents of System Folders | 397 |
| Display the Full Path in the Address Bar and Title Bar | 397 |
| Do Not Cache Thumbnails | 398 |
| Hidden Files and Folders | 398 |
| Hide Extensions for Known File Types | 398 |
| Hide Protected Operating System Files (Recommended) | 399 |
| Launch Folder Windows in a Separate Process | 399 |
| Managing Pairs of Web Pages and Folders | 399 |
| Remember Each Folder's View Settings | 400 |
| Restore Previous Folder Windows at Logon | 400 |
| Show Control Panel in My Computer | 400 |
| Show Encrypted or Compressed NTFS Files in Color | 401 |
| Show Pop-Up Descriptions for Folder and Desktop Items | 401 |
| Use Simple File Sharing (Recommended) | 401 |
| Using Cascading Folder Menus | 402 |
| Working with File Types and File Associations | 403 |
| Changing the Default Action for a File Type | 404 |
| Changing the Application Associated with a File Type | 405 |
| Changing a File Type's Icon | 405 |
| Making the Extension of a Particular File Type Visible | 406 |
| Specifying Download Behavior | 406 |
| Editing a File Type's Shortcut Menu | 407 |
| Using Windows Explorer's Command-Line Syntax | 409 |
| Using GUIDs to Open Shell Folders in Windows Explorer | 411 |
| CHAPTER 12 Managing and Finding Files | 413 |
| Seven Principles of Effective File Management | 413 |
| Using Tools for File Management | 416 |
| Manipulating Files with the Folders Bar | 416 |
| Inspecting and Setting File Properties | 417 |
| Using Details View to See and Compare Properties of Many Files | 419 |
| Creating and Customizing Document Shortcuts | 419 |
| Protecting Files with the Read-Only Attribute | 421 |
| Maximizing Storage Space with NTFS Compression and Zipped Folders | 422 |
| Copying Files to CDs | 429 |
| Using and Configuring the Recycle Bin | 432 |
| |
| Locating Files with Search Companion | 435 |
| Specifying a Search Type | 436 |
| Overriding Defaults | 439 |
| Refining a Search | 440 |
| Saving and Reusing Search Criteria | 440 |
| Using Indexing Service and Query Language | 440 |
| Security and Indexing Service | 441 |
| Limitations of Indexing Service | 441 |
| Activating Indexing Service | 443 |
| Submitting Queries | 443 |
| Phrase and Free-Text Query Expressions | 444 |
| Restrictions on Content Queries | 444 |
| Working with Properties | 445 |
| The EQUALS and CONTAINS Operators | 447 |
| Relational Operators | 447 |
| Date and Time Expressions | 448 |
| Boolean Operators | 448 |
| Order of Operator Precedence | 449 |
| Pattern-Matching Queries | 449 |
| Administering Indexing Service | 450 |
| An Overview of the Indexing Process | 451 |
| Indexing Files with Unknown Extensions | 452 |
| Supplying an Alias for a Folder Name | 452 |
| Stopping, Pausing, and Restarting | 453 |
| Changing the Folders Included in a Catalog | 453 |
| Excluding Specific NTFS Files | 454 |
| Manually Rescanning a Folder | 454 |
| Adjusting Indexing Service's Performance Parameters | 454 |
| CHAPTER 13 Securing Files and Folders | 457 |
| How Setup Decisions Dictate Your Security Options | 458 |
| NTFS vs. FAT32 | 458 |
| Simple File Sharing vs. Advanced Permissions | 459 |
| Default Locations for Shared Files | 462 |
| |
| Keeping Your Own Files Private | 464 |
| Controlling Access with NTFS Permissions | 467 |
| Applying Advanced Security Settings | 469 |
| Taking Ownership of Files and Folders | 485 |
| |
| Troubleshooting Permission Problems | 487 |
| CHAPTER 14 Encrypting Confidential Information | 489 |
| Encrypting Folders and Files | 491 |
| Decrypting Folders and Files | 497 |
| Allowing Others to Use Your Encrypted Files | 497 |
| Using the Cipher Command | 499 |
| Creating a Data Recovery Agent | 499 |
| Generating a Recovery Agent Certificate | 500 |
| Designating Data Recovery Agents | 500 |
| Removing the Private Key | 502 |
| Backing Up Your Certificates | 503 |
| Backing Up the Recovery Agent Certificate | 504 |
| Exporting a Personal Encryption Certificate | 505 |
| Importing a Personal Encryption Certificate | 506 |
| Creating a New Personal Encryption Certificate | 508 |
| Recovering Encrypted Files and Folders | 508 |
| Disabling or Reenabling EFS | 509 |
| Best Practices for Safe Encryption | 510 |
| CHAPTER 15 Working with Offline Files and Folders | 511 |
| Setting Up Your System to Use Offline Files | 512 |
| Choosing Setup Options | 513 |
| Making Files and Folders Available Offline | 515 |
| Working Offline | 516 |
| Setting Caching Options on the Server | 517 |
| Using Automatic Caching Of Documents | 518 |
| Using Automatic Caching Of Programs | 518 |
| Turning Off Caching for a Specific Share | 519 |
| How Windows Synchronizes Your Files | 519 |
| Synchronizing on Demand, on Idle, or on Schedule | 520 |
| Managing the Cache | 521 |
| Increasing or Decreasing the Maximum Cache Size | 522 |
| Deleting Files from the Cache | 522 |
| Synchronizing Files with Briefcase | 523 |
| Getting Status Information About Briefcase Files | 524 |
| Synchronizing Files | 525 |
| Separating a Briefcase File from Its Sync Copy | 525 |
| PART 4 MASTERING DIGITAL MEDIA | 527 |
| CHAPTER 16 Customizing Windows Media Player | 529 |
| Controlling File Type Associations | 532 |
| Changing the Default Application for Individual File Extensions | 533 |
| Changing the AutoPlay Behavior for a CD or DVD Drive | 534 |
| |
| Understanding and Protecting Your Digital Rights | 535 |
| Backing Up Your Licenses | 536 |
| Restoring Your Licenses | 537 |
| Configuring Windows Media Player to Copy Music from CDs | 538 |
| Deciding Whether to Use Copy Protection | 538 |
| Choosing a Bit Rate for Your WMA Files | 539 |
| Deciding How to Name Your Files and Where to Store Them | 540 |
| |
| Customizing Windows Media Player's Appearance | 544 |
| Toggling the Menu Bar | 545 |
| Toggling Shuffle Mode | 545 |
| Toggling the Graphic Equalizer and Other Settings | 545 |
| Toggling the Playlist Display | 546 |
| Toggling the Taskbar | 546 |
| Using Visualizations | 546 |
| Using Skins | 548 |
| Extending Windows Media Player's Capabilities | 549 |
| |
| Adding Skins and Visualizations | 550 |
| CHAPTER 17 Using Windows Media Player | 551 |
| Playing Audio CDs | 551 |
| Viewing Media Information and Album Art | 554 |
| Using the Graphic Equalizer and SRS WOW Effects | 555 |
| |
| Copying Audio Tracks from CD to Hard Disk | 555 |
| Editing Track Information Before You Copy | 557 |
| What to Do If AMG Has Never Heard of Your Disc | 558 |
| |
| Managing Your Media Library | 561 |
| Adding Items to Your Media Library | 561 |
| Searching for Items in Your Media Library | 563 |
| Working with Playlists | 563 |
| Editing Metadata Tags in the Media Library | 567 |
| Adding Lyrics to Songs | 567 |
| Working with Your Media Library in Windows Explorer | 569 |
| Deleting Items from Your Media Library | 570 |
| |
| Burning Custom CDs | 571 |
| |
| Copying to a Portable Device | 574 |
| Listening to Radio Stations | 574 |
| Using Presets | 576 |
| Finding Stations in Your Web Browser | 576 |
| |
| Watching DVD Movies | 577 |
| Using DVD Controls | 578 |
| Using Subtitles, Closed Captions, and Other Features | 578 |
| Watching Movies Full Screen | 579 |
| CHAPTER 18 Organizing and Editing Images | 581 |
| |
| Setting Up a Scanner or Digital Camera | 582 |
| |
| Saving and Editing Images | 584 |
| Choosing the Right File Format | 588 |
| |
| Compressing and Shrinking Image Files | 589 |
| Shrinking Images for E-Mail | 590 |
| Optimizing Image Files for the Web | 592 |
| Compressing Batches of Image Files | 593 |
| |
| Printing Digital Photos | 593 |
| |
| Managing Images in Windows Explorer | 598 |
| Customizing Folders for Images | 600 |
| Viewing and Annotating Image Files | 602 |
