Mastering Windows Vista Home Edition

Introduction     xxxiUp and Running with Windows Vista     1Getting Started with Windows Vista     3Understanding Administrator, Standard, and Guest Users     4Logging On and Logging Off     4Logging On     4Logging Off     8Using the Desktop and the Start Menu     9Switching to Another User     12Locking the Computer     12Checking Which User Is Currently Active     14Seeing Who Else Is Logged On to the Computer     14Seeing Which Programs the Other Users Are Running     14Logging Off Another User     17Sending a Message to Another User     18Using the Windows Key     19Putting Your Computer to Sleep     20Shutting Down Windows     21The Bottom Line     22Connecting to the Internet and Surfing the Web     25Connecting to the Internet     25Choosing an Internet Connection Type and ISP     25Setting Up Your Hardware     29Creating an Internet Connection     30Securing Your Internet Connection     42Surfing the Web with Internet Explorer     42Starting Internet Explorer     42The Internet Explorer Interface     42Using Internet Explorer to Access Web Pages     45Customizing Internet Explorer     55Going Offline     58Configuring Internet Explorer     58Controlling Your Temporary Internet Files and History     59Changing Your Search Engine     61Changing Your Settings for Using Tabs     62Changing the Appearance of Internet Explorer     63Choosing Security Options     64Choosing Content Options     69Specifying Programs for Internet Services     75Choosing Advanced Options     76The Bottom Line     80Customizing Your Desktop     81Choosing the Best Display Resolution     81Your Monitor     82Your Graphics Card     82Choosing Video Settings     82Adjusting Your Monitor If Necessary     86Configuring the Keyboard and Mouse     87Configuring the Keyboard     87Configuring the Mouse     89Choosing Ease-of-Access Options     92Keyboard Accessibility Options     94Using Display Accessibility Options     101Using Text or Visual Alternatives for Sounds     104Applying Your Ease-of-Access Settings to the Logon Desktop     104Choosing a Screen Saver     105Changing the Look and Feel of Windows     108Applying a Theme     108Changing the Background     109Changing Desktop Items     110Changing the Appearance of Windows Items     111Choosing System Sounds     114Arranging Icons on Your Desktop     115Configuring the Taskbar, Start Menu, and Desktop Toolbars     116Configuring the Taskbar     116Customizing the Start Menu     120Using the Desktop Toolbars     126Using the Sidebar     128Launching and Closing the Sidebar     128Configuring the Sidebar     129Adding, Removing, and Configuring Gadgets     129The Bottom Line     130Installing, Removing, and Running Programs     133Choosing Programs to Run on Windows Vista     133Looking for Programs Designed for Windows Vista     134Avoiding Programs That May Cause Trouble on Windows Vista     135Getting Ready to Install a Program      136Getting a Copy of the Program     136Making Sure You Have an Administrator Password     136Making Sure You Have Enough Disk Space     137Setting a Restore Point     137Closing All Other Programs     137Installing a Program     138Starting the Setup Routine     138Dealing with User Account Control If Necessary     140The Splash Screen and License Agreement     141Entering Your Name and Organization Name     142Entering Your Product Key     142Choosing the Setup Type     143Letting the Setup Routine Run, and Restarting Windows If Necessary     144Using Compatibility Mode     144Removing a Program     144Running Programs     147Running Programs in Compatibility Mode     148Making Programs Run at Startup     153Specifying the Size at Which a Program Runs     154Killing a Program That's Not Responding     154Setting Default Programs     156The Bottom Line     158Managing Your Files and Folders     159Understanding the Basics of Files and Folders     159Using Windows Explorer      160Starting Windows Explorer     161Understanding Windows' Folder Structure     164Using Views     173Arranging Icons     174Navigating among Folders     177Rearranging the Panes in the Windows Explorer Window     177Navigating Windows Explorer with the Keyboard     178Navigating by Using Type-Down Addressing     178Refreshing the Listing in a Folder     179Choosing Folder Options     179Creating a New Folder     181Copying a File or Folder     181Copying a File or Folder by Using Drag-and-Drop     183Copying a File or Folder by Using Right-Drag-and-Drop     184Copying a File or Folder by Using the Copy and Paste Commands     184Copying a File or Folder by Using the Copy to Folder Command     185Copying a File or Folder by Using the Send To Command     185Moving a File or Folder     186Moving a File or Folder to a Folder on the Same Drive     186Moving a File or Folder to a Folder on a Different Drive     186Moving a File or Folder by Using Right-Drag-and-Drop     187Moving a File or Folder by Using the Move to Folder Command     187Moving a File or Folder by Using Cut and Paste     187Deleting a File or Folder     188Moving a File or Folder to the Recycle Bin     188Deleting a File or Folder without Moving It to the Recycle Bin     189Recovering a File or Folder from the Recycle Bin     190Emptying the Recycle Bin     191Customizing the Recycle Bin     192Renaming a File or Folder     194Viewing, Setting, and Removing Properties for a File or Folder     194Finding a File or Folder     197Searching from the Start Menu     197Searching from an Open Windows Explorer Window     198Searching from a Search Results Window     198Saving a Search     201Configuring Searching     201Working with Compressed Files     202Creating and Organizing Shortcuts     203Creating a Shortcut     204Setting Properties for a Shortcut     205Customizing Windows Explorer     207Customizing and Turning Off AutoPlay     207Customizing a Folder     209Choosing Which Columns to Display in Windows Explorer Windows     210The Bottom Line     211Making the Most of the Bundled Programs      213WordPad     214Notepad     216Character Map     217Inserting a Character     218Inserting a Character in Advanced View     219Paint     222Calculator     223Command Prompt     224Recalling a Command You've Used     224Selecting, Copying, and Pasting in Command Prompt     225Customizing Command Prompt     225The Bottom Line     227Finding Help to Solve Your Windows Problems     229Using Help and Support     229Starting Help and Support     230Configuring Help and Support     230Finding Your Way around Help and Support     231Searching for Help     232Browsing for Help     233Navigating with Help History     235Printing Out Help Information     235Using the "Ask Someone" Options     236Finding Help on the Internet and Web     238The Bottom Line     239Administering and Troubleshooting Windows Vista     241Managing Users and Accounts     243What Are User Accounts and What Are They For?     243Understanding the Three Types of User Accounts and User Profiles     244Administrator Accounts     244Standard Accounts     244The Guest Account     245Understanding User Profiles     246Creating a User Account     247Deleting a User Account     248Changing a User Account     250Assigning a Picture to a User Account     251Applying a Password to an Account     252Removing Password Protection from an Account     254Creating a New Password for a User     257Using Password Reset Disks to Recover from Lost Passwords     258Removing a Windows Live ID from an Account     260Using the Guest Account, Automatic Logon, and Secure Logon     261Turning On and Off the Guest Account     261Implementing and Preventing Automatic Logons     262Forcing Users to Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete When Logging On     264Turning On or Off User Account Control     265Implementing Parental Controls     266Setting Up Parental Controls     266Reviewing What a User Has Done on the Computer     274The Bottom Line     277Sharing Files and Working with File Types     279Understanding How Windows Vista's Sharing Works     279Setting Up Sharing and Discovery     281Opening a Network and Sharing Center Window     281Making Sure Your Computer Is on a Private Network     282Choose Sharing and Discovery Settings     283Sharing Files and Folders     284Sharing Files and Folders with All Other Users of Your Computer and Network     284Sharing a File or Folder with Specific Users     284Seeing the Files and Folders You're Sharing     285Working with File Associations, File Extensions, and File Types     287What Are File Extensions?     287What Are File Types?     287Registering File Types and Associations     288Specifying the File Type of a File     288Finding Out Which File Type a File Is     288Displaying all File Extensions     289Changing the File Type Linked to an Extension     291Changing the Program Associated with a File Type     292Opening a File with a Program Other than the Associated Program     294The Bottom Line     295Managing Your Disks and Drives     297Formatting a Disk to Make It Usable     297Changing the Computer's Name, Description, and Workgroup     300Converting a Disk to NTFS     304Using Compression to Free Up Space     305Compressing a File or Folder     305Compressing a Drive     306Setting Archiving and Indexing for a File or Folder     308Configuring Indexing and Search Options     309Maintaining Your Hard Disks     313Defragmenting Your Disks     313Cleaning Up Your Disks with Disk Cleanup     315Checking a Disk for Errors     320Managing Disks and Volumes     321Starting Disk Management     321Creating a Volume     323Extending and Shrinking Volumes     327Deleting a Volume     328Changing the Drive Letter     329Exiting Disk Management     330The Bottom Line     331Working with the Registry     333What Is the Registry and What Does It Do?     333Why Work with the Registry?     334Preparing to Access the Registry     334Running Registry Editor     335Backing Up Your Registry     335Restoring Your Registry     336Restoring the Registry to Its Last Known Good Configuration      337Working in the Registry     338The Five Subtrees of the Registry     338Keys, Subkeys, and Value Entries     339Registry Data Types     341Where the Registry Is Stored     342Finding Information in the Registry     343Editing a Value Entry     343Adding a Key or a Value Entry     345Deleting a Key or a Value Entry     345Copying a Key Name     346Examples of Working with the Registry     346Removing Spyware     347Changing Your Windows Name and Organization     347Changing Your \\Program Files\\ Folder     347Change the Name for a Removable Drive     347Clearing the Paging File at Shutdown     348Using Registry Favorites to Quickly Access Keys     349The Bottom Line     350Installing, Configuring, and Managing Printers and Fonts     351Understanding the Basics of Windows Printing     351The Terminology of Windows Printing     351Three Ways of Installing a Printer     352How Does a Print Job Get Printed?     352Printers Window     355Installing a Local Printer      355Installing a USB Printer via Automated Installation     355Installing a Parallel Printer Manually     358Configuring a Printer     362Setting a Printer as Your Default     362Setting General Page Options     362Setting Sharing Page Options     363Setting Ports Page Options     363Setting Advanced Page Options     365Device Settings Page Options     368Color Management Page Options     368Removing a Printer     369Printing a Document     370Managing Your Print Jobs     370Pausing and Resuming Printing     371Managing Print Jobs by Using the Print Queue     371Troubleshooting Printing Problems     372Check Which Printer You're Printing To     372Make Sure the Printer Is Working     372Check the Program You're Printing From     373Running the Printing Troubleshooter     373Configuring Your Print Server     373Opening the Print Server Properties Dialog Box     373Creating Custom Forms on the Forms Page     373Configuring Ports on the Ports Page     374Working with Printer Drivers      375Choosing Advanced Print Server Options     377Printing Offline     378Creating Multiple Entries for the Same Printer     378Printing to a File     379Printing to a File from the Print Dialog Box     379Setting a Printer to Always Print to a File     380Printing to an XPS File     380Working with Fonts     381Understanding Outline Fonts and Raster Fonts     381Displaying the Fonts Window     381Viewing and Printing a Font     381Installing a Font     382Deleting a Font     383The Bottom Line     384Managing Hardware, Drivers, and Power     385Finding Out What Hardware You Can Use with Windows     385Using Hot-Pluggable Devices     386Installing a Hot-Pluggable Device     386Removing a Hot-Pluggable Device     387Plugging a Hot-Pluggable Device in Again     389Installing Devices that Are Not Hot Pluggable     389Providing a Driver with the Found New Hardware Wizard     389Specifying a Driver Manually     392Running the Add Hardware Wizard     400Working with Hardware Drivers      403Opening Device Manager     403Checking the Details of a Driver     404Updating a Driver     405Rolling Back a Driver     405Disabling a Device     405Uninstalling a Device     406Adding Specific Hardware Items     406Setting the DVD Region for a DVD Drive     406Adding a Removable Drive     408Adding a Modem     408Adding a Video Card     411Adding a Monitor     411Setting Up and Using Multiple Monitors     412Configuring Power Management     414Choosing a Power Scheme     415Choosing Power-Button, Lid, and Password-on-Wakeup Settings     417Choosing Advanced Power Options     418The Bottom Line     421Using Windows Vista Home on a Portable Computer     423Accessing Mobile Settings with Windows Mobility Center     423Using the Power-Management Features for Portable Computers     424Using the Power Icon in the Notification Area     424Choosing Power Settings for Running on Batteries     425Setting Battery Alarms, Notifications, and Actions     426Configuring Tablet PC and Pen and Input Settings      427Configuring Tablet PC Settings     427Configuring Pen and Input Devices Settings     429Choosing Presentation Settings     434Connecting an External Monitor     436Using Dial-up Networking from Multiple Locations     437Creating a New Location     437Editing a Location     440Using a Location     440Transferring Files between a Desktop Computer and a Portable     440Using an Infrared Connection     440Using Bluetooth     446Using Briefcase to Synchronize Files between Two Computers     458Using Briefcase     458Creating a New Briefcase     458Renaming the New Briefcase     459Adding Files to the Briefcase     459Working with Files in the Briefcase     459Viewing the Status of Briefcase Files     459Splitting a Briefcase File from Its Original     460Updating the Files in the Briefcase     461Troubleshooting Orphaned Files     462The Bottom Line     462Troubleshooting and Optimizing Windows Vista     465Dealing with Program Hangs     465Ending a Program      465Ending a Process or a Process Tree     468Using Event Viewer to Identify Problems     469Understanding the Event Viewer Window     470Understanding Logs     471Understanding Views     473Viewing an Event Log     473Managing the Event Logs     474Keeping Windows Updated with Windows Update     477Configuring What Windows Update Does     477What Happens When Windows Update Runs Automatically     480Downloading and Installing Updates Manually     482Restarting Your Computer     482Viewing Installed Updates     482Restoring Hidden Updates     482Optimizing Your Computer's Performance     483Checking Your Computer's Windows Experience Index Score     483RAM: Does Your Computer Have Enough?     485Using ReadyBoost to Supplement Your RAM     485Choosing Performance Options     488Specifying the Size and Location of the Paging File     490Controlling Data Execution Prevention     494Setting Startup and Recovery Options     495Using Problem Reports and Solutions     497Checking for New Solutions     498Seeing Problems with Your Computer     499Viewing Your Problem History     499Change Your Settings for Problem Reports and Solutions     500Clearing Your Solution and Problem History     503The Bottom Line     503Backup and Disaster Recovery     505Backing Up Your Data-and Restoring It     505Why You Must Back Up Your Data     505What to Back Up     506When to Back Up Your Data     507Choosing Backup Media     508Configuring Backup and Running Your First Backup     508Running an Unscheduled Backup     514Changing Your Backup Settings     514Turning Off Automatic Backup     514Restoring Files from Backup     514Understanding Windows File Protection     522Checking Files with System File Checker     522Checking System Files and Drivers with File Signature Verification     523Using the System Restore Feature     523How System Restore Works     523Choosing Which Disks to Protect with System Restore     524Restoring Your System to a Restore Point     526Deal with Boot Problems     527Restoring the Last Known Good Configuration      527Using Startup Repair to Fix Boot Problems or Run System Restore     527Exiting Startup Repair     532Booting into Safe Mode     532Using System Configuration Utility to Disable Startup Items or to Clean Boot     534The Bottom Line     541Using Windows Vista's Communication Tools     543E-mail with Windows Mail     545Getting Started     545Starting Windows Mail     545Setting Up E-mail with Windows Mail     546The Windows Mail Screen     549Choosing Options for Windows Mail     550General Page Options     550Read Page Options     551Receipts Page Options     553Send Page Options     556Compose Page Options     560Signatures Page Options     561Spelling Page Options     563Security Page Options     564Connection Page Options     568Advanced Page Options     568Maintenance Options     570Suppressing Junk E-mail Messages     571Setting Junk E-mail Options     571Creating a Safe Senders List     572Creating a Blocked Senders List     574Blocking Messages by Top-Level Domain or Language Encoding     574Configuring Phishing Settings     576Receiving a Suspect Message     577Reading and Sending E-mail     578Reading E-mail Messages     578Sending E-mail     579Replying to an E-mail Message     583Adding a vCard to Your Outgoing Messages     584Adding vCards You Receive to the Address Book     585Forwarding a Message     585Sending and Receiving Attachments     585Managing Your E-mail Messages     589Deleting a Message     589Cleaning Up Messages     589Moving a Message to a Folder     590Moving Your Message Store     591Finding a Message     591Filtering Your E-mail     592Creating Rules for Filtering E-mail     592Blocking a Sender     596Adding, Removing, and Configuring Mail Accounts     598Adding Another Mail Account     598Removing a Mail Account     598Configuring an Individual Account     599Customizing the Inbox and Backing Up Your Mail     603Customizing the Columns Displayed in the Inbox     603Customizing the Inbox Layout and the Toolbar     604Backing Up and Restoring Your Windows Mail Folders     606The Bottom Line     607Reading News with Windows Mail     609Understanding the Dangers of Newsgroups     609Setting Up Windows Mail to Read Newsgroups     610Changing the Properties for a News Account     613Downloading the List of Newsgroups     615Subscribing to Newsgroups     616Reading Newsgroup Messages     617Posting to a Newsgroup     619Posting an Attachment     619Creating Rules for Filtering News     620Working Offline     621The Bottom Line     622Publishing Information to the Web     623Deciding What to Publish     623Understanding Copyright Issues     623Performing Quality Control     624Create Your Own Website     625Deciding Where to Host Your Site     625Creating Web Content     626Getting Material to Your Website     626Create a Space on Windows Live Spaces     627Write a Blog     628Posting to a Blog     628Blogging from Microsoft Word 2007     628Post Materials to Content-Specific Sites     629The Bottom Line     629Instant Messaging with Windows Live Messenger     631Getting and Installing Messenger     631Starting Messenger for the First Time     633Configuring Messenger to Suit Your Needs     636Personal Page Options     636General Page Options     638Messages Page Options     640Alerts and Sounds Page Options     641Sharing Folders Page Options     642File Transfer Page Options     643Phone Page Options     644Tabs Page Options     644Privacy Page Options     645Security Page Options     646Connection Page Options     646Setting Up Audio and Video     648Signing Out and Signing Back In     648Adding and Removing a Contact     649Adding a Contact by Instant Messaging Address     649Adding a Contact when People Add You to Their Contact List     650Removing a Contact from Your Contact List     650Chatting     651Adding More People to a Conversation     651Including Emoticons in Your Messages     651Setting Font, Style, and Color for Text You Send     653Adding Voice to a Conversation     653Adding Video to a Conversation     653Blocking and Unblocking Contacts     654Changing Your Status     655Transferring Files     655Sending a File     655Sending Files via Sharing Folders     655Receiving a File     656Receiving Files via Sharing Folders     657The Bottom Line     657Giving and Getting Remote Assistance     659Understanding the Basics of Remote Assistance     659Security Considerations for Remote Assistance     660Turning On Remote Assistance     661Setting Limits for Remote Assistance     661Sending a Remote Assistance Invitation via E-mail     662Sending a Remote Assistance Invitation via a Standard E-mail Program     663Sending a Remote Assistance Invitation via a Web-Based E-mail Program     666Sending an Invitation via Windows Live Messenger     668Receiving Remote Assistance     669Allowing the Expert to Connect to Your Computer      669Receiving Assistance     670Providing Remote Assistance     674Responding to a Remote Assistance Invitation     674Offering Remote Assistance     676Providing Remote Assistance     678The Bottom Line     681Audio, Video, and Games     683Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center     685Using Windows Media Player     685Getting Started with Windows Media Player     685Setting Up Sharing     693Configuring Windows Media Player     695Adding Files to Your Media Library     711Playing Audio Files     713Creating Playlists     713Ripping a CD     716Playing a DVD     718Playing Videos     719Controlling Windows Media Player via Keyboard Shortcuts     720Burning Discs from Windows Media Player     722Using Windows Media Center     723Starting Windows Media Center     723Understanding the Windows Media Center Categories     724Setting Up Windows Media Center     724Watching and Recording TV     727Watching a DVD     729Listening to Music      729Setting Output Volume and Recording Volume     729Changing the Relative Loudness of Devices and Programs     730Configuring Audio Playback     730Recording Audio Files with Sound Recorder     733The Bottom Line     734Working with Pictures and Videos     735Working with Pictures in Windows Explorer     735Opening Your Pictures Folder     736Previewing a Picture     736Viewing a Slide Show of Pictures     736Printing a Picture     738Sending Pictures via E-mail     739Installing a Scanner or Digital Camera     740Using Windows Photo Gallery     742Opening Windows Photo Gallery     742Using Different Views and Sizes     743Manipulating a Picture or Video from within the Gallery     744Viewing a Picture or Video     744Importing Pictures from a Scanner     746Importing Pictures from a Digital Camera     748Fixing a Picture     751Change the Date or Time Stamp on a Picture     752Capturing Still Pictures from a Video Camera     753Importing Video from a Camcorder     754Connecting Your DV Camcorder to Your Computer     754Making Movies with Windows Movie Maker     758Starting Windows Movie Maker     758Capturing Video from a DV Camcorder     759Importing an Audio, Video, or Picture File     759Saving the Project     759Editing a Movie     759Arranging the Clips on the Storyboard     761Setting Audio Levels     764Adding Transitions between Clips     764Adding Transitions, Titles, and Credits     764Saving the Movie     764Creating DVDs with Windows DVD Maker     764Launching Windows DVD Maker     764Choosing Options for Windows DVD Maker     765Starting Your Project     767Adding Pictures and Videos to the DVD     767Setting Up the Menus for Your DVD     767Previewing and Burning the DVD     771The Bottom Line     772Burning CDs and DVDs     773Understanding the Essentials of Burning Discs     773CD and DVD Capacity     773Recordable Discs and Rewritable Discs     774Choosing which File System to Use     774Configuring Your Burner Drive     774Burning Files to Disc Using the Live File System Format     777Burning Files to Disc Using the Mastered Format     780Testing Your New Disc     784When Things Go Wrong Writing the Disc     784Clearing the Storage Area for a Mastered Burn     785Erasing All Files from a Rewritable CD     785Burning Discs from Other Programs     787The Bottom Line     787Playing Games on Windows Vista     789Playing the Bundled Games     789Opening the Games Folder     789Understanding the Ratings for Games     790Launching a Game     791Windows's Built-in Games     791Configuring Games     796Choosing a Games Rating System     796Hiding Games from View-and Reinstating Them     796Removing Games from Your Computer     797Installing a Game     798Choosing Hardware for Serious Gaming     799Sound Card and Speakers or Headphones     799Video Card     799Joystick, Game Pad, Steering Wheel, or Other Human Interface Device     800Adding and Configuring Game Controllers     800Adding a Game Controller     800Opening the Game Controllers Dialog Box     800Choosing the Game Controller to Use for Older Programs     801Testing and Calibrating a Game Controller     801Getting the Best Performance on Games     802The Bottom Line     803Networking Windows Vista Home Edition     805Understanding Windows Networking     807Why Network Your Home or Home Office?     807Network Architectures     808Client/Server Networks     808Peer-to-Peer Networks     810Network Protocols     813TCP/IP     813Special-Purpose Network Protocols     813Planning Your Network     815Client/Server or Peer-to-Peer?     815Wired, Wireless, or Both?     816Where Will You Keep Your Files?     819Which Resources Will You Share?     820Choosing Network Hardware for a Wired Network     820Choosing Hardware for a Gigabit Ethernet or Fast Ethernet Network     820Choosing Hardware for a Phone-Line Network     823Choosing Hardware for a Power-Line Network     824Choosing Hardware for a Wireless Network     824The Bottom Line     825Building a Home or Home-Office Network     827Installing a Wired Network     827Installing Network Cards     828Cabling an Ethernet Network     829Configuring the Network Connections     834Setting Up a Wireless Network     834Setting Up an Ad Hoc Wireless Network     836Setting Up a Wireless-Only Network or a Wired-and-Wireless Network     839Connecting to a Wireless Network     847Adding a Wireless Network That's Broadcasting within Range of Your Computer     848Adding a Wireless Network Manually     850Managing Your Wireless Networks     851Browsing the Network     855Mapping and Disconnecting Network Drives     857Mapping a Network Drive     857Reconnecting a Network Drive at Logon     860Disconnecting a Network Drive     861Connecting Mac and Linux Clients to the Network     861Connecting Mac Clients     861Connecting Linux Clients     862The Bottom Line     863Sharing Resources on Your Network     865Connecting Your Network to the Internet     865Should You Connect Your Network to the Internet?     865Should You Use Multiple IP Addresses or NAT?     866Should the Connection Connect Automatically to the Internet?     869Should You Use ICS or Another NAT?     869Configuring ICS Manually     870Configuring Windows Firewall Manually     875Configuring Windows Firewall to Pass Data for Programs and Services on All Connections     876Using a Shared Internet Connection     879Sharing a File or Folder     879Sharing a Printer     880Connecting to a Shared Printer     882Using a Print Server     884Connecting to an LPR Printer     885Working with Networks, Network Connections, and Networking Components     886Diagnosing and Repairing a Network Connection     886Configuring Networking Components Manually     888Configuring TCP/IP Manually     892Connecting and Merging Networks     895The Bottom Line     897Securing Your Network     899Assessing the Threats to Your Network     899Why Would Anyone Attack Your Network?     899What Do You Have to Protect?     900How Much Security Do You Need?     900Understanding the Points of Weakness on Your Network      900Normal Methods of Securing a Home Network     901Securing Your Internet Connection with a Firewall     902Configuring Windows Firewall with Advanced Security     904Windows Firewall's Default Settings     904Opening Windows Firewall with Advanced Security     904Understanding the Domain Profile, Private Profile, and Private Profile     904Configuring the Private Profile and Public Profile     906Choosing IPSec Settings     909Creating an Inbound or Outbound Rule     910Creating a Connection Security Rule     914Using Antivirus Software     919Securing Your Browsers and Programs     919Securing Your Web Browsers     920Securing E-mail Clients     920Securing Instant-Messaging Clients     920Securing Programmable Programs     920Limiting User Access to Computers and Files     921Maintaining Your Hardware and Software     921Backing Up Data on Your Network     922Securing Your Wireless Network     922Keeping Your Expectations Realistic     922Using WPA or WEP     923Changing the SSID for the Wireless Network     923Configuring Your Access Point Not to Broadcast Its SSID     924Restricting the MAC Addresses Allowed to Access Your Wireless Network     924Using Password Protection on Your Files     925Using Virtual Private Networking to Secure the Data You're Transmitting     925Repositioning Your Access Point for Security     925Trying to Hack into Your Own Network     925The Bottom Line     926Connecting to a Remote Computer or Network     927Using Remote Desktop Connection     927Remote Desktop Connection Terminology and Basics     928Setting the Remote Computer to Accept Incoming Connections     929Choosing Settings for Remote Desktop Connection     932Connecting via Remote Desktop Connection     939Working via Remote Desktop Connection     941Returning to Your Local Desktop     943Disconnecting the Remote Session     945Logging Off the Remote Session     945Shutting Down or Restarting the Remote Computer     946Troubleshooting Remote Desktop Connection Connections     946Using a Dial-up Connection to a Remote Network     946Getting the Information for the Connection     947Creating the Connection      947Using a Dial-up Connection You've Created     950Changing the Properties of a Dial-up Connection     950Creating and Using VPN Connections     950How Virtual Private Networking Works     950Advantages of VPN Connections     951Creating a VPN Client Connection     951Configuring the VPN Client Connection     953Choosing Sharing Options     957Working via the VPN Connection     959The Bottom Line     960Windows Vista Basics     961Mouse Basics and Terminology     961Selection Basics     962Drag-and-Drop     962Working with Windows and Dialog Boxes     963Dialog Box Modality     963Maximizing, Minimizing, and Restoring Windows     964Using the Control Menu on Windows and Dialog Boxes     965Dialog Box Controls     965Installing or Upgrading to Windows Vista     969Planning to Install Windows Vista     969Determining Whether Your Computer Can Run Windows Vista     970Understanding the Different Levels of Vista "Experience"     970Choosing Hardware for Windows Vista     971DVD Drive      973Checking Whether Your Computer Is Suitable for Windows Vista     974Choosing a Method of Installing Windows Vista     974Preparing for Installation     975Back Up All Your Data Files     975Write Down Internet Connection Information     975Plug In and Switch On All Hardware     975Use Windows Easy Transfer to Start Transferring Your Files and Settings     975Stop Any Antivirus Software, Disk Utilities, or Boot Managers     979Upgrading Windows XP Home Edition to Windows Vista     979Performing a New Installation or Clean Installation of Windows Vista     981Completing Setup and Creating Your User Account     986Activating Windows     988Transferring Your Files and Settings     988Transferring via a USB Cable     989Transferring via a Network     989Transferring via a CD, DVD, or Drive     990Logging Off (If Necessary)     991Index     993