7 Windows Tweaks. A Comprehensive Guide to Customizing, Increasing Performance, and Securing Microsoft Windows 7. Steve Sinchak

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1 Take control of Windows 7 Unlock hidden settings Rev up your network Disable features you hate, for good Fine-tune User Account control Turbocharge online speed Master the taskbar and start button Customize Windows Media Center Lock down security in brand-new ways Optimize the way your system looks Blast bottlenecks that drag down performance Wipe out history data that can leave you vulnerable Boost boot and logon speed Seize every bit of performance Windows 7 can offer Steve Sinchak 7 Windows Tweaks A Comprehensive Guide to Customizing, Increasing Performance, and Securing Microsoft Windows 7

3 Windows 7 Tweaks

5 Windows 7 Tweaks A Comprehensive Guide to Customizing, Increasing Performance, and Securing Microsoft Windows 7 Steve Sinchak 25913ffirs.indd 3 10/29/09 8:20:19 AM

6 Windows 7 Tweaks Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc Crosspoint Boulevard Indianapolis, IN Copyright 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada ISBN: Manufactured in the United States of America No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 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) , fax (978) Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) , fax (201) , or online at Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or Web site is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Web site may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Web sites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. For general information on our other products and services please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (877) , outside the United States at (317) or fax (317) Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Control Number: Trademarks: Wiley and the Wiley logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates, in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

7 This book is dedicated to my wife Stephanie and my family.

9 About the Author Steve Sinchak is an entrepreneur who has started several technology-related businesses. Steve is currently running a web development firm, known as Advanced PC Media LLC, that owns and operates several web sites geared toward computer enthusiasts. Aside from writing for his web sites and running Advanced PC Media LLC, he works as a Systems Engineer for a large financial services company. Steve has been working with computers for more than 18 years. Starting with a desktop that had a 286-based processor, 1 MB of RAM, and Windows 3.1, he taught himself how to make Windows run faster on the slow hardware. Driven by a strong curiosity to understand how it works, he spent countless hours researching and experimenting with the inner workings and features of Windows. Over the years, he has worked closely with all versions of Windows. Every year since 2005 Microsoft has honored him with the Most Valued Professional (MVP) award for his work with Windows and his contributions to the Windows community. vii

11 Credits Acquisitions Editor Scott Meyers Project Editor Christopher J. Rivera Technical Editor Todd Meister Production Editor Eric Charbonneau Copy Editor Tricia Liebig 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 Compositor Craig Woods, Happenstance Type-o-Rama Proofreader Nancy Bell Indexer Johnna VanHoose Dinse Cover Image istockphoto / PerlAlexander Cover Design Michael E. Trent ix

13 Acknowledgments Writing this book required a lot of time and compromises, so I want to thank my wife Stephanie for her love and help taking care of me. I want to thank my family, relatives, coworkers, and friends who have motivated and inspired me throughout my life. I also want to thank everyone involved in this book at Wiley for their help and advice. xi

15 Contents at a Glance Introduction xxiii Part I Getting Started with Windows 7 1 Chapter 1 Selecting the Right Version 3 Chapter 2 Installing Windows 7 9 Chapter 3 Safe Tweaking 21 Part II Customizing Windows 7 29 Chapter 4 Customizing the Startup 31 Chapter 5 Customizing User Navigation 43 Chapter 6 Personalizing the Desktop 71 Chapter 7 Customizing the Appearance of the Windows Interface 87 Chapter 8 Fine-Tuning Windows Explorer 107 Chapter 9 Personalizing Internet Explorer Chapter 10 Customizing Windows Media 145 Part III Increasing Your System s Performance 165 Chapter 11 Analyzing Your System 167 Chapter 12 Speeding Up the System Boot 193 Chapter 13 Making Your Computer Log On Faster 227 Chapter 14 Speeding Up Windows Explorer 243 xiii

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