Windows Vista ™
ALL-IN-ONE DESK REFERENCE
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by Woody Leonhard
Windows Vista ™
ALL-IN-ONE DESK REFERENCE
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
Windows Vista ™
ALL-IN-ONE DESK REFERENCE
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by Woody Leonhard
Windows Vista™ All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies®
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
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Copyright © 2007 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2006934840
ISBN-13: 978-0-471-74941-7
ISBN-10: 0-471-74941-9
Manufactured in the United States of America
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About the Author
Curmudgeon, critic, and self-described “Windows Victim,” Woody Leonhard
runs www.AskWoody.com, the Web’s single best source of up-to-the-nanosecond
news about Windows and Office — warts and all. Check it out for answers to
your most pressing questions, no-bull analysis of Microsoft’s latest gaffes,
and all sorts of information that you can’t find anywhere else.
With several dozen computer books under his belt, Woody knows where the
bodies are buried. He was one of the first Microsoft Consulting Partners and a
charter member of the Microsoft Solutions Provider organization. He’s a one-
man, major Microsoft beta testing site and delights in being a constant thorn
in Microsoft’s side. Along with several coauthors and editors, he’s won an
unprecedented six Computer Press Association Awards and two American
Business Press Awards.
Woody; his long-time girlfriend, Duangkhae Tongthueng (better known as
“Add”); and twelve talented Thai staff run Khun Woody’s Bakery and its sister
operation, the Sandwich Shoppe, in Patong, Phuket, Thailand. Woody moved
to Phuket in late 2000, where he now lives with Add; his father, George; his
teenage son, Justin; and their all-American beagle, Chronos.
Most mornings you can see him jogging on Patong Beach with the dogs and
then downing a latte and New Yawk bagel-n-Philly at the Shoppe. Feel free to
drop by and say, “Sawadee krap!” Microsoft hit squads, please take a number
and form a queue at the rear of the building.
Dedication
To Dad, who’s always been there for me.
And to Add, who’s helped me in more ways than I ever thought possible.
Author’s Acknowledgments
Many thanks to Becky Huehls, who’s slaving away at this very moment
trying to get this tome whipped into shape. Best of luck with your latest, uh,
endeavor, Becky! To the entire editorial crew at Wiley, the ones who righted
my wrongs and slapped my scratchings into something legible, and espe-
cially to Melody Layne, head editorial honcho on this project. To the folks at
Snagit who kept their screen grab utility working all the way through the Vista
beta versions. (Whew!) And particular thanks, as always, to Claudette Moore
and Ann Jaroncyk at Moore Literary Agency.
Publisher’s Acknowledgments
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Contents at a Glance
Introduction .................................................................1
Book I: A Vista Orientation............................................9
Chapter 1: Windows 4 N00bs ..........................................................................................11
Chapter 2: Vista versus the WinXPerienced .................................................................27
Chapter 3: Choosing a Version........................................................................................35
Chapter 4: Upgrades and Clean Installs.........................................................................43
Book II: Vista Boot Camp ............................................59
Chapter 1: Running Vista from Start to Finish ..............................................................61
Chapter 2: Controlling Users...........................................................................................97
Chapter 3: Maintaining Your System............................................................................113
Chapter 4: Getting the Basic Stuff Done ......................................................................147
Chapter 5: Getting Help with Vista...............................................................................171
Book III: Securing Vista ............................................187
Chapter 1: Lock Down: Spies, Spams, Scams, and Slams ..........................................189
Chapter 2: Security Center Overview ..........................................................................217
Chapter 3: Windows Firewall Backward and Forward...............................................225
Chapter 4: Patching and Plugging ................................................................................249
Chapter 5: Virus Protection and the Big Defender.....................................................263
Book IV: Customizing Vista........................................281
Chapter 1: Personalizing Your Desktop .......................................................................283
Chapter 2: Organizing Your Vista Interface.................................................................303
Chapter 3: Searching on Your Desktop........................................................................321
Chapter 4: Beating and Cheating Vista’s Games.........................................................333
Book V: Vista on the Internet.....................................345
Chapter 1: Getting the Most from the Internet ...........................................................347
Chapter 2: Finding Your Way around Internet Explorer (And Firefox) ....................363
Chapter 3: Making Internet Explorer Your Own .........................................................387
Chapter 4: Windows Mail and the Alternatives ..........................................................399
Chapter 5: Working Together — IM OK, You’re OK....................................................413
Chapter 6: Searching on the Internet...........................................................................425
Book VI: Adding Cool Hardware.................................437
Chapter 1: Finding and Installing the Hardware You Want .......................................439
Chapter 2: iPimping iPods and iTunes.........................................................................465
Chapter 3: Adding a Second (Or Third) Hard Drive...................................................485
Chapter 4: Picking Printers and Printer/Scanner/Faxers ..........................................493
Book VII: Joining the Multimedia Mix.........................511
Chapter 1: Jammin’ with Windows Media Player .......................................................513
Chapter 2: Podcasting....................................................................................................553
Chapter 3: Discovering Digital Cameras......................................................................563
Chapter 4: Mugging in the Photo Gallery ....................................................................581
Chapter 5: Lights! Action! Windows Movie Maker .....................................................595
Book VIII: Vista Video...............................................617
Chapter 1: Preparing a Media Center PC.....................................................................619
Chapter 2: Starting Media Center .................................................................................631
Chapter 3: Turning On the Tube...................................................................................641
Chapter 4: Beyond the Media Center Basics ..............................................................651
Book IX: Setting Up a Vista Network..........................667
Chapter 1: Those Pesky Network Things You Need to Know ...................................669
Chapter 2: Building Your Network................................................................................683
Chapter 3: Putting the Why in Wi-Fi .............................................................................705
Index .......................................................................721
Table of Contents
Introduction ..................................................................1
About This Book...............................................................................................2
Conventions ......................................................................................................3
What You Don’t Have to Read ........................................................................3
Foolish Assumptions .......................................................................................4
Organization .....................................................................................................4
Icons...................................................................................................................6
Where to Go from Here....................................................................................7
Book I: A Vista Orientation ............................................9
Chapter 1: Windows 4 N00bs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Hardware and Software .................................................................................12
Why Do PCs Have to Run Windows? ...........................................................14
Buying a Computer ........................................................................................14
Inside the big box .................................................................................15
Screening ...............................................................................................17
Managing disks and drives..................................................................18
Making PC connections .......................................................................20
Futzing with sound...............................................................................22
A Terminology Survival Kit ...........................................................................23
Chapter 2: Vista versus the WinXPerienced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
What You See ..................................................................................................27
The Glass UX .........................................................................................27
Improved video effects ........................................................................27
Sidebar: A truly active desktop ..........................................................29
What You Get ..................................................................................................30
What Stands in the Way.................................................................................31
Do You Need Windows Vista? .......................................................................32
Chapter 3: Choosing a Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
The Eightfold Path .........................................................................................35
Versions to Ignore ..........................................................................................37
The Final Four.................................................................................................38
Home Basic: Thumbs down ................................................................39
Business Edition: Maybe .....................................................................39
xiv Windows Vista All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies
Home Premium: Usually the sweet spot............................................41
The Ultimate..........................................................................................41
Windows Live OneCare .................................................................................41
Chapter 4: Upgrades and Clean Installs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Can Your Computer Handle Vista?...............................................................43
Performing a Clean Install .............................................................................45
Working through the Welcome Center ........................................................48
Using Easy Transfer .......................................................................................51
What will transfer .................................................................................52
Making the transfer ..............................................................................52
Product Activation .........................................................................................54
What If the Wheels Fall Off? ..........................................................................58
Book II: Vista Boot Camp .............................................59
Chapter 1: Running Vista from Start to Finish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
A Few Quick Steps to Make the Desktop Your Own...................................61
Disabling the Welcome Center............................................................63
Changing the background ...................................................................64
Enabling the Sidebar ............................................................................65
Cleaning up useless icons and programs ..........................................65
Making the taskbar taller.....................................................................66
Mousing with Your Mouse ............................................................................66
Working with Files and Folders ....................................................................67
Showing filename extensions..............................................................69
Sharing folders......................................................................................71
Recycling ...............................................................................................79
Starting with the Start Button ......................................................................81
Getting Around ...............................................................................................84
Using Windows Explorer .....................................................................84
Working with the Windows taskbar ...................................................90
Creating shortcuts................................................................................92
Sleep: Perchance to Dream ...........................................................................94
Chapter 2: Controlling Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
Logging On ......................................................................................................98
Choosing Account Types ..............................................................................99
Using standard accounts ...................................................................100
Using administrator accounts ..........................................................100
Working with User Account Control ................................................101
Disabling User Account Control .......................................................104
Adding Users.................................................................................................105
Table of Contents xv
Enabling the Guest Account .......................................................................107
Changing Accounts ......................................................................................107
Changing other users’ settings .........................................................108
Changing your own settings..............................................................110
Switching Users ............................................................................................111
Chapter 3: Maintaining Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Using the Control Panel...............................................................................113
Removing and Changing Programs............................................................116
Removing Windows Patches.......................................................................118
Making Backups ...........................................................................................118
Using shadow copies/previous versions.........................................120
Creating data backups .......................................................................122
Restoring backed-up data .................................................................127
Ghosting with CompletePC backups................................................130
Maintaining Drives .......................................................................................131
Running an error check .....................................................................132
Scheduling cleanups ..........................................................................134
Defragmenting a drive .......................................................................134
Scheduling the Task Scheduler ..................................................................134
Zipping and Compressing ...........................................................................139
Compressing with NTFS ....................................................................141
Zipping the easy way with Compressed (zipped) Folders............142
Creating Checkpoints and Using System Restore ....................................143
Chapter 4: Getting the Basic Stuff Done . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
Burning CDs and DVDs ................................................................................147
Understanding -R and -RW ................................................................148
What to burn .......................................................................................149
Mastered or Live File System? ..........................................................150
Burning with Vista ..............................................................................152
Improving Your Experience Index..............................................................158
Getting Word Processing — Free ...............................................................160
Running Notepad................................................................................160
Writing with WordPad........................................................................162
Taming the Character Map................................................................164
Calculating — Free .......................................................................................165
Painting..........................................................................................................166
Using Sneaky Key Commands.....................................................................167
Conjuring up the Task Manager........................................................167
Switching coolly .................................................................................169
Chapter 5: Getting Help with Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171
Meeting Windows Help and Support .........................................................171
How to Really Get Help................................................................................174
xvi Windows Vista All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies
Connecting to Remote Assistance .............................................................176
Understanding the interaction .........................................................176
Limiting an invitation.........................................................................177
Troubleshooting Remote Assistance ...............................................178
Making the connection ......................................................................178
Getting the Most from Vista Help...............................................................184
Ensuring that you get all the Help....................................................184
Working through the index ...............................................................185
Getting Help on the Web .............................................................................186
Book III: Securing Vista .............................................187
Chapter 1: Lock Down: Spies, Spams, Scams, and Slams . . . . . . . . .189
Understanding the Hazards ........................................................................189
Zombies and botnets .........................................................................191
Phishing ...............................................................................................193
0day exploits.......................................................................................195
Staying Informed ..........................................................................................196
Getting Protected .........................................................................................198
Viruses, viruses everywhere.............................................................198
Credit card fraud ................................................................................200
Defending your privacy .....................................................................202
Keeping cookies at bay......................................................................203
Reducing spam ...................................................................................207
Recovering from an Attack .........................................................................209
Don’t Become Part of the Problem ............................................................209
Using Parental Controls...............................................................................211
Chapter 2: Security Center Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217
Entering the Security Center ......................................................................217
Working with the Security Center ..............................................................219
Scanning for Rootkits...................................................................................220
Chapter 3: Windows Firewall Backward and Forward . . . . . . . . . . .225
Comparing Firewalls ....................................................................................225
Understanding Vista Firewall’s Basic Features.........................................227
Speaking Your Firewall’s Lingo ...................................................................229
Peeking into Your Firewall ..........................................................................230
Using Public and Private Networks ...........................................................231
Establishing a network type..............................................................232
Changing network types....................................................................233
Changing individual network settings .............................................235
Starting, Stopping, and Goosing Inbound WF...........................................237
Table of Contents xvii
Making Inbound Exceptions .......................................................................238
Adding a program...............................................................................240
Adding a port ......................................................................................241
Coping with Vista’s Outbound Firewall .....................................................243
Chapter 4: Patching and Plugging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249
Patching Woes ..............................................................................................250
Choosing an Update Level ..........................................................................252
Setting Your Update Level...........................................................................253
Selectively Patching (A Panacea for Those Woes) ..................................255
Applying patches from Windows Update........................................256
MS-DEFCON .........................................................................................258
Getting what you need from a Security Bulletin.............................259
Chapter 5: Virus Protection and the Big Defender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .263
Understanding Antivirus Software.............................................................263
The challenges for antivirus software .............................................265
What’s a false positive? .....................................................................266
Live OneCare and the Safety Center ..........................................................267
Caring for Your Antivirus Program ............................................................270
Downloading and Installing AVG Free........................................................272
Making Windows Acknowledge Your AV Program ...................................274
Dealing with Spyware ..................................................................................276
Book IV: Customizing Vista ........................................281
Chapter 1: Personalizing Your Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .283
Recognizing Desktop Levels .......................................................................283
Setting Colors in Vista .................................................................................286
Picking a Background ..................................................................................288
Energizing the Sidebar.................................................................................289
Changing Sidebar settings.................................................................290
Playing with the gadgets ...................................................................291
Controlling Icons ..........................................................................................292
Changing Mouse Pointers ...........................................................................294
Selecting Screen Savers...............................................................................295
Changing the screen saver ................................................................296
Setting up a Super Boss Key .............................................................297
Using Desktop Themes................................................................................301
Chapter 2: Organizing Your Vista Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .303
Customizing the Start Menu .......................................................................303
Genesis of the Start menu .................................................................304
Pinning to the Start menu .................................................................305
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