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1 Visual quickstart guide MICROSOFT WINDOWS VISTA Start Menu printing installing programs security Internet Explorer Mail Learn Windows Vista the search Sidebar and Gadgets Media Player Photo Gallery Movie Maker Windows Live Messenger organizing files networks Start Menu printing installing programs security Internet Explorer Mail search Sidebar and Gadgets Media Player Photo Gallery Movie Maker Windows Live Messen ger organizing Quick files networks and Start Menu Easy printing Way! installing programs security Internet Explorer Mail search Sidebar and Gadgets Media Player Photo Gallery Movie Maker Windows Live Messenger organizing files networks Start Menu printing installing programs security Internet Explorer Mail search Sidebar and Gadgets Media Player Photo Gallery Movie Maker Windows Live Messenger organizing files network Start Menu printing installing programs security Internet Explorer Ma search Sidebar and Gadgets Media Player Photo Gallery Movie Maker Windows Live Messenger organizing files networks Start Menu printing installing programs security Internet Explorer Mail search Sidebar and Gadgets Media Player Photo Gallery Movie Maker Windows Live Messen ger organizing files networks Start Menu printing installing programs security Internet Explorer Mail search Sidebar and Gadgets Media Player Photo Gallery Movie Maker Windows Live Messenger organizing files networks Start Menu printing installing programs security Internet Explorer Mail search Sidebar and Gadgets Media Player Photo Gallery Movie Maker Windows Live Messenger organizing files network Start Menu printing installing programs security Internet Explorer Ma CHRIS FEHILY search Sidebar and Gadgets Media Player Photo Gallery Movie Maker Windows Live Messenger organizing files networks Start Menu printing

2 VISUAL QUICKSTART GUIDE Microsoft WINDOWS VISTA Chris Fehily Peachpit Press

3 Visual QuickStart Guide Microsoft Windows Vista Chris Fehily Peachpit Press 1249 Eighth Street Berkeley, CA / / / (fax) Find us on the Web at: To report errors, please send a note to errata@peachpit.com Peachpit Press is a division of Pearson Education Copyright 2007 by Chris Fehily Managing editor: Clifford Colby Editor: Kathy Simpson Production editor: Andrei Pasternak Compositor: Owen Wolfson Indexer: Rebecca Plunkett Cover design: The Visual Group Notice of Rights All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information on getting permission for reprints and excerpts, contact permissions@peachpit.com. Notice of Liability The information in this book is distributed on an "As Is" basis without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of the book, neither the author nor Peachpit shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book or by the computer software and hardware products described in it. Trademarks Visual QuickStart Guide is a registered trademark of Peachpit Press, a division of Pearson Education. Throughout this book, trademarks are used. Rather than put a trademark symbol in every occurrence of a trademarked name, we state that we are using the names in an editorial fashion only and to the benefit of the trademark owner with no intention of infringement of the trademark. ISBN Printed and bound in the United States of America

4 For Brian, Ken, Steve, Stu, Cliff, and Darren

5 Special Thanks to Kathy Simpson for staying ahead of me Cliff Colby for working backstage Andrei Pasternak for coordinating Owen Wolfson for squashing Rebecca Plunkett for rotating terms

6 Contents at a Glance Introduction xiii Chapter 1: Getting Started 1 Chapter 2: The Desktop 55 Chapter 3: Getting Help 103 Chapter 4: Personalizing Your Work Environment 117 Chapter 5: Organizing Files and Folders 181 Chapter 6: Installing and Running Programs 251 Chapter 7: Printing, Scanning, and Faxing 285 Chapter 8: Setting up Hardware 313 Chapter 9: Digital Photos 331 Chapter 10: Windows Media Player 357 Chapter 11: Windows Movie Maker 391 Chapter 12: Connecting to the Internet 411 Chapter 13: Security and Privacy 421 Chapter 14: Internet Explorer 445 Chapter 15: , Contacts, and Calendars 471 Chapter 16: Windows Live Messenger 497 Chapter 17: Managing User Accounts 509 Chapter 18: Setting up a Small Network 519 Chapter 19: Working Remotely 539 Chapter 20: Maintenance & Troubleshooting 551 Appendix: Installing Windows Vista 571 Index 581 Contents at a Glance v

7 Table of Contents Table of Contents Introduction xiii What Windows Does xiv The Editions of Windows Vista xv What s New in Windows Vista xvi Upgrading to Windows Vista xviii About This Book xix Chapter 1: Getting Started 1 Logging On and Logging Off Using Welcome Center Exploring the Windows Interface The Mouse The Keyboard Menus Toolbars Icons Windows Dialog Boxes Properties Transferring Data Chapter 2: The Desktop 55 Exploring the Start Menu Using the Start Menu Customizing the Start Menu Exploring the Taskbar Managing Windows by Using the Taskbar Customizing the Taskbar Using the Notification Area Adding Toolbars to the Taskbar Using the Quick Launch Toolbar Using the Sidebar Managing Shortcuts Tidying Your Desktop vi

8 Table of Contents Chapter 3: Getting Help 103 Starting Help and Support Browsing Help and Support Searching Help and Support Getting Help on the Web Capturing Screen Images Allowing Others to Connect to Your Computer Remotely Chapter 4: Personalizing Your Work Environment 117 Using Control Panel Setting the Window Color and Color Scheme Setting the Desktop Background Setting the Screen Saver Setting the Desktop Theme Configuring the Monitor Configuring the Mouse Configuring the Keyboard Configuring Sound and Audio Devices Setting the Date and Time Localizing Your System Accommodating Disabled Users Using Speech Recognition Using Alternative Mouse Behavior Conserving Power Managing Fonts Managing Visual Effects and Performance Restoring the Old Windows Look Getting General System Information Chapter 5: Organizing Files and Folders 181 Exploring Your Computer Storing Stuff in Your Personal Folder Using Windows Explorer Navigating in Windows Explorer Tagging Files Filtering, Sorting, Stacking, and Grouping Files Customizing a Folder Setting Folder Options Creating Folders Naming Files and Folders Table of Contents vii

9 Table of Contents Table of Contents Moving and Copying Files and Folders Sending Files and Folders Deleting Files and Folders Compressing Files and Folders Searching for Files and Folders Saving Searches Burning CDs and DVDs Using Keyboard Shortcuts Chapter 6: Installing and Running Programs 251 Installing Programs Removing Programs Turning Windows Features On or Off Launching Programs Launching Programs Automatically Running Older Programs Switching Programs Exiting Programs Killing Unresponsive Programs Using the Free Utility Programs Saving Documents Opening Documents Associating Documents with Programs Chapter 7: Printing, Scanning, and Faxing 285 Installing a Printer Sharing a Network Printer Setting Printer Properties Printing Documents Controlling Printouts Scanning and Faxing Chapter 8: Setting up Hardware 313 Connecting Devices to Your Computer Installing a New Device Setting up Bluetooth Devices Managing Device Drivers Chapter 9: Digital Photos 331 Importing Photos to Your Computer Getting Started with Windows Photo Gallery Viewing Photos Finding Photos Touching up Photos Printing Photos viii

10 Table of Contents Ordering Prints Online ing Photos Using Keyboard Shortcuts Chapter 10: Windows Media Player 357 Getting Started with Media Player Playing Music CDs Customizing the Now Playing Tab Viewing Visualizations Changing Player Appearance with Skins Shopping Online Listening to Radio Stations Ripping CDs to Your Hard Drive Organizing Your Library Working with Playlists Burning Music CDs Playing DVDs Using Keyboard Shortcuts Chapter 11: Windows Movie Maker 391 Getting Started with Movie Maker Importing Content Organizing Your Clips Creating a Project Editing a Project Editing Clips Adding Visual Content Adding Audio Tracks Publishing a Movie Chapter 12: Connecting to the Internet 411 Understanding Connection Types Connecting to the Internet Chapter 13: Security and Privacy 421 Checking Your Security Status Using a Firewall Updating Windows Defending Against Viruses and Spyware Setting Parental Controls Encrypting Data Table of Contents ix

11 Table of Contents Table of Contents Chapter 14: Internet Explorer 445 Getting Started with Internet Explorer Navigating the Web Using Tabs Bookmarking Pages Blocking Pop-Up Windows Browsing Tips Chapter 15: , Contacts, and Calendars 471 Getting Started with Windows Mail Setting up an Account Sending Reading Receiving Attachments Applying Message Rules Using Newsgroups Managing Your Contacts Creating a Personal Calendar Chapter 16: Windows Live Messenger 497 Setting up Messenger Signing in to Messenger Creating a Contacts List Using Messenger Chapter 17: Managing User Accounts 509 Setting up User Accounts Using User Account Control Managing User Profiles Chapter 18: Setting up a Small Network 519 Understanding Network Types Sharing an Internet Connection Setting up a Network Managing a Network Sharing Files Chapter 19: Working Remotely 539 Dialing Direct Connecting to a Virtual Private Network Server Controlling a Computer with Remote Desktop Making Network Files and Folders Available Offline Using Laptop Utilities x

12 Table of Contents Chapter 20: Maintenance & Troubleshooting 551 Getting System Information Managing Tasks Cleaning up a Disk Defragmenting a Disk Checking for Disk Errors Managing Disks Scheduling Tasks Editing the Registry Reporting and Solving Problems Boosting Memory Restoring Your System Backing up Your Files Recovering After a Crash Appendix: Installing Windows Vista 571 Getting Ready to Install Windows Vista Choosing an Installation Type Installing Windows Vista Activating Windows Vista Transferring Existing Files and Settings Index 581 Table of Contents xi

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14 i Introduction Windows Vista, the successor to Windows XP, is the latest Microsoft operating system for PC users at home, work, and school. Feature for feature, Vista is better than XP, but to make people want to upgrade to Vista, Microsoft put special effort into: The user interface. The new UI, called Aero, is slick and lets you find and launch your stuff instantly no matter how your files and folders are organized (or disorganized). The Start menu, the taskbar, Windows Explorer, and other redesigned controls retain enough of their old personalities to let you jump in. Security. Vista protects you against malicious websites, viruses, spyware, and other online threats. You also can control what your children or guests view and play. Vista s reduced-privilege mode (turned on by default) defends even administrators against attacks. Connectivity. It s easy to connect quickly (and wirelessly) to people, data, and devices that you need to interact with. Performance. Vista scales to your machine s hardware and, provided that you feed it enough memory, is faster than XP. Vista s broad driver support means that your existing hardware and software will work right (in most cases). Introduction xiii

15 What Windows Does Introduction What Windows Does Windows like every operating system, Microsoft or otherwise is software that controls: The user interface. Windows manages the appearance, behavior, and interaction of the windows, buttons, icons, folders, mouse pointers, cursors, menus, ribbons, and other visual elements on your computer screen, either directly or indirectly through another program. Storage. Windows file system allocates space for and gives access to files programs and documents stored on disk or in memory. Other software. Windows is a launching platform for programs. When you run Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop, The Sims, or any other Windows program, it relies on the services and building blocks that Windows provides for basic operations such as drawing a user interface, saving files, and sharing hardware. Peripheral devices. Windows controls or syncs with peripheral hardware such as your mouse, keyboard, monitor, printer, scanner, USB flash drives, digital camera, PDA, and ipod. Networks and security. Windows controls the interaction of a group of computers and peripheral devices connected by a communications link such as Ethernet or wireless. Windows also protects your system and data from harm or loss. System resources. Windows handles the allocation and use of your computer s low-level hardware resources such as memory (RAM) and central processing unit (CPU) time. Task scheduling. Windows acts like a traffic cop, setting priorities and allocating time slices to the processes running on your PC. Freeware and Shareware Many of the third-party (meaning non- Microsoft) programs that I recommend in this book are freeware or shareware. Freeware is software that you can use for an unlimited time at no cost, whereas shareware is software that you can use for a tryout period usually 30 days before you re expected to pay for it. I say expected to because much shareware keeps working beyond the trial period, so you can escape payment. Paying the fee, however, often gets you a keycode that unlocks features or turns off nag messages. If you pass along copies of shareware to others, they re expected to pay too. Freeware and shareware are copyrighted and have licenses that may impose restrictions ( free for personal, noncommercial use, for example). Unlike commercial software, freeware and shareware isn t shrink-wrapped or sold in stores but is downloaded from the internet (or provided on magazine cover disks). I give the publisher s website for each recommended program, but you also can browse download sites like and or an index like Software. has lots of free high-quality software. Also, to keep up with the latest releases, try and If a popular free program isn t labeled public domain, public license, or open source ( you should check it for spyware. See Defending Against Viruses and Spyware in Chapter13. xiv

16 Figure i.1 The edition of Windows Vista that you re using is displayed with your computer details near the top of the window. The Editions of Windows Vista The editions of Windows Vista are: Windows Vista Home Basic Windows Vista Home Premium Windows Vista Business Windows Vista Enterprise Windows Vista Ultimate The home editions have entertainment features that aren t in the business editions, which themselves have management features that aren t in the Home editions. Ultimate edition combines the Home and Business features, for a complete package, and lets you get additional programs and services by using the Windows Ultimate Extras utility in Windows Update. The core features in the different Vista editions look and work alike, so most discussions apply to all editions equally. This book points out the differences among the editions where necessary. To find out which edition you re running, choose Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Welcome Center (Figure i.1). Tips Introduction Windows Anytime Upgrade, new in Vista, lets you upgrade your copy of Vista to another edition. You can upgrade from Home Basic to either Home Premium or Ultimate, for example. Choose Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Windows Anytime Upgrade. There s also an inexpensive and severely hamstrung Starter edition, sold only in developing countries and not covered in this book. The Editions of Windows Vista xv

17 What s New in Windows Vista Introduction What s New in Windows Vista If you re familiar with earlier versions of Windows, here are Vista s significant new and updated features and programs. New programs and features Welcome Center. See Using Welcome Center in Chapter 1. Taskbar thumbnail previews. See Customizing the Taskbar in Chapter 2. Sidebar and gadgets. See Using the Sidebar in Chapter 2. Aero color scheme. See Setting the Window Color and Color Scheme in Chapter 4. Live icons. See Using Windows Explorer in Chapter 5. File tagging. See Tagging Files in Chapter 5. Filtering and stacking files. See Filtering, Sorting, Stacking, and Grouping Files in Chapter 5. Instant search. See Searching for Files and Folders in Chapter 5. Saved searches. See Saving Searches in Chapter 5. Flip 3D. See Switching Programs in Chapter 6. Windows Ultimate Extras. See Using the Free Utility Programs in Chapter 6. XPS document support. See Installing a Printer in Chapter 7. Windows DVD Maker. See Publishing a Movie in Chapter 11. Windows Defender. See Defending Against Viruses and Spyware in Chapter 13. Parental Controls. See Using Parental Controls in Chapter 13. Windows Contacts (replaces Address Book). See Managing Your Contacts in Chapter 15. Windows Calendar. See Creating a Personal Calendar in Chapter 15. User Account Control. See Using User Account Control in Chapter 17. Sync Center and Windows Mobility Center. See Using Laptop Utilities in Chapter 19. ReadyBoost. See Boosting Memory in Chapter 20. Major updates Speech recognition. See Using Speech Recognition in Chapter 4. Power Options utility. See Conserving Power in Chapter 4. Windows Explorer. See Chapter 5. Windows Photo Gallery (replaces Windows Picture and Fax Viewer). See Chapter 9. Internet Explorer. See Chapter 14. Network setup. See Chapter 18. Task Scheduler. See Scheduling Tasks in Chapter 20. Backup and Restore Center (formerly Windows Backup). See Backing up Your Files in Chapter 20. Problem Reports and Solutions (replaces Error Reporting and Dr. Watson). See Reporting and Solving Problems in Chapter 20. xvi

18 Moderate updates Start menu. See Exploring the Start Menu in Chapter 2. Windows Help and Support. See Chapter 3. Control Panel. See Using Control Panel in Chapter 4. Taskbar clock. See Setting the Date and Time in Chapter 4. Ease of Access (formerly Accessibility). See Accommodating Disabled Users in Chapter 4. Personal folder (reorganizes My Documents, My Music, and so on). See Storing Stuff in Your Personal Folder in Chapter 5. Disc burning. See Burning CDs and DVDs in Chapter 5. Programs and Features (formerly Add or Remove Programs). See Removing Programs in Chapter 6. Meeting Space (formerly NetMeeting). See Using the Free Utility Programs in Chapter 6. Windows Fax and Scan (formerly Windows Fax). See Scanning and Faxing in Chapter 6. Windows Media Player. See Chapter 10. Windows Movie Maker. See Chapter 11. Internet connections. See Connecting to the Internet in Chapter 12. Windows Mail (formerly Outlook Express). See Chapter 15. Introduction Windows Live Messenger (formerly Windows Messenger). See Chapter 16. System Restore. See Restoring Your System in Chapter 20. Windows Easy Transfer (formerly Files and Settings Transfer Wizard). See Transferring Existing Files and Settings in the appendix. What s New in Windows Vista xvii

19 Introduction Upgrading to Windows Vista Upgrading to Windows Vista If you re moving to Vista from an earlier version of Windows, Microsoft gives you upgrade options that depend on the version that you re currently running. A Windows Vista version upgrade is much cheaper than a full copy. You can upgrade from only Windows XP or Windows 2000; if you have an earlier version, you must install a full copy of Vista. You have two ways to upgrade: An upgrade lets you install Vista and keep your programs, files, and settings as they were in your previous edition of Windows. A clean install overwrites your current copy of Windows with Vista, erasing everything. You can use Windows Easy Transfer (see the appendix) to reload your files and settings on your upgraded PC. Table i.1 tells you which Windows versions qualify for an upgrade to Vista Home, Business, or Ultimate editions. Table i.1 Upgrading from Earlier Windows Versions Not Eligible to Upgrade? If you re not eligible to upgrade because you re a first-time Windows customer or your current Windows version doesn t qualify, then it s cheaper to buy the Vista upgrade version and get Windows 2000 from a friend, coworker, computer swap meet, there are plenty of copies around. (You can get a copy of Windows XP instead, but you might have trouble with its activation key if it s already been used.) Install Windows 2000 on your PC and then apply the Vista upgrade, first making sure that your hardware meets Vista system requirements (see the appendix). Don t throw out Windows 2000; you may need it to reinstall Vista someday. Current Version Home Basic Home Premium Business Ultimate Windows XP Professional Windows XP Home Windows XP Media Center Windows XP Tablet PC Windows XP Professional x64 Windows 2000 Clean install only. In-place upgrade or clean install. xviii

20 About This Book This book is for you if you re new to Windows, moving or upgrading to Vista from a previous Windows version, or need a quick reference at hand. My audience is beginning and intermediate Windows Vista users, including people who are buying Vista along with their first computers. Windows veterans can look up specific tasks quickly or scan the tips and sidebars for tricks, shortcuts, and subtleties. Wherever possible, I give step-by-step instructions for using features and programs. Conventions used in this book Commands. I use shorthand instructions rather than list steps separately. Here s a command that opens a nested folder: Choose Start > Computer > Local Disk (C:) > Users > Public. This sequence means: Click the Start button (on the taskbar, in the bottom-left corner of the desktop) to reveal the Start menu; then click Computer. Inside the Computer window, double-click the drive icon labeled Local Disk (C:) to open it. Inside that window, double-click the icon Users to open it. Inside that window, double-click the icon Public to open it. Each shorthand element (between the > symbols) refers to an icon, window, dialog box, menu, button, check box, link, tab, or some other user-interface component; just look for the component whose label matches the element name. Whenever a particular step is unclear or ambiguous, I spell it out rather than use shorthand. Here s a command that launches the Notepad program: Choose Start > All Programs > Accessories > Notepad. This one shows file extensions: Introduction Choose Start > Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Folder Options > View tab > uncheck Hide Extensions for Known File Types > OK. Keyboard shortcuts. Use keyboard shortcuts so that you don t waste time moving your hand from keyboard to mouse repeatedly. These shortcuts involve the modifier keys that sit at the bottom corners of the keyboard s main section. Press these keys Shift, Ctrl (Control), and Alt (Alternate) together with other keys to change the action. The C key pressed by itself types a lowercase c; pressed along with the Shift key, it types an uppercase C; and pressed along with the Ctrl key, it issues the Copy command. About This Book xix