Windows 7 Secrets

Windows®

7

Secrets®

Windows®

7

Secrets®

Paul Thurrott

Rafael Rivera

Windows® 7 Secrets®

Published by

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Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

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To Stephanie, Mark, and Kelly—Paul

To my father, who started me on my wonderful Windows

journey—Rafael

About the Technical Editors

Todd Meister has been developing using Microsoft technologies for over 15 years. He’s

been a Technical Editor on over 50 titles ranging from SQL Server to the .NET Framework.

Besides technical editing titles, he is an Assistant Director for Computing Services at Ball

State University in Muncie, Indiana. He lives in central Indiana with his wife, Kimberly,

and their four children.

Joli Ballew is a Microsoft MVP and holds several Microsoft certifications including MCSE,

MCDST, and MCTS. Joli has written over 30 books, teaches at two local junior colleges,

manages the network and Web site for North Texas Graphics, and regularly writes for

several Web sites. In her spare time, Joli enjoys gardening, golfing, and traveling.

About the Authors

The author of over 20 books, Paul Thurrott is a technology analyst for Windows IT Pro

and the majordomo of the SuperSite for Windows (www.winsupersite.com). He writes a

weekly editorial for Windows IT Pro UPDATE (www.windowsitpro.com/email), a daily

Windows news and information e-mail newsletter called “WinInfo Daily News” (www

.wininformant.com), and a monthly column called “Need to Know” in Windows IT Pro

Magazine. He also blogs daily via the SuperSite Blog (community.winsupersite.com/

blogs/paul), posts regularly on Twitter (www.twitter.com/thurrott), and appears

weekly in the highly rated and hugely popular Windows Weekly podcast with Leo Laporte

(www.twit.tv/ww).

Rafael Rivera is a software developer for a VAR 500 company, Telos Corporation, where he

works on mission critical systems. He is a Certified Reverse Engineering Analyst (CREA)

and takes Windows apart on his blog Within Windows (www.withinwindows.com). He also

regularly “tweets” (www.twitter.com/withinrafael). Rafael was born on the same day

as Windows 1.0—November 20, 1985—which many believe is no coincidence.

Credits

Acquisitions Editor

Jenny Watson

Executive Editor

Carol Long

Senior Project Editor

Kevin Kent

Development Editor

Jeff Riley

Technical Editors

Todd Meister

Joli Ballew

Production Editor

Kathleen Wisor

Copy Editor

Luann Rouff

Editorial Director

Robyn B. Siesky

Editorial Manager

Mary Beth Wakefield

Production Manager

Tim Tate

Vice President and

Executive Group Publisher

Richard Swadley

Vice President and

Executive Publisher

Barry Pruett

Associate Publisher

Jim Minatel

Project Coordinator, Cover

Lynsey Stanford

Compositors

Craig Johnson and

Maureen Forys,

Happenstance Type-O-Rama

Proofreader

Dr. Nate Pritts, Word One

Indexer

Robert Swanson

Cover Designer

Ryan Sneed

Acknowledgments

I don’t even know where to start, so I’ll start at the beginning.

Thanks Mom and Dad, for pushing me to pursue my passions.

Thanks Gary, for starting me down this path in 1993. I miss you.

Thanks Adam, for having big ideas and taking a chance on me.

Thanks to everyone at Windows IT Pro Magazine—past and present—for an amazing

decade of growth and change.

Thanks to Jeff, Aimee, and Brittany at Lenovo. You are the best.

Thanks to Allen, Glen, and Marco at HP. My infrastructure is built on your stuff, and I

appreciate all your help.

Thanks, Stephanie, for believing in me and for giving me the time and space I need to get

this kind of thing completed. As always, you are the glue that makes our family work.

Thanks to Mark and Kelly for understanding about the missed baseball and softball

games. You both make me smile every day.

Thanks to Rafael for joining me on this confusing, busy, and stressful adventure. It’s nice

to have a true co-author for a change, one I can trust with anything, bounce ideas off, and

truly collaborate with. Welcome aboard.

Thanks to Kevin and Jen at Wiley for all your help. Hey, we finally got one done on time!

Also, thanks to Katie, who has moved on to bigger and better things, and to all the editors

who worked on this title. Thanks, too, to Carol for your invaluable help. You know why.

Thanks to Lucas for always being ready to find the answer. Thanks, too, to all my friends

and acquaintances at Microsoft and Wagged who helped me along the way.

Finally, thanks to my readers and listeners from around the world. I’ve enjoyed the conversa￾tions and hope they continue well into the future. It’s been a fantastic ride, but what makes

this fun isn’t so much the products as it is the relationships you make along the way.

—Paul

A very special thanks to my parents, for letting me consume their food and electricity

while working on this title night and day. I love you both!

A gut punch for Paul, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to his series of books

built by users for users. I look up to him. So should you.

A hug and a kiss to my girlfriend, Jenny, for being a proud and incredibly supportive

super-nerd, and for making me the happiest guy alive.

A special shout out to my friends Morgan and Jimmy, in ice cream heaven Vermont!

Chunky Monkey, baby!

A salute to Kevin, Jen, and all the folks at Wiley for tolerating our delays and helping us

push the book out on time. Without them, you wouldn’t be reading this. Seriously.

And finally, a thumbs up to all my readers around the world. I enjoy writing for you all!

To the people that spam me. I hate you.

—Rafael

Contents at a Glance

Preface..................................................................................................................................................... xxv

Read This First ........................................................................................................................................... 1

Part I: Surviving Setup........................................................................................19

Chapter 1: Selecting the Right Windows 7 Edition ...............................................................................21

Chapter 2: Installing or Upgrading to Windows 7................................................................................ 45

Chapter 3: Hardware and Software Compatibility............................................................................... 89

Part II: The New and Improved Windows 7 User Experience...............117

Chapter 4: What’s New in the Windows 7 User Experience...............................................................119

Chapter 5: Where’s My Stuff? Finding and Organizing Files ............................................................195

Chapter 6: Personalizing and Configuring Windows 7 ..................................................................... 225

Part III: Security and Networking................................................................. 251

Chapter 7: Windows 7 Security Features ............................................................................................ 253

Chapter 8: Users, Accounts, and UAC ................................................................................................. 269

Chapter 9: Networking and HomeGroup Sharing.............................................................................. 301

Chapter 10: Complete Your Home Network with Windows Home Server....................................... 335

Part IV: Digital Media and Entertainment ................................................. 357

Chapter 11: Digital Music and Audio................................................................................................... 359

Chapter 12: Organizing, Fixing, and Sharing Digital Photos ............................................................419

Chapter 13: Digital Videos and DVD Movies...................................................................................... 489

Chapter 14: Microsoft Zune: A Digital Media Alternative ................................................................ 553

Chapter 15: Digital Media in the Living Room................................................................................... 609

Chapter 16: Having Fun: Games and Windows 7............................................................................... 665

Part V: Mobility.................................................................................................. 703

Chapter 17: Seven to Go: Windows 7 Mobility Features.................................................................... 705

Chapter 18: Using Tablet PCs and Ultra-Mobile PCs......................................................................... 735

Chapter 19: Windows in Your Pocket—Using a Windows Mobile Smartphone.............................. 765

Part VI: Windows 7 Online............................................................................. 787

Chapter 20: Browsing the Web ............................................................................................................. 789

Chapter 21: Managing E-mail and Contacts....................................................................................... 837

Chapter 22: Managing Your Schedule................................................................................................. 865

Chapter 23: Your Life in Sync—Windows 7 and Live Services ......................................................... 899

Part VII: Windows 7 Power User .................................................................. 935

Chapter 24: Keeping Your Data Safe: File and PC Backup ............................................................... 937

Chapter 25: Troubleshooting and Recovering from Disaster............................................................. 961

Chapter 26: IT Pro: Windows 7 at Work............................................................................................... 983

Index.................................................................................................................... 1011

Contents

Preface....................................................................................................................................................... xv

Read This First.................................................................................................................................... 1

Believe the Hype........................................................................................................................................ 2

Windows 7 in 15 Minutes .......................................................................................................................... 3

Better “Itties”......................................................................................................................................... 3

Simpler Setup ........................................................................................................................................ 5

New Aero Desktop Capabilities ........................................................................................................... 6

Enhanced Taskbar................................................................................................................................. 7

Jump Lists .............................................................................................................................................. 8

Windows Touch ..................................................................................................................................... 9

Libraries ............................................................................................................................................... 10

HomeGroup Sharing ........................................................................................................................... 11

Internet Explorer 8............................................................................................................................... 11

New and Improved Applets................................................................................................................ 12

But Wait, There’s More .............................................................................................................................13

Windows Live Essentials and Windows Live Services ..................................................................... 13

Zune...................................................................................................................................................... 14

Windows Mobile.................................................................................................................................. 15

Windows Home Server........................................................................................................................ 16

Our Promise to You...................................................................................................................................17

Part I: Surviving Setup........................................................................................19

Chapter 1: Selecting the Right Windows 7 Edition .............................................................. 21

The Way We Were: XP and Vista Product Editions ............................................................................. 22

Windows 7 Product Editions: Only a Little Bit Simpler........................................................................ 25

Understanding the Differences and Choosing the Right Version....................................................... 26

Step 1: Whittling Down the Product Editions List............................................................................. 26

Step 2: Whittling a Little Further........................................................................................................ 28

Step 3: Understanding the Differences Between the Product Editions ........................................... 28

Step 4: Making the Right Product Edition Choice ............................................................................ 34

Purchasing Windows 7 ............................................................................................................................ 37

With a New PC .................................................................................................................................... 37

Retail Boxed Copies ............................................................................................................................ 38

OEM Versions...................................................................................................................................... 41

Windows Anytime Upgrade ............................................................................................................... 42

Summary................................................................................................................................................... 44