Alan Simpson's Windows Vista bible

Alan Simpson’s

Windows Vista™

Bible

Alan Simpson

Todd Meister

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01_040300 ffirs.qxp 12/27/06 12:07 AM Page ii

Alan Simpson’s

Windows Vista™

Bible

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Alan Simpson’s

Windows Vista™

Bible

Alan Simpson

Todd Meister

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Alan Simpson’s Windows Vista™ Bible

Published by

Wiley Publishing, Inc.

10475 Crosspoint Boulevard

Indianapolis, IN 46256

www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2007 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

ISBN: 978-0-470-04030-0

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

1B/RS/QR/QX/IN

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,

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of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization

through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA

01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal

Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317)

572-4355, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

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respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including

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with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If

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About the Author

Alan Simpson is an award-winning computer book author with some 120 published books to his credit.

His books are published in many languages throughout the world and have sold millions of copies. Alan is

best known for his light, conversational writing style and clear jargon-free approach to dealing with techni￾cal topics. Prior to writing books full time, Alan taught introductory and advanced computer programming

courses at San Diego State University and University of California, San Diego Extension. He also worked as

a freelance programmer and computer consultant. He maintains the www.coolnerds.com Web site (when

time permits) and can be reached via that Web site.

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Credits

Acquisitions Editor

Katie Mohr

Development Editor

Kelly Dobbs Henthorne

Technical Editors

Dan DiNicolo

Todd Meister

Production Editor

Angela Smith

Copy Editor

Kim Cofer

Editorial Manager

Mary Beth Wakefield

Production Manager

Tim Tate

Vice President and Executive

Group Publisher

Richard Swadley

Vice President and Executive Publisher

Joseph B. Wikert

Project Coordinator

Kristie Rees

Graphics and Production Specialists

Carrie Foster

Jennifer Mayberry

Alicia B. South

Ronald Terry

Quality Control Technicians

John Greenough

Brian H. Walls

Book Designer

Elizabeth Brooks

Proofreading

Laura L. Bowman

Indexing

Techbooks

Anniversary Logo Design

Richard Pacifico

To Susan, Ashley, and Alec, as always.

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Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................xli

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................xliii

Part I: Getting Started, Getting Secure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Chapter 1: What’s New in Windows Vista................................................................................................3

Chapter 2: Getting Around ....................................................................................................................19

Chapter 3: Sharing and Securing with User Accounts............................................................................53

Chapter 4: Parental Controls and Family Safety ....................................................................................77

Chapter 5: Help, Support, and Troubleshooting ....................................................................................87

Chapter 6: Troubleshooting Startup Problems........................................................................................97

Part II: Batten Down the Security Hatches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Chapter 7: Blocking Hackers with Windows Firewall ..........................................................................103

Chapter 8: Conquering Malicious Software..........................................................................................119

Chapter 9: Automatic Updates as Security ..........................................................................................137

Chapter 10: Troubleshooting Security..................................................................................................145

Part III: Personalizing Windows Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Chapter 11: Personalizing Your Work Environment ............................................................................151

Chapter 12: Ease of Access, Speech, and Language..............................................................................207

Chapter 13: Transferring Files from Another Computer ......................................................................247

Chapter 14: Customizing Startup Options ..........................................................................................257

Chapter 15: Using Vista Programs and Accessories ..............................................................................271

Chapter 16: Troubleshooting Customization Problems ........................................................................307

Part IV: Power Using the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315

Chapter 17: Browsing and Blogging with Internet Explorer ................................................................317

Chapter 18: Doing E-Mail with Windows Mail ....................................................................................363

Chapter 19: Beyond E-Mail and the Web ............................................................................................439

Chapter 20: Managing Names and Addresses ......................................................................................461

Chapter 21: Troubleshooting Internet Problems ..................................................................................473

Part V: Pictures, Music, and Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481

Chapter 22: Playing with Pictures........................................................................................................483

Chapter 23: Making Music with Media Player 11 ................................................................................525

Chapter 24: DVD, Video, and More ....................................................................................................573

Chapter 25: Making Movies with Movie Maker ..................................................................................591

Chapter 26: Fun with Media Center ....................................................................................................629

Chapter 27: Troubleshooting Multimedia ............................................................................................647

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Part VI: Managing Files and Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 653

Chapter 28: Understanding Drives, Folders, and Files ........................................................................655

Chapter 29: Managing Files and Folders..............................................................................................707

Chapter 30: Searching for Files and Messages......................................................................................733

Chapter 31: Metadata and Power Searches ..........................................................................................751

Chapter 32: Using CDs and DVDs ......................................................................................................775

Chapter 33: Protecting Your Files ........................................................................................................803

Chapter 34: Troubleshooting Files and Folders....................................................................................821

Part VII: Printing, Faxing, and Scanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 827

Chapter 35: Installing and Managing Printers......................................................................................829

Chapter 36: Printing Documents and Screenshots ..............................................................................837

Chapter 37: Managing Print Jobs ........................................................................................................845

Chapter 38: Faxing and Scanning........................................................................................................853

Chapter 39: Troubleshooting Printing and Faxing ..............................................................................869

Part VIII: Installing and Removing Programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 875

Chapter 40: Downloading Programs....................................................................................................877

Chapter 41: Installing and Upgrading Programs ..................................................................................885

Chapter 42: Getting Older Programs to Run........................................................................................895

Chapter 43: Repairing and Removing Programs ..................................................................................905

Chapter 44: Setting Default Programs..................................................................................................911

Chapter 45: Managing Programs and Processes ..................................................................................923

Chapter 46: Troubleshooting Software Problems ................................................................................935

Part IX: Hardware and Performance Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 947

Chapter 47: Installing and Removing Hardware ..................................................................................949

Chapter 48: Using Wireless Bluetooth Devices ....................................................................................971

Chapter 49: Syncing Devices ..............................................................................................................983

Chapter 50: Performance Tuning Your System ....................................................................................995

Chapter 51: Troubleshooting Hardware and Performance..................................................................1023

Part X: Networking and Sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1031

Chapter 52: Creating a Home Network..............................................................................................1033

Chapter 53: Sharing Resources on a Network....................................................................................1053

Chapter 54: Using Shared Resources ................................................................................................1067

Chapter 55: Using Windows Meeting Space ......................................................................................1081

Chapter 56: Troubleshooting Networks ............................................................................................1089

Part XI: Appendixes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1095

Appendix A: Upgrading to Windows Vista ........................................................................................1097

Appendix B: Installing Vista on a New System ..................................................................................1105

Appendix C: Universal Shortcut Keys................................................................................................1109

Index ................................................................................................................................................1119

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Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xli

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xliii

Part I: Getting Started, Getting Secure 1

Chapter 1: What’s New in Windows Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

A New Look and Feel....................................................................................................................3

Flip 3D ..............................................................................................................................4

Why don’t I have Aero Glass?..............................................................................................5

What if I don’t like Aero Glass? ..........................................................................................6

Windows Sidebar ..........................................................................................................................6

Quicker, Easier Navigation ............................................................................................................7

Sizing icons ........................................................................................................................8

Sorting, grouping, and stacking ..........................................................................................8

Previous versions and undelete ..........................................................................................8

Search and Virtual Folders ..........................................................................................................10

Search for tags (keywords) ................................................................................................11

Saved searches (virtual folders) ........................................................................................12

Security ......................................................................................................................................13

User Account Control ......................................................................................................13

Parental controls ..............................................................................................................14

Windows Photo Gallery ..............................................................................................................14

Windows Mail and Internet Explorer ..........................................................................................15

Built-in CD and DVD Burning ....................................................................................................16

Speech Recognition ....................................................................................................................16

Better, Easier Backups..................................................................................................................16

Windows ReadyBoost..................................................................................................................16

Wrap Up ....................................................................................................................................17

Chapter 2: Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Terminology for Things You Do ..................................................................................................19

Mouse terminology ..........................................................................................................20

Point ......................................................................................................................20

Click ......................................................................................................................20

Double-click ..........................................................................................................21

Right-click ..............................................................................................................21

Drag ......................................................................................................................21

Keyboard terminology ......................................................................................................21

Tab, Enter, and Spacebar ........................................................................................21

If in doubt, Escape key out ....................................................................................21

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The Help key (F1) ..................................................................................................21

The ˇ Key ............................................................................................................21

Shift, Ctrl, and Alt ..................................................................................................22

Shortcut keys..........................................................................................................22

Logging In ..................................................................................................................................22

What’s on the Desktop ................................................................................................................23

Using the Start Menu ..................................................................................................................25

The right side of the Start menu........................................................................................27

The Start menu Search box ..............................................................................................27

Shut Down and Lock buttons ..........................................................................................28

Using the Windows Desktop ......................................................................................................30

About desktop icons ........................................................................................................30

Arranging desktop icons ..................................................................................................31

Running Programs ......................................................................................................................32

The active window............................................................................................................34

Switching among open programs ......................................................................................34

Switching with taskbar buttons ..............................................................................34

Switching with the keyboard ..................................................................................35

Switching with Flip 3D ..........................................................................................35

Switching among multiple instances ......................................................................36

Arranging program windows ............................................................................................37

Sizing program windows ..................................................................................................38

Maximize a program window..................................................................................39

Minimize a program window..................................................................................39

Size at will ..............................................................................................................40

Moving a program window ..............................................................................................41

Moving and sizing from the keyboard ..............................................................................42

Closing a Program ......................................................................................................................42

Using the Quick Launch Toolbar ................................................................................................43

Using the Notification Area ........................................................................................................44

Showing/hiding notification icons ....................................................................................45

Responding to notification messages ................................................................................46

Using scroll bars................................................................................................................47

Using Back and Forward buttons ......................................................................................48

The Welcome Center ..................................................................................................................48

Quick Help for Getting Started....................................................................................................49

Logging Off, Shutting Down........................................................................................................50

Stuff You Can Do with a Computer ............................................................................................51

Wrap Up ....................................................................................................................................51

Chapter 3: Sharing and Securing with User Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Logging In and Out of User Accounts..........................................................................................53

Where am I now?..............................................................................................................54

Logging out of an account ................................................................................................54

Creating Strong Passwords ..........................................................................................................56

Remembering passwords ..................................................................................................56

Devising a password hint ..................................................................................................57

Types of User Accounts................................................................................................................57

The built-in Administrator account ..................................................................................57

Administrative user accounts ............................................................................................58

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Contents

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Standard accounts ............................................................................................................58

Guest account ..................................................................................................................58

Creating and Managing User Accounts ........................................................................................58

Creating a user account ....................................................................................................60

Changing user accounts ....................................................................................................61

Changing a user account type ..........................................................................................61

Password-protecting an account........................................................................................62

Changing the account picture ..........................................................................................63

Changing the account name..............................................................................................64

Enabling or disabling the Guest account ..........................................................................65

Navigating through user account pages ............................................................................65

Creating a Password Reset Disk ..................................................................................................65

Using the password reset disk ..........................................................................................66

Cracking into standard user accounts................................................................................67

Deleting User Accounts ..............................................................................................................67

Using User Accounts ..................................................................................................................68

Understanding User Account Control (UAC) ....................................................................69

Privilege escalation in administrative accounts ..................................................................70

Turning UAC on and off....................................................................................................71

Running Programs as Administrator............................................................................................73

Add the Built-in Administrator Account to the Login Screen ......................................................74

Stop Entering Password on Lockout............................................................................................74

Advanced Security Tools..............................................................................................................74

About Windows CardSpace ........................................................................................................75

Wrap Up ....................................................................................................................................76

Chapter 4: Parental Controls and Family Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Before You Get Started ................................................................................................................77

Getting to the Parental Controls Page ..........................................................................................77

Defining Web restrictions..................................................................................................78

Setting time limits ............................................................................................................81

Controlling game play ......................................................................................................82

Blocking and allowing programs ......................................................................................83

Get Web sites working ......................................................................................................83

Viewing User Activity Reports ....................................................................................................84

Reviewing system activity..................................................................................................84

Family Safety Resources for Parents ............................................................................................85

Wrap Up ....................................................................................................................................85

Chapter 5: Help, Support, and Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Introducing Help and Support ....................................................................................................87

Navigating Help ................................................................................................................89

Using the Search box ........................................................................................................90

Online Help and Offline Help ..........................................................................................90

Help from People ........................................................................................................................91

Remote Assistance ............................................................................................................92

Windows Communities ....................................................................................................92

Microsoft Customer Support ............................................................................................94

Troubleshooting ..........................................................................................................................94

Wrap Up ....................................................................................................................................94

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Chapter 6: Troubleshooting Startup Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

The Computer Won’t Start ..........................................................................................................97

Non System Disk or Disk Error ........................................................................................97

Computer starts but mouse and keyboard don’t work ......................................................98

Computer keeps trying to start, but never gets there ........................................................98

Screen turns blue during startup, then stops ....................................................................98

Computer Takes Too Long to Start ..............................................................................................98

Restore system files to an earlier time................................................................................99

Repair Install Windows Vista ............................................................................................99

The instruction manual that came with your computer ....................................................99

Resources in this book ......................................................................................................99

Resources in Windows Help............................................................................................100

Online resources ............................................................................................................100

Programs Won’t Start ................................................................................................................100

Part II: Batten Down the Security Hatches 101

Chapter 7: Blocking Hackers with Windows Firewall . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

How Firewalls Work..................................................................................................................103

What a firewall doesn’t protect against ............................................................................104

Introducing Security Center ......................................................................................................105

Turning Windows Firewall on or off................................................................................105

Making Exceptions to Firewall Protection..................................................................................107

Manually configuring firewall exceptions ........................................................................107

Adding a program exception ..........................................................................................108

Choosing a scope ............................................................................................................110

Disabling, changing, and deleting exceptions..................................................................111

Advanced firewall settings ..............................................................................................111

Advanced Firewall Configuration ..............................................................................................112

Open the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security icon ..............................................112

Changing Firewall Profile Properties ..............................................................................113

Firewall alerts, unicast response, local administrator control ................................113

Security Logging ..................................................................................................114

Customizing IPsec settings....................................................................................115

Inbound and Outbound Rules ........................................................................................116

Wrap Up ..................................................................................................................................116

Chapter 8: Conquering Malicious Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Types of Malware ......................................................................................................................119

Viruses and worms..........................................................................................................119

Spyware and adware ......................................................................................................120

Trojan horses and rootkits ..............................................................................................120

Conquering Spyware with Windows Defender ..........................................................................121

Opening Windows Defender ..........................................................................................122

Removing spyware from your computer..........................................................................123

Doing a quick scan ..............................................................................................124

Doing a custom scan ............................................................................................124

Automatic scanning ..............................................................................................124

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Contents

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