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Managing Windows XP

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This lesson will cover:• The Control Panel

• Add/Remove Programs• Add/Remove Hardware• Date and Time…• Display…• Folder Options• Internet Options…• Mouse• Network Connections…• System…

• System Information

…and other selected readings from Chapter 7….

Managing Windows XP

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Windows XP provides many ways to manage, customize and adjust your system to suit your needs. The main tool for configuring your system is the Windows Control Panel. Although there are other locations from which to perform the same modifications, the Control Panel provides access to most of these from one central location.

Managing Windows XP

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The Windows Control Panel…

The Control Panel is a set of icons that access various wizards and applets. By using these tools you can change the appearance, feature set and functionality of the Windows XP system. Some of these icons represent standard Windows tools, others are installed by third party software such as RealPlayer (media file player) and Iomega (Zip drive software), for example.

The Control Panel “folder” can be customized like any other folder and the contents can be viewed as a “Classic” or “Category” view. The Classic view displays icons in a “detail” view with brief descriptions of each tool.

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The Control Panel’s Classic view...

Click this link to change to the Category view...

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The Control Panel’s Category view...

Click this link to change to the Classic view...

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Selecting a Category...

Clicking the Network and Internet Connections category link....

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Presents more options within that Category...

...or direct links to the Control Panel applets Internet Options and Network Connections

...provides you with several options...

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Clicking on the categories in the Category view will display either the selected topic or further choices. Clicking on any of the icons within the folder in the Classic view (or the Category view) will display the tool associated with the icon. Some of the more commonly used tools are described on the following slides . They are also explained in detail within the help topics found in the Help and Support Center, and many have step-by-step directions for performing specific tasks.

The next slides show two ways to access the Control Panel…remember, with Windows there is almost always more then one way to do something…and many times there are more then two…

The Windows Control Panel…

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From the My Computer window, displayed in the Common Tasks view, a link to the Control Panel is provided...

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The Start menu can display the Control Panel as either a menu (shown here) or...

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...or as a link (shown here). Clicking the link...

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...opens the Control Panel. The setting for changing this behavior is found in the Taskbar and Start Menu properties dialog under Advanced.

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Several of the tools accessed through the Control Panel also have What’s this? help available by clicking on the ? button on the title bar. See Chapter 5 for more details on this help tool.

The Windows Control Panel…

The What's this help button found on the Accessibility Options dialog box.

What’s this? help button

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The next 20 slides will show a very brief overview of 9 of the more important tools found in the Control Panel...for a more in depth coverage read chapter 7...

The Windows Control Panel…

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Add/Remove Hardware…

Selecting this tool from the Control Panel starts the Add Hardware Wizard that assists you in installing hardware so Windows XP can use it. The hardware must already be physically installed, or connected to, the PC.

This wizard simply checks for the ability to communicate with attached devices and attempts to install the appropriate support software and device drivers, the hardware must be properly installed to use this feature successfully.

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Add/Remove Programs…

The Add or Remove Programs tool enables a user to manage the software components on their PC with three basic functions:

Change or Remove Programs, Add New Programs, and Add/Remove Windows Components.

Each of these functions is accessed by selecting the corresponding button on the left of the window.

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Date and Time

The Date and Time Properties dialog box provides a convenient interface for changing the settings on the system clock. This dialog box can be accessed from the Control Panel or by double clicking on the time display on the Taskbar. The tool has three tabs that offer access to the following functions:

• View or Change the current system Date and Time• View or Change the current system Time zone setting• Synchronize the time on your PC from an Internet Time Server

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Display…

The Display Properties dialog box contains many ways to customize your Windows XP desktop to suit your tastes. While most of these settings are cosmetic some, such as those on the Settings tab can actually affect the performance of the PC, and in some cases render it unusable.

The Display Properties dialog box has five tabbed pages; each configures a specific feature of the appearance of Windows XP:

• Themes• Desktop• Screen Saver• Appearance• Settings

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Display…Themes

Customizes the desktop themes. Desktop themes are a predefined set of fonts, colors, sounds, mouse customizations, icons and other appearance and behavior related desktop settings.

Themes are a convenient way for each user to have their own “look and feel” of Windows when they log on to a PC.

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Display…Desktop

The Desktop tab provides the settings for the desktop background, the default desktop icons and the Desktop Cleanup Wizard.

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Display…Screen Saver

This page allows you to select and configure a screensaver and modify the Power Options of your PC. The Power Options settings of XP are a topic on their own and have more significance to owners of battery-powered portable computers.

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Display…Appearance

The Appearance page provides options for modifying the display of system wide fonts and color schemes. Features such as the transitions and shadow effects on menus, and how items being dragged are displayed can be configured here.

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Display…Settings

This page is the one you should be wary of, these settings affect the video output of your PC and improper settings may damage your monitor. Although this is unlikely, the possibility does exist for misconfiguring the monitor’s refresh rate. This section of the Display Properties dialog box offers you the ability to change your screen resolution, the color quality of your display, and modify your video card and monitor’s settings.

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Folder Options…

The Folder Options dialog box, accessed through the Control Panel, is the same one that can be opened from any folder window’s Tools > Options menu command. This tool provides a user with a large number of customization options that can drastically change the look and behavior of a folder window.

Before you get started reconfiguring your folder windows, remember that any customization you make will only affect the current window unless you select the Apply to All Folders option on the View tab of the Folder Options dialog box.

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Folder Options…

You can change the Control Panel folder window from the Category view to the Classic view. These views are shown on slides 5 and 6. The Category view is good for beginners as it briefly explains the function of each tool and provides easy to understand links.

To change the folder view:• Select the General tab from the Tools, Folder Options menu,• Select the Show common tasks in folders for a view like this...

Or,• Select the Use Windows classic folders for a view like this...

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Internet Options…

The Internet Options dialog provides seven tabbed pages of settings and options that you use to configure Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE). The settings range from the way text is displayed to the connection method used to access the Internet.

This Control Panel tool basically configures Microsoft Internet Explorer and, to a smaller degree, Microsoft Outlook (and Outlook Express), so the name may be a little misleading. If you use other tools for accessing the Internet such as the Netscape or Opera Web browsers, or the Eudora e-mail program, for example, you will need to configure these programs separately.

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Internet Options…

You can use this dialog to set Internet Explorer’s home page, adjust its Security and Privacy levels, configure your dialup, LAN or other network settings, manage the language, fonts and colors displayed in the browser and many other settings that affect your Internet use.

Most of these options and settings are covered in detail in Chapter 9.

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Mouse…One of the most vital devices connected to a Windows XP computer is the mouse, or more correctly a “pointing device”. Not every PC will have a mouse, per se, but a pointing device is most essential. The Control Panel’s Mouse Properties dialog box is the tool used for modifying the behavior of this piece of hardware

Many manufacturers of pointing devices supply their own configuration utilities, so what you have in your Control Panel may not look the same.

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Network Connections…

The Network Connections folder provides access to the settings of your current network and Internet connections . It also enables you to create new connections with the New Connection Wizard .

Because a minor change to your network configuration can leave you without any network connectivity, this tool is usually limited in its capabilities by the system administrator. In fact, there may be very little to see when you open the Network Connections folder on a PC connected to a large corporate network.

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Network Connections…

The Network Connections folder shows each valid network connection that your PC has, along with a shortcut to the New Connection Wizard. Windows XP considers all connections to the Internet including Dialup, ISDN, DSL and other connections made over telephone lines to be network connections. Therefore, your account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) will be displayed and configured using this tool just like any other network connection.

Network connection showing its current state (Enabled) and the adapter used to access the network (3Com PCI network

interface card)

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System…

The System dialog box provides a user with tools to view and change system properties. This dialog box can also be accessed by right clicking on the My Computer and selecting Properties from the shortcut menu. System Properties is a Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) tool, which means it will allow you to view and change system properties on a remote computer or local computer.

There are seven tabbed pages available each providing distinct capabilities for viewing and modifying a PC’s configuration.

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System…The General page displays very basic information about the computer, such as the operating system, the processor type and speed, the amount of installed RAM, the registered user and sometimes even the manufacturer.

CPU type and speed

Operating System

Installed RAM: 256 mb

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System…The available categories of System tools are:

• General - This page displays very basic information about the computer, such as the operating system, the processor type and speed, the amount of installed RAM and the registered user.• Computer Name - Provides information for identifying your PC on a network.• Hardware - This tool configures hardware and other devices connected to the system.• Advanced - Enables a user to modify a computer’s startup and performance settings.• System Restore - This tool provides basic configurations for the XP System Restore component.• Automatic Updates - From this page you can modify the settings that affect the XP Automatic Update feature.• Remote - This page configures the XP Remote Desktop utility and provides the ability to turn the feature on and off.

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The Windows Control Panel…

Under certain circumstances you may not have the “right” to change your systems settings…

This would usually occur if you are using a client computer on a network. If you have a standalone computer you need to either log on as “Administrator” or change your rights by using the Control Panel User Accounts tool.

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System Information

The XP System Information feature displays the current configuration of your computer. The information presented ranges from simple data such as the operating system name and version to more complex facts such as may be needed by technicians or system administrators to troubleshoot your PC. This information includes details about installed components, hardware and software configurations, Internet and network settings and details about the current state of your operating environment and PC as a whole.

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System Information

There are three ways to access XP System Information:From the Start Menu select All Programs.

• Select Accessories, and then System Tools.• From the System Tools submenu, select System Information.

Or,• Right Click on the My Computer icon on the desktop,• From the shortcut menu, select System Information.

Or,• From the Start Menu Select Run.• In the Open text box, enter msinfo32.exe, press OK.

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Either way you run it, you will see a window like this...

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You navigate through the left pane to see the selected information in the right pane...

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You can even see information regarding your Microsoft Office applications...

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System Information

Additional diagnostic and configuration tools are available from the System Information dialog box’s Tools menu. All of these tools are explained within the Help and Support Center.