[Missing Manuals 01] • Windows 7 by Pogue, David -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Windows 7: The Missing Manual SPECIAL OFFER: Upgrade this ebook with O’Reilly A Note Regarding Supplemental Files The Missing Credits

About the Author About the Creative Team Acknowledgments The Missing Manual Series

Introduction

What’s New

The Bummers

Upgrading from Windows XP The Matrix of Windows versions lives on Missing Apps

About This Book

System Requirements for Your Brain About the Outline About→These→Arrows

The Very Basics

Windows Defined The Right Mouse Button is King Wizards = Interviews There’s More Than One Way to Do Everything You Can Use the Keyboard for Everything The Start Menu is Fastest About Shift+Clicking You Could Spend a Lifetime Changing Properties Every Piece of Hardware Requires Software It’s Not Meant to Be Overwhelming About MissingManuals.com

One. The Windows 7 Desktop

1. Getting Started, Desktop, & Start Menu

Getting Started The Windows Desktop—Now with Aero! The Start Menu

Anatomy of the Start Menu Keyboard Navigation

Use the arrow keys Use the Search box

The All Programs List

Folders

Software-company folders Program-group folders The Startup folder

Start Menu: The Right Side

Start→[Your Name]: The Personal Folder Start→Documents Start→Pictures, Music Start→Games Start→Computer Start→Control Panel Start→Devices and Printers Start→Default Programs Start→Help and Support

Start→Shut down (Sleep, Restart, Log Off…)

Three Triggers for Sleep/Shut Down—and How to Change Them Commands That No Longer Appear

Customizing the Start Menu

Start Menu Settings

The hide/show switches for things in the Start menu A note about “Display as menu” More options for the Start menu Below the scrolling list

Add Your Own Icons to the Start Menu

The “free” sections of the Start menu Method 1: Drag an icon directly Method 2: Use the Start menu folders

Removing Icons from the Start Menu Renaming Start-Menu Items Reorganizing the Start Menu

Add folders to hold submenus

Jump Lists

Pinning Jump List Caveats Jump List Settings

The Run Command

Open a Program Open Any Program or Document Open a Drive Window Open a Folder Window Connect to a Web Page

2. Explorer, Windows, & the Taskbar

Universal Window Controls

Sizing, Moving, and Closing Windows

Maximized Minimized Restored

Moving a Window Closing a Window Layering Windows

New Window Tricks in Windows 7

Aero Snap Aero Shake The Show Desktop Button

Windows Flip (Alt+Tab) Windows Flip 3D

Flip 3D Without Holding Down Keys

Explorer Window Controls

Address Bar

Components of the address bar What to type into the address bar

The Task Toolbar

Optional Window Panes

Details Pane Preview Pane Navigation Pane

Favorite Links list Libraries Homegroup Computer Network Flippy triangles

Libraries

Working with Library Contents Adding a Folder to an Existing Library

The fine print

Removing a Folder from a Library Creating a New Library

Tags, Metadata, and Properties

Properties

Icon and List Views Sorting, Grouping, and Filtering

Sorting Files

Details view All other views

Grouping Filtering

Uni-Window vs. Multi-Window Immortalizing Your Tweaks The “Folder Options” Options Taskbar 2.0

Taskbar as App Switcher Handy Window Miniatures Aero Peek Button Groups The Taskbar as App Launcher Jump Lists: Taskbar Edition The Notification Area (System Tray)

Revealing the hidden status icons Reinstating the hidden icons Revealing all system-tray icons

Three Ways to Get the Taskbar Out of Your Hair

Auto-Hiding the Taskbar Changing the Taskbar’s Size Moving the Taskbar to the Sides of the Screen

Taskbar Toolbars

Address Toolbar Links Toolbar Tablet PC Input Panel Desktop Toolbar Redesigning Your Toolbars Build Your Own Toolbars

3. Searching & Organizing Your Files

Meet Windows Search Search from the Start Menu

The “More Results” Window Limit by Size, Date, Rating, Tag, Author… Special Search Codes Results Menu Tips

Explorer-Window Searches

Search filters

The Search Index

Where Windows Looks The Older, Slower Kind of Search Adding New Places to the Index Customizing Search

Folder Options Indexing Options Advanced Indexing Options

Saved Searches The Folders of Windows 7

What’s in the Local Disk (C:) Window

PerfLogs Program Files Program Files (x86) Users Windows

Your Personal Folder

Life with Icons

Renaming Your Icons Icon Properties

Computer Disks Data files Folders Program files

Changing Your Icons’ Icons

Standard Windows icons Folder or shortcut icons

Selecting Icons

Use the Mouse Use the Keyboard Checkbox Selection Eliminating Double-Clicks

Copying and Moving Folders and Files

Copying by Dragging Icons

The right-mouse-button trick Dragging icons into the Navigation pane

Copying with Copy and Paste

The Recycle Bin

Making the Recycle Bin Less Naggy Restoring Deleted Files and Folders Emptying the Recycle Bin

Auto-emptying the Recycle Bin

Shortcut Icons

Creating and Deleting Shortcuts Unveiling a Shortcut’s True Identity Shortcut Keyboard Triggers

Compressing Files and Folders

NTFS Compression

Compressing files, folders, or disks

Zipped Folders

Creating zipped folders Working with zipped folders

Burning CDs and DVDs from the Desktop

A Tale of Two Formats Burning, Step by Step

The final steps: Mastered (ISO) format The final steps: Live File System (UDF) format

Final Notes

4. Interior Decorating Windows

Aero or Not

Turning Off Only Transparent Window Edges Turning Off Window Snapping and Shaking Turning Off the Inch-Tall Taskbar Turn Off All Those Glitzy Animations Turning Off the Aero Look (and Aero App Switchers)

A Gallery of Themes

Aero Themes Basic and High Contrast Themes

Desktop Background (Wallpaper)

Auto–Picture Changing Making the Pictures Fit Other Ways to Choose Desktop Photos

Window Color Sounds Screen Savers

Choosing a Screen Saver

Desktop Icons Mouse Makeover

Pointer Options

Preserving Your Tweaks for Posterity Monitor Settings

Three Ways to Enlarge the Screen

Change the resolution Enlarge just the type and graphics The Magnifier

Colors Multiple Monitors Advanced Settings

5. Getting Help

Navigating the Help System

Search the Help Pages Drilling Down

Remote Assistance

Remote Assistance: Rest Assured Starting Up Remote Assistance: If You’re Both on Windows 7

Instructions for the novice Instructions for the expert

Starting Up Remote Assistance: If You’re Not Both on Windows 7

Instructions for the novice Instructions for the expert

Once You’re Connected

Getting Help from Microsoft

Two. Windows 7 Software

6. Programs, Documents, & Gadgets

Opening Programs Exiting Programs When Programs Die: The Task Manager Saving Documents

The Save Dialog Box Saving into Your Documents Folder Saving into Other Folders Navigating the List by Keyboard The File Format Drop-Down Menu

Closing Documents The Open Dialog Box Moving Data Between Documents

Cut, Copy, and Paste Drag-and-Drop Export/Import

Speech Recognition

Take the Tutorial Dictating. Controlling Windows Speech Recognition Controlling Windows and Its Programs

Show numbers

Controlling Dictation

Correcting errors More commands Speech Recognition tips

Gadgets

Gadget Tip-o-Rama Gadget Catalog

Calendar Clock CPU Meter Currency Feed Headlines Picture Puzzle Slide Show Weather

More Gadgets

Installing a gadget Uninstalling a gadget

Filename Extensions and File Associations

Displaying Filename Extensions Hooking Up an Unknown File Type Hooking Up a File Extension to a Different Program

Method 1: Start with the document Method 2: Start with the program Method 3: Start with the file type

Installing Software

The Preinstallation Checklist Installing Software from a Disc Installing Downloaded Software Installing Windows Components

Uninstalling Software

When Uninstalling Goes Wrong

Program Compatibility Modes

Warning When You Upgrade to Windows 7 Warning Right When You Install an Older App Compatibility Mode

Compatibility mode: the wizardy way Compatibility mode: the manual way

Windows XP Mode

7. The Freebie Apps

Windows Live Essentials Default Programs Desktop Gadget Gallery Internet Explorer Windows Anytime Upgrade Windows DVD Maker Windows Fax and Scan Windows Media Center Windows Media Player Windows Live Movie Maker Windows Update XPS Viewer Accessories

Bluetooth File Transfer Calculator Command Prompt

Connect to a Network Projector

Connect to a Projector Getting Started Math Input Panel Notepad

Notepad basics About Word Wrap

Paint Remote Desktop Connection Run Snipping Tool Sound Recorder

Recording a new sound What to do with sounds

Sticky Notes

Creating notes Formatting notes Deleting notes

Sync Center Windows Explorer Windows Mobility Center WordPad

Using WordPad

Ease of Access

Ease of Access Center Magnifier Narrator On-Screen Keyboard Windows Speech Recognition

System Tools

Character Map Internet Explorer (No Add-ons) Private Character Editor

Tablet PC Windows PowerShell

Games

Chess Titans FreeCell Games Explorer Hearts Internet Backgammon, Internet Checkers, Internet Spades Mahjong Titans Minesweeper Purble Place Solitaire Spider Solitaire

Maintenance Startup Windows Live

Windows Live Writer Windows Live Messenger Building the Buddy List Text Chats

They invite you You invite them Text chatting In-Chat Fun

Audio Chats Video Chats Cosmetic Tweaks

8. The Control Panel

Many Roads to Control Panel

The Control Panel Itself

Category view Classic view

Control Panel via Search

The Control Panel, Applet by Applet

Action Center Administrative Tools AutoPlay Backup and Restore Center BitLocker Drive Encryption Color Management Credential Manager Date and Time Default Programs Desktop Gadgets Device Manager Devices and Printers Display Ease of Access Center Folder Options Fonts Getting Started HomeGroup Indexing Options Internet Options iSCSI Initiator Keyboard Location and Other Sensors Mouse

Buttons tab Pointers tab Pointers Options tab Wheel tab Hardware tab

Network and Sharing Center Notification Area Icons Parental Controls Pen and Input Devices Performance Information and Tools Personalization Phone and Modem Power Options

Creating your own plan

Programs and Features Recovery Region and Language

Formats tab Location tab Keyboards and Languages tab Administrative

RemoteApp and Desktop Connections Sound

Playback and Recording tabs Sounds tab Communications tab

Speech Recognition Sync Center System Taskbar and Start Menu Troubleshooting User Accounts Windows CardSpace Windows Defender Windows Firewall Windows Mobility Center Windows Update

Three. Windows 7 Online

9. Hooking Up to the Internet

Your New Network Neighborhood

Network Icon Network and Sharing Center

Wired Connections

Automatic Configuration Manual Configuration

WiFi Hot Spots

When You Can’t Get On Commercial Hot Spots Memorized Hot Spots

Cellular Modems Dial-Up Connections Connection Management

10. Internet Security

Microsoft Security Essentials Action Center Windows Firewall

How It Works Firewall Settings Punching Through the Firewall Advanced Firewall

Windows Defender

Real-Time Protection Scanning

Scan History Tools

SmartScreen Filter

Phine-Tuning the Philter

Privacy and Cookies

The Terminology of Cookies Cookie Options

History: Erasing Your Tracks The Pop-Up Blocker

Overriding the Pop-up Block

InPrivate Browsing InPrivate Filtering Internet Security Zones

Security Levels Classifying Sites by Hand

Hot Spot Security Protect Your Home Wireless Network Parental Controls

Time Limits, Game Limits, Software Restrictions Family Safety Customizing Family Safety

11. Internet Explorer 8

IE8: The Grand Tour

The Raw Basics Menus and Gizmos The Address Bar Topside Doodads Window Controls

Tabbed Browsing

Shortcut-O-Rama Quick Tabs (Thumbnails) Tab Settings

Favorites (Bookmarks)

The Favorites Toolbar

History List RSS: The Missing Manual

Viewing an RSS Feed

Web Slices Tips for Better Surfing

Full-Screen Browsing Picking a Home Page Bigger Text, Smaller Text Zooming In and Out Online Photos Saving Pages Sending Pages Accelerators

How to use an accelerator Turning off accelerators Adding more accelerators

Printing Pages Turn Off Animations Internet Options

The Keyboard Shortcut Master List

12. Windows Live Mail

Setting Up Windows Mail Sending Email

Mail Folders in Windows Mail Composing and Sending Messages The Contacts List Attaching Files to Messages

Reading Email

When Pictures are Part of the Message How to Process a Message

Deleting messages

Replying to Messages Forwarding Messages Printing Messages Filing Messages Flagging Messages Opening Attachments Message Rules

Setting up message rules Two sneaky message-rules tricks

Junk Email

Junk E-Mail Safety Options When the Junk Filter Goes Wrong

The World of Mail Settings

General Tab Read Tab Receipts Tab Send Tab Compose Tab Signatures Tab Spelling Tab Connection Tab Advanced Tab

Calendar

Working with Views Making an Appointment

The easy way The long way

What to Do with an Appointment

Editing events Rescheduling events Lengthening or shortening events Printing events Deleting events

The “Calendar” Category Concept Syncing Calendars with Windows Live Publishing Calendars

RSS Feeds Newsgroups

Subscribing to a Microsoft Newsgroup Other Newsgroups Reading Messages Replying, Composing, and Forwarding Messages

13. Windows Live Services

Home Profile Spaces Mail Photos SkyDrive

Put Files Onto the SkyDrive Retrieving the Files The 50-Megabyte Email Attachment

Calendar

Publishing a Calendar

Subscribing

Four. Pictures, Music, & TV

14. Windows Live Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery: The Application Getting Pictures into Photo Gallery

Photos from a Digital Camera Photos from a USB Card Reader The File Format Factor

Common graphics formats Movies RAW format

The Post-Dump Slideshow

Slideshow Themes

The Digital Shoebox

The Bigger Picture The Navigation Tree Working with Your Photos Category Groupings Selecting Photos Deleting Photos Duplicating a Photo The Info Panel

Titles Dates Captions

Tags and Ratings

Editing Tags Applying Tags and Ratings Using Tags and Ratings Searching for Photos by Text

Editing Your Shots

Ways to Zoom Ten Levels of Undo Auto Adjust Cropping Red Eye Rotate Exposure and Color Adjustments

Exposure Color balance

Reverting to the Original

Finding Your Audience

Make Prints Slideshows Email Burn to a Disc Make a Slideshow Movie Build a Photo Screen Saver Make a Blog Post Publish a Web Photo Gallery

15. Windows Media Player

The Lay of the Land Importing Music Files Music Playback

Fun with Media Player

Playing Music CDs Ripping CDs to Your Hard Drive

Playlists

Deleting things

Burning Your Own CDs

Copying Music or Video to a Portable Player

Automatic sync Manual sync

Sharing Music on the Network

Browse One Another’s Collections—Homegroup Method Browse One Another’s Collections—Manual Method “Play to” Play over the Internet

Online Music Stores

Internet Radio

DVD Movies

Ditching the remote control

Pictures and Videos

16. Windows Media Center

Your Gear List Setup

Express Custom

Required Setup Optional Setup

The Main Menu Extras Pictures+Videos

Slideshows

Adding music Slideshow settings

Editing Pictures Burn a CD of Pictures or Videos

Music: Your PC as Jukebox

Playback Fun Ripping CDs Playlists

Creating playlists

Now Playing Movies TV: Your PC as TiVo

internet tv guide recorded tv

Save a show onto a DVD

guide live tv search Tricks with Live TV

Sports Tasks Settings

General TV Pictures Music Start Menu and Extras DVD Extenders Media Libraries

Five. Hardware & Peripherals

17. Print, Fax, & Scan

Installing a Printer

USB Printers Network Printers Parallel, Serial, and Infrared Printers The Devices and Printers Window

Printing

Printing from Programs Printing from the Desktop

Controlling Printouts Fancy Printer Tricks

Printing at 39,000 Feet Sharing a Printer Printing to a File

Creating a printer file Printing a printer file

Limiting Hours of Access Add a Separator Page

Printer Troubleshooting Fonts

Managing Your Fonts

Faxing

Sending a Fax from Any Program Faxing Using Windows Fax and Scan Receiving Faxes

Scanning Documents

18. Hardware

External Gadgets

USB Jacks Other Jacks Connecting New Gadgets

Device Stage Installing Cards in Expansion Slots Troubleshooting Newly Installed Gear Driver Signing The Device Manager

The Curse of the Yellow ! Badge

Duplicate devices Resolving resource conflicts

Turning Components Off Updating Drivers Driver Rollback

19. Laptops, Tablets, & Touchscreens

Laptops

Battery Meter Mobility Center

Tablet PCs and Touchscreen PCs

Handwriting Recognition

Teaching Windows how you write Handwriting anywhere Gestures Fixing mistakes The finer points of handwriting recognition

Windows Journal Flicks

Tablet and touch settings

Windows Touch

Touch Gestures Minor Tweaks

Windows Mobile Offline Files & Sync Center

Preparing to Leave the Network Working Offline Reconnecting to the Network The Sync Schedule

Six. PC Health

20. Maintenance & Speed Tweaks

The Action Center Disk Cleanup Disk Defragmenter

Defragging Settings

Hard Drive Checkups Disk Management

Change a Drive Letter Partition a New Drive

Creating a partition

Turn a Drive into a Folder

Task Scheduler

Adding a Task Editing Scheduled Tasks

Three Speed Tricks

SuperFetch ReadyBoost Shutting Off Bells and Whistles

Windows Update

Fiddling with Windows Update Beyond the Basics Removing Updates

21. The Disk Chapter

Dynamic Disks

How Dynamic Disks Work Extending onto Another Disk

Extending into a spanned volume Creating a striped volume

Compressing Files and Folders

NTFS Compression

Compressing files, folders, or disks

Zipped Folders

Creating zipped folders Working with zipped folders

Encrypting Files and Folders

Using EFS EFS Rules

BitLocker Drive Encryption

Tweaking Windows 7 to Run BitLocker The Flash-Drive Workaround Turning on BitLocker

22. Backups, System Restore, & Troubleshooting

Automatic Backups

Backup Hardware Your First Backup Restoring Files from a Backup

System Images

Make the Image Restore the Image

System Restore

About Restore Points Performing a System Restore Turning System Restore Off

Shadow Copies (Previous Versions)

Making Shadow Copies Recovering Old Document Versions

Safe Mode and the Startup Menu Troubleshooting Tools

Automatic Error Reporting Automatic Solution Reporting The Diary of Windows Crashes Reliability Monitor

Startup Repair (Windows Recovery Environment)

Seven. Networking & Homegroups

23. Accounts & Logging On

Introducing User Accounts Windows 7: The OS with Two Faces Local Accounts

Administrator vs. Standard Accounts Adding an Account Editing an Account The Forgotten Password Disk Deleting User Accounts Disabling Accounts The Guest Account

Authenticate Yourself: User Account Control Local Accounts on a Domain Computer

Creating a Local Account for a Domain Member

Local Users and Groups

Opening the Console Creating a New Account Groups

Creating a group Built-in groups

Modifying Users and Groups

Fast User Switching Logging On

You Get the Accounts Screen You Zoom Straight to the Desktop You Get the “Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to Begin” Dialog Box

Profiles

The Public Profile

Whose software is it, anyway?

The Default User Profile

NTFS Permissions: Protecting Your Stuff

Setting Up NTFS Permissions

Step 1: Specify the person Step 2: Specify the permissions

Groups and Permissions When Permissions Collide

NTFS permissions travel downstream, from outer folders to inner ones. NTFS permissions that have been explicitly applied to a file or folder always override inherited permissions. Permissions accumulate as you burrow downward through subfolders.

24. Setting Up a Workgroup

Kinds of Networks

Ethernet

Network hookups

Wireless Networks (WiFi or 802.11) Other Kinds of Networks

Phone line networks Power outlet networks

Sharing an Internet Connection

Get a Broadband Router Use Internet Connection Sharing

The Network and Sharing Center

Links at the Left Side

“Manage wireless networks” “Change adapter settings” “Change advanced sharing settings”

Links in the Main Window

“Set up a new connection or network” Connect to a network Choose homegroup and sharing options Troubleshoot problems

25. Network Domains

The Domain

What’s Wrong with Workgroups The Domain Concept Active Directory Domain Security

Joining a Domain Four Ways Life Is Different on a Domain

Logging On Browsing the Domain Searching the Domain

Custom Searches

Assigning Permissions to Domain Members

26. Sharing Files on the Network

Three Ways to Share Files Homegroups

How to Use Your Homegroup How to Share More Folders Leaving a Homegroup Editing the Shared Homegroup Libraries

Sharing the Public Folders Sharing Any Folder

Advanced Folder Sharing—and Disk Sharing Notes on File Sharing Hiding Folders

Accessing Shared Folders

Extra Credit: Universal Naming Convention (UNC)

Mapping Shares to Drive Letters

27. Windows by Remote Control

Remote Access Basics Dialing Direct

Setting Up the Host PC Setting Up the Remote PC Making the Call

Virtual Private Networking

Setting Up the Host Machine Making the Connection

Remote Desktop

Setting Up the Host Machine Making the Connection Keyboard Shortcuts for the Hopelessly Confused Disconnecting Fine-tuning Remote Desktop Connections

Eight. Appendixes

A. Installing & Upgrading to Windows 7

Before You Begin

Hardware Requirements The Compatibility Issue

Upgrade vs. Clean Install

Buying Windows 7 About the Clean Install

Backing up

Dual Booting Installing Windows 7

Preparing for the Installation Performing an Upgrade Installation Performing a Clean Install (or Dual-Boot Install)

Getting Started Activation Windows Easy Transfer

Phase 1: Backing up the Files Phase 2: Restoring the Files

B. Fun with the Registry

Meet Regedit

The Big Five Categories Keys and Values Backing Up Key Values

Regedit Examples

Encrypt/Decrypt from the Shortcut Menu A Really, Really Clean Desktop Slow Down the Animations

C. Where’d It Go? D. The Master Keyboard Shortcut List

Windows Explorer keyboard shortcuts

Windows Explorer keyboard shortcuts General keyboard shortcuts Window and Program-Switching Keyboard Shortcuts -Key Shortcuts Taskbar keyboard shortcuts Ease of Access keyboard shortcuts Dialog Box keyboard shortcuts Magnifier keyboard shortcuts Remote Desktop Connection keyboard shortcuts

Index About the Author Colophon SPECIAL OFFER: Upgrade this ebook with O’Reilly Copyright

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