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Hi Folks, Here is the latest consolidation of the Vista notes I have collected from various newsletters. It is lengthy, but there is a lot of good stuff in here. Enjoy. Here is the Lockergnome guide on Installing Vista: Introduction To Installing Vista (Part I)You can perform two different types of installations depending on what you want to achieve and on the existing configuration of your computer. For example, if you do not want to lose any of your customized settings, then you probably will not want to perform a clean installation of Windows. On the other hand, if you want to return your computer to its original pristine condition, you should opt for a clean install of Windows. The two types of Windows installations include:
Upgrade
Note: If you are running Windows
2000, you must perform a clean install of The easiest way to find out if your
computer can run Clean
Installation The main advantage to performing a clean install is that it cleans up your computer by getting rid of all the old files and programs that you no longer use and it gets rid of problems you may have been experiencing under the old setup. In other words, it returns your computer to pristine condition. Generally, performing a clean install results in a more reliable computer. Aside from the amount of time that it takes, the main disadvantage to this installation type is that you have to reinstall applications and restore any data. The next installment of this
article will look more closely at performing a clean installation of
Introduction To Installing Vista (Part II)
You should complete some
pre-installation steps before jumping into the Vendors design their operating systems to run on a minimum set of hardware requirements to ensure adequate performance. Not meeting these requirements often results in a failed installation or at least poor performance. The minimum hardware requirements
for Vista Home Basic
Vista Home Premium, Vista
Business, Vista
Note: A Windows Aero-capable graphics card is a graphics card that meets the following requirements:
Keep in mind when you are choosing hardware that these are the bare minimum requirements to run the operating system and does not take into account any network services or applications that may be running on the computer. Plan to increase these requirements for optimal performance. Microsoft has also published the
Vista Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) which is a list of products that
work with In the next installment of this
series, I will continue looking at some of the important pre-installation
tasks that you need to perform before installing Introduction To Installing Vista (Part III)If you have ever taken a vacation, you can appreciate how smoothly things go when the trip is pre-planned, meaning tickets are booked, hotel accommodations are reserved and sightseeing trips organized. For those of you who prefer to fly by the seat of your pants, I am sure you have run into problems (that are avoidable with some pre-planning). Installing an operating system is in some ways similar. Before rushing into the installation, you should take a bit of time to plan the process and complete some of the pre-installation tasks. This ensures that the installation process goes more smoothly. One of the things you should do before installing any operating system is to assemble all the additional software that you might need. Aside from a copy of the operating system, you should consider obtaining the following software components so they are on hand after the installation:
Service
Packs Microsoft releases service packs for its operating systems to distribute updates for an operating system to its customers. Users can visit the vendor's Web site to download the service pack for installation or order the service pack on CD-ROM. The purpose behind service packs is to fix known issues with an operating system, keep the product up-to-date, as well as introduce new features. Service packs can include any of the following:
It is common for vendors to release multiple service packs over time for a single operating system. Usually the service packs are cumulative so any new service packs will contain the fixes within a previous one along with additional updates. Most people choose to install the latest service packs on their computers. It is an important step in maintaining a secure computer. You can download service packs from the Windows Updates Web site or you can use Automatic Updates to automatically download and install it for you. Gathering Important
Drivers Manufacturers frequently update drivers for their hardware components. Even if you have the drivers that came with the device, it does not hurt to visit the manufacturer's Web site to see if a newer version is available. Important drivers may include:
Introduction To Installing Vista (Part IV)
A clean installation of Essential
Application Essential applications vary depending on the hardware in a computer and the tasks you want to perform. If you plan to do word processing, Microsoft Office may be an essential application. Conversely, if you plan to use your computer for digital imaging, photo-editing software may be top on your list. Typically, essential applications will include:
If you plan to install any older
applications, you should also visit the vendor's Web site to verify that
the software is compatible with Now that you are familiar with some
pre-installation tasks, you are ready to move on to installing Introduction To Installing Vista (Part V)
The easiest way to start a new
installation of
If you did not provide a product
key during setup, activation can be delayed for up to 30 days during which
you will receive periodic reminders that the product still needs to be
activated. However, after 30 days With the installation of Introduction To Installing Vista (Part VI)
Even though Most devices come with a CD or floppy disk containing drivers. For optimal performance, I recommend using the drivers included with the device or visit the manufacturer's Web site to obtain the very latest driver version. Some drivers may also be available through Windows Update. You can use Device Manager to install or update drivers for devices. Device Manager remains unchanged from previous versions of Windows. It provides a graphical view of the hardware that is currently installed on your computer. It also lists the device drivers and resources associated with each device. The installation of device drivers may vary between manufacturers. Typically, if the device is Plug and Play, plug the device into your computer and the driver should be installed automatically. You can also use the Add Hardware wizard to install devices. The following steps outline how to use Device Manager to install updated drivers:
Introduction To Installing Vista (Part VII)One of the most important measures you can take to prevent viruses from infecting your computer is to install anti-virus software. Anti-virus software is a program designed specifically to detect and remove viruses, making it an essential application to install. Once you install anti-virus software, it scans your computer and cleans any viruses it finds. Since
Note: Before
purchasing anti-virus software, make sure that it is supported by
Since new viruses are constantly
being created, the makers of anti-virus software have to constantly update
their database with new fixes for detecting and removing them. So
installing anti-virus software does not necessarily mean your system is
secure. You have to make sure you update the signature files for the
anti-virus software so it can detect and remove new viruses. Generally you
can update the signature files over the Internet. Spyware is almost as undesirable as viruses because it can monitor our actions on the Internet. Some companies have been known to use spyware to gather data about customers. Even though it is not illegal, the spyware running on your computer may be tracking and sending data from your computer to another server on the Internet. Introduction To Installing Vista (Part VIII)Ensure a Firewall is Running Before Going Online! Connecting to the Internet has many advantages. However, it also exposes your computer to the possibility of intrusion and virus attacks. One of the major downfalls of the Internet is that there are people who dedicate their time to looking for ways to attack other unsuspecting users. One of the ways that you can
protect your computer against Internet attacks is to implement a firewall
solution between the Internet and your computer and private network. This
is becoming more and more important as people store personal information
on their computers such as bank account numbers, credit card data, tax
information, and so on. Not implementing a firewall makes this information
accessible to attackers. If you are looking for a fast, easy
firewall solution, you can take advantage of the firewall component
included with A firewall solution can be a challenge to implement, especially for a user with limited experience. Windows Firewall provides a simple method of protecting your network and requires little to no configuration. You can use it to secure a single computer with an Internet connection or to secure a small network of computers. So how does the Windows Firewall protect your computer? The firewall inspects each packet that is destined for the private network. It maintains a table to determine which incoming traffic was initiated on the local network, for example, a user on the private network accessing an FTP server on the Internet. Any incoming traffic resulting from this request would be allowed through the firewall. If an inbound request was not initiated by the local computer or a computer on the private network, it is not allowed through the firewall. The Windows Firewall is enabled by
default in You can test the integrity of your firewall to determine if any weaknesses exist. Doing so is not difficult because many Web sites will put your computer's defense system to the test. For free too! There are several trusted Web sites you can visit that offer free tools for scanning your computer to detect any existing security weaknesses. For example, www.grc.com or the Symantec Security Check available from the Symantec Web site (www.symantec.com). In any case, once you have your firewall enabled, don't assume you are safe and clear from Internet attacks. You may be surprised to see the results of a security check and all the holes that may still exist. In the final installment of this series, I will talk about the installation of some common applications. Introduction To Installing Vista (Part
IX)
Most new computers come with CD/DVD burning
devices. When you purchase a computer that has a burner with it, it should
include the software you need to use it. If it is not installed, proceed
with the manufacturer's instructions. You can do so using the steps outlined
below: 1.
Click Start, point to
All Programs, point to Accessories, and click Windows Explorer.
2.
Right click your CD
burner within Windows Explorer and click Properties.
3.
From the Properties
window, select the Recording tab. 4.
Clear the check box
beside the option to Enable CD recording on this drive.
5.
Click OK.
DVD Player Application Office Suite The following Microsoft Office versions are
support:
To install a version of Microsoft Office you need
the CD, a valid product key and access to a CD-ROM drive. The CD drive can
be local or a shared CD-ROM drive on a network. The installation processes
various slightly between Office versions. If you have the CD readily available, insert it into the CD-ROM drive. If the autoplay feature is enabled, the installation wizard automatically appears to walk you through the rest of process. ============================================== And of course the guide on upgrading to Vista: Upgrading To Vista (Part
I)
You have decided to upgrade to If your system is currently running Windows, you
might be able to upgrade directly to
Note: If you are running Windows 2000, you must
perform a clean install of The easiest way to find out if your computer can
run Microsoft also publishes the Vista Hardware Compatibility List (HCL), which is a list of products that work with
Upgrading To Vista (Part
II)
Most vendors design their operating systems to run
on a minimum set of hardware requirements to ensure adequate performance.
Ignoring these requirements can result in a failed installation. Verify
that the hardware in your system meets the minimum hardware requirements
before upgrading. The minimum hardware requirements for Vista Home
Basic
Vista Home Premium,
Vista Business, Vista
Keep in mind when you are choosing hardware that
these are the minimum requirements to run the operating system. They do
not take into account any network services or applications that may be
running on the computer. Plan to increase these requirements for optimal
performance. Upgrading To Vista (Part III)You also need to consider
application compatibility before you upgrade to The easiest way to find out if your
applications are compatible with You can install the Upgrade Advisor
on all 32-bit editions of XP and all 32-bit editions of Vista (except for
Note: If .Net 2.0 and MSXML6 are not installed, the Upgrade Advisor will alert you and provide a link to where they can be downloaded. Once you have reached the Vista Upgrade Advisor Web page, click the Download button. When prompted, click the Save button. Once the download is complete, click the Run button and proceed with the steps below.
You have now completed the
installation of the Vista Upgrade Advisor and you can begin scanning your
computer to verify that it is Upgrading To Vista (Part IV)
The Vista Upgrade Advisor is a
valuable tool to both network administrators and home users. It lets you
perform the following tasks prior to upgrading to
In part three of this series, you installed the Vista Upgrade Advisor on your computer and now you are ready to scan your computer. With the Upgrade Advisor window open, start the scan by click the Start System Scan option. While the tool scans your computer,
it prompts you to select the features you plan to use. The Upgrade Advisor
uses this information to guide you in choosing the version of Click Next to proceed with the next
step - assessing your hardware. The Upgrade Advisor presents a message
indicating that your hardware can or cannot run the core experiences of
After you review the hardware
report, click Next to move onto the Software Assessment. Now the Upgrade
Advisor looks at the programs, applications and drivers installed and
whether you need to update any software to support Review the Software Assessment report and click Next. The Vista Upgrade Advisor is now complete. The final screen presents the options to print or save the final report. Click Close to exit. You should now have a good
indication as the whether any additional actions are required before
upgrading to Upgrading To Vista (Part
V)
Assuming that you have completed all the necessary
pre-upgrade tasks, you can begin the upgrade process by inserting the
Vista DVD into your drive. If autorun is enabled, click Install Now from
the Install Windows screen and proceed with the steps described
below. 1.
When prompted, type in
the license key. Click Next. 2.
Accept the end-user
license agreement. 3.
Click Upgrade.
4.
At this point, setup
might warn you if it detects any incompatible hardware and software.
However, if you ran the Vista Upgrade Advisor, you should have no
problems. 5.
Setup will proceed to
perform the following tasks: o
Copying Windows Files o
Gathering files o
Expanding files o
Installing features and updates
o
Completing upgrade This process can take several minutes and your
computer will reboot a few times. 6.
When prompted, choose
how you want to deal with automatic updates. Click Next.
7.
Select your time zone,
time and date. Click Next. 8.
Select your computer's
location: Home, Work or Public Location. Click Next.
9.
Your computer will
reboot. At this point, the upgrade is almost complete.
Upgrading To Vista (Part
V)
Assuming that you have completed all the necessary
pre-upgrade tasks, you can begin the upgrade process by inserting the
Vista DVD into your drive. If autorun is enabled, click Install Now from
the Install Windows screen and proceed with the steps described
below. 1.
When prompted, type in
the license key. Click Next. 2.
Accept the end-user
license agreement. 3.
Click Upgrade.
4.
At this point, setup
might warn you if it detects any incompatible hardware and software.
However, if you ran the Vista Upgrade Advisor, you should have no
problems. 5.
Setup will proceed to
perform the following tasks: o
Copying Windows Files o
Gathering files o
Expanding files o
Installing features and updates
o
Completing upgrade This process can take several minutes and your
computer will reboot a few times. 6.
When prompted, choose
how you want to deal with automatic updates. Click Next.
7.
Select your time zone,
time and date. Click Next. 8.
Select your computer's
location: Home, Work or Public Location. Click Next.
9.
Your computer will
reboot. At this point, the upgrade is almost complete.
Upgrading To Vista (Part VI)In the previous installments of
this article, I outlined how you can upgrade an existing computer to
If you want to transfer your settings between your current computer and the new one, you need to connect two computers. The easiest way is to do this is using a special USB cable designed to work with Windows Easy Transfer. You also need to install the application that came with the cable or download the Windows Easy Transfer program from Microsoft (Windows Easy Transfer). You need to install the program on your current PC. After that, the rest of the process is straightforward. Connect your current computer to your new computer using the Windows Easy Transfer USB cable. The Windows Easy Transfer program will start and walk you through the process of transferring your files and settings to your new computer. All versions of Windows support basic disks. A basic disk supports the following:
A basic disk also supports different types of Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) including volume sets, stripe sets, mirror sets, and stripe sets with parity. Vista Business,
You can upgrade a basic disk to dynamic disk using the Disk Management console. Click Start, right click Computer and click Manage. Click Storage and click Disk Management. Click Disk Management. Right click the appropriate disk and click Convert to Dynamic Disk. There are things you need to keep in mind when converting to a dynamic disk. In order to revert to a basic disk, you must back up all your data, delete the existing volumes and repartition the disk. You can then convert to a basic disk using the 'convert basic' command. Next, you cannot upgrade to a dynamic disk of you are using a mobile computer. Finally, dynamic disks are not accessible under pre-Windows 2000 operating systems. If you are dual booting with an older version of Windows, the dynamic disk will not be readable. In the next installment of this article, I will more closely at converting from a basic to dynamic disk. Basic And Dynamic Disks In Vista (Part II)
You can convert a basic disk to a dynamic disk by completing the steps below:
Alternatively, you can also use the 'convert dynamic' command from the Command Prompt. Unfortunately converting back to a basic disk is not as simple but you need know the general process that has to be completed. Your very first step will be to back up data on the volumes. You can then use the 'convert basic' command from the command prompt to return the disk to a basic disk. The next installment of this
article will look at configuring dynamic disks under Basic And Dynamic Disks In Vista (Part III)Now that you are familiar with basic and dynamic disks, you can move on to performing some basic disk management tasks such as creating, shrinking, extending and formatting simple volumes. In
New in To shrink a volume:
Once the operation is complete, the free space that you reclaimed will appear as unallocated space within Disk Management. As with XP, To extend a simple volume:
In the final installment of this
article, I'll outline some of the additional disk management tasks that
you can perform in Basic And Dynamic Disks In Vista (Part IV)It is common these days for someone to move a hard disk between two computers. When you move a dynamic disk from one computer to another, the status will appear as "foreign" within the Disk Management console. You will be unable to access any data on the disk until you import the disk into the computer's system configuration. If you have moved a dynamic disk from one computer to another, you can use the steps below to import it. The steps below assume that you have already physically added the foreign disk to the computer.
You should now be able to access the data that is stored on the new disk. The important point to remember any time you remove or add a physical type to a computer is that you have to open the Disk Management console and select the Rescan Disks option from the Action menu. And on that note, you should now be able to tackle many disk management tasks. Managing Dynamic Disks In Vista Part INote: Dynamic disks are
only supported on the Business, Basic versus Dynamic
Disks Dynamic disks were introduced in Windows 2000 and any earlier versions of Windows do not provide support for this type of disk. Dynamic disks support the following disk configurations:
If you are running Windows 2000 or
later, you can use the standard basic disks or convert to dynamic which
allows you to take advantage of additional features. When you first
install Many people often ask the question "Why convert from basic to dynamic?" The main reason is to take advantage of additional features that include:
Managing Dynamic Disks In Vista Part II
You can upgrade a basic disk to dynamic disk using the Disk Management console. Click Start, right click Computer and click Manage. Click Storage and click Disk Management. Click Disk Management. Right click the appropriate disk and click Convert to Dynamic Disk. It is important to remember that dynamic disks are not accessible under pre-Windows 2000 operating systems. This is important if you are dual booting with an older version of Windows. Any dynamic disks will not be readable under the legacy version of Windows. Unfortunately converting back to a basic disk is not as simple but you need know the general process that has to be completed. Your very first step will be to back up data on the volumes. You can then use the 'convert basic' command from the command prompt to return the disk to a basic disk. Now that you are familiar with the steps you must complete to convert between basic and dynamic disks, you can begin learning how to manage dynamic disks. Managing Dynamic Disks In Vista Part IIIThe Disk Management console is the main interface for managing basic and dynamic disks. Once you open the console, you will see a graphical display of all the disks installed on your computer as well as the volumes configured. Management tasks can include
creating and extending volumes, formatting volumes, changing drives
letters, importing disks, and so on. The following sections will discuss
how these management tasks can be performed under Creating and
Extending Volumes In
New in To shrink a volume:
Once the operation is complete, the free space that you reclaimed will appear as unallocated space within Disk Management. As with Windows XP, To extend a simple volume:
Managing Dynamic Disks In Vista Part IVYou can use the Disk Management
console to format or reformat dynamic volumes. To format a dynamic volume
in Keep in mind that you can convert from FAT to NTFS without having to reformat the volume. In other words, you will not lose any data. However, this is a one time conversion. In order to revert back to FAT, you will need to reformat the volume. Typically you should choose NTFS
over FAT32 because of the additional features it supports such as file
level security, disk compression, file encryption, and disk quotas.
Changing the Drive Letter Assigned
to a Dynamic Volume To access the Disk Management console, right click Computer and select Manage. Under Storage, click Disk Management. The drive configuration of your computer will be displayed in the details pane. You can change the drive letter by right clicking any volume and selecting Change Drive Letter and Paths. Click the Change button and use the drop down arrow to select the drive letter you want to assign to the volume. Click OK. Click Yes to confirm your actions. Two points you must keep in mind when performing this procedure. You cannot change the drive letter assigned to the boot or system partition using this method. Second, some programs may refer to specific drive letters for environmental variables. Changing the drive letters may result in such programs not functioning correctly. Managing Dynamic Disks In Vista Part VOne of the perks of using dynamic disks is that you can move physical disks between computers. A dynamic disk will have a status of foreign when it is moved from one computer to another. You will be unable to access any data on the disk until it is imported into the computer's system configuration. If you have moved a dynamic disk from one computer to another, you can use the steps below to import it. The steps below assume that you have already physically added the foreign disk to the computer.
You should now be able to access the data that is stored on the new disk. Remember that any time you remove or add a physical type to a computer you have to open the Disk Management console and select the Rescan Disks option from the Action menu. Summary Paul's tips on http://www.winsupersite.com/vista/ Free AVG Free Avast http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html Desktops http://www.hamaddarwish.com/content/index_3.html good
link http://www.vista4beginners.com/tutorials Fun
with the Quick Launch toolbar
Mark
Livschitz tipped me off to an excellent and hidden feature of the Quick
Launch toolbar, which typically appears as a list of shortcut icons to the
right of the Start button. It turns out you can access the shortcuts in
the Quick Launch toolbar using hidden keyboard shortcuts. The first
shortcut (Show desktop in the
shot below) is triggered by tapping WINKEY + 1, the second by tapping
WINKEY + 2, and so on. Resizing desktop icons with the
mouse
This
was probably the most popular tip, so thanks to the many people who wrote
in about this one: In the last Tips article, I mentioned that Vista
supports three default sizes for desktop icons,
compared to just one in previous Windows versions. But it's actually quite
a bit better than that if you know the secret: Using the scroll wheel on
your mouse, it's possible in More
keyboard shortcuts
Manjit Cheema
tells me that WINKEY+SPACE will bring Windows Sidebar to the forefront;
this is especially useful if you've used Show Desktop and Sidebar is
hidden. Also, holding down the CTRL key while you click the Maximize
window button in Internet Explorer
7 causes that app to maximizee without any window chrome, just as if you'd
tapped F11. User Account Control
offers improved security By Mark Joseph
Edwards
Control User Account Control through A
Computer Policy (Vista) One of the new
features that you will immediately notice in User Account Control
can be enabled or disabled through User Accounts and Family Safety within
the Control Panel. You can further configure the behavior of UAC through
the local computer policy. To locate the related
policy settings:
Click the Local
Computer Policy and navigate to the following location: Local Computer
Policy\Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local
Policies\Security Options. In the list of policy settings, scroll to the
bottom. You will see a list of settings for controlling the behavior of
User Account Control on the local computer. Recently Opened Files In
Vista Like previous versions
of Windows, To disable the list of
recently opened files:
Note: You can also
disable the list of recently opened programs by removing the check beside
the Store and display a list of recently opened programs
option. The version of
The answer is to
change the product key through the System applet within the Control Panel.
Under the Windows activation section, click the Change product key link.
The window that appears will allow you to enter a new product key and
thereby upgrade to a different version of Vista's Startup Repair
Tool
Users
often think that the best and easiest way to get rid of start up problems
is to simply reinstall the operating system. However, this is time
consuming especially when you have to restore data and reinstall your
favorite applications. A lot of times, but not all, the problem is as
simple as replacing a file or altering a setting. This is where Windows
Vista's Startup Repair Tool can help. The
Startup Repair Tool is designed to detect operating system startup
problems. If one is detected, it automatically launches a troubleshooter
that will attempt to resolve the problem with little to no user
intervention. The Startup Repair Tool can repair problems such
as:
So
what happens when the Startup Repair Tool detects a problem? It will
automatically attempt to repair the system. If successful, the computer
will reboot and an event will be written to the event log. If the Startup
Repair Tool cannot repair the problem without user intervention, it will
provide you with the tools to manually troubleshoot the issue. If the
Startup Repair Tool cannot identify or fix the problem, it will start the
computer using the last known good
configuration. Q: A: So, I'm here today to try and
ease your mind a little. Yesterday, I told you all about the new Aero
interface that is being used with The first thing I thought I
would tell you about is The next category I would like
to tell you about is under the name of Search and Organization. The
features for this in Another great feature is
called the Self-healing System. Built in to The next feature I'd like to
tell you about is called SuperFetch. This wonderful option helps
all of your programs to load up much faster than they normally would.
SuperFetch will also run automatic backups and antivirus scans for you
when you're not actively using your computer. It does that so it will not
disturb you too much. This feature will also monitor which programs you
use the most and it will preload them into your system memory so they will
be readily available when you need them. Another perk of Windows Vista
falls under the name of User Account Control. This feature happens
to enhance the security of your computer accounts. The Controls will
prevent any dangerous software from making unknown changes to your system.
That is, unless you give it consent to do so. This option works with the
Windows Defender program and the Internet Explorer 7 Web browser to
heighten your safety even more. It will help keep viruses, spyware and
other types of malware off your computer as well. This is just the
beginning of what the User Account Control feature will do for you and you
can't complain about that! Okay, this is going to be the
last one I'm going to tell you about, because I'm starting to run out of
room. This one is more on the fun side of Now, of course, those are just
a few of the new features that come along with Also, keep in mind that some
of these features only work in certain versions of ~ Vista's Parental Controls (Part
I)
When you install Parental Controls is designed for parents to stop
children from visiting inappropriate Web sites. However, it is also a
feature that businesses can take advantage of to prevent against
unacceptable Web usage. Note: This feature is not
available if the computer is connected to a domain.
You can configure Parental Controls from the
Content tab within the Internet Options window. It is also accessible
through the Vista Control Panel. To start configuring Parental Controls, click the
Parental Controls button on the Internet Option's Content tab. The
Parental Controls window will appear, listing all the user accounts
configured on the computer. Select the Standard User account that you want
to setup Parental Controls for. Under Parental Controls, click the On, enforce
current settings option. Once enabled, you will be able to control
settings for the following areas:
Web Restrictions Under Windows Settings, click the Vista Web Filter
option to begin setting up Web restrictions. The Web Restrictions window will permit you to
configure the following settings:
Select Edit the Allow and block list link to
specify which specific sites users can and cannot visit. Type in the URL
of the specific Web site and click either the Allow or the Block button.
You also have the option of blocking access to all sites except those on
the Allow list you create. For example, you can create a list of work
related Web sites and block access to all other sites by selecting the
Only Allow Web sites which are on the allow list
option. Time Limits From the Time Restrictions window, click and drag
the hours that you want to allow or block. Different logon hours can be
set up for different days of the week. In the next installment of this article, I'll show
you how to prevent users from playing games and limiting access to
programs. Vista's Parental Controls (Part
II)
In the previous installment of this article, you learned how to use Parental
Controls to set Web and time restrictions. Now we'll look at how you can
use this tool to prevent users from playing games and using certain
programs. Games To prevent a user from playing any games, click the
No option. If you opt to let users play games, they can be blocked by
rating or content types. Games can also be blocked by name. Select the
Block or Allow specific games link to control specific games a user can or
cannot play. For example, if you discover a user is spending business
hours playing Solitaire, select Always Block to prevent the user from
being allowed to play it. Programs Note: Be careful not to block access to a program
that a user requires to perform their job
function. Monitoring Activity Along with user account activity, the Parental
Controls reporting feature provides a report on general system activity.
For example, the report will tell you when changes have been made to the
system, the date and time of the change and who performed the action.
Parental Controls reports on the following general system
activities:
Activity reporting is a handy feature, if you
remember to view the reports on a regular basis. You can configure
Return to the main Parental Controls window that
lists the user accounts on the local computer. Under the list of tasks,
click Family Safety Option. Choose how frequently you want to be reminded
to view the activity reports. User Accounts In Vista (Part
I)
Creating user
accounts is a snap with The steps for
creating a new user account in
When you create the
new user account you will notice four account options at the bottom of the
dialog box. The account options you select will depend on your computer
practices. For example, most people will assign the user account a
password when it's first created and then have the user change it, coming
up with their own password the first time they log on. In any case, the
available options are summarized below:
User Accounts In Vista (Part
II)
In Part I of this
series you learned how to create a user account in Every user account
has a set of configurable properties. Right clicking on a user account
within the Computer Management console brings up a dialog box with three
tabs. From the properties window you can configure properties such as
account options, group membership and user profiles.
To open the
properties window for a user account:
The options available
on each of the three tabs:
Once you make the
necessary changes to the user account, click OK. The change will be
applied the next time the user logs on with that
account. User Accounts In Vista (Part
III)
Part II of this
series, I outlined the three tabs available from the properties dialog box
for a user account. The three tabs include: General, Member Of and
Profile. Since the Profile tab has settings that are often overlooked,
we'll now take a close look at them. The Profile tab
allows you to configure the path to the user profile. For those of you who
are not familiar with what a user profile is, here is a perfect example
that I'm sure most can relate to. Two users share the same computer. One
user prefers the Windows default background and the other prefers
backgrounds downloaded from the Internet. So what permits each user to
retain their preferences on a single computer? Of course, as I'm sure
you've already guessed, the answer is user profiles.
By default profiles
are stored on a local computer. What happens though for users who move
between multiple workstations? They can configure their settings on each
local computer or the easier solution is to use roaming profiles. This way
the profiles can be stored on a central computer making the profiles
available on any computer in the domain. This is where the Profile tab
comes in. Once you've created a share on a central computer to hold the
profiles, use the Profiles tab under the account properties and type in
the path to the shared folder. Two other fields are
available from this property sheet: logon scripts and home folders. If you
are using logon scripts, provide the path to where they are located so the
scripts can be run each time the user logs on to the computer. Home
folders are considered to be a user's personal storage space. You have the
option of storing them on the local computer or on another computer on
your network. Display Logon Message In
Vista
You can configure your computer to display a
message to users who are attempting to log on. For example, you may want
to a message to appear that only users with valid user names and passwords
are permitted to logon.
Malware Protection In Vista (Part
I)
Malware is any
program or file that is intended to be harmful to your computer. Microsoft
has become more dedicated in protecting computers against malware attacks
as in evident in the release of
User Account
Control User Account Control
is enabled by default in Further to
enabling/disabling this feature, you can control the behavior of UAC
through the local computer policy. Open the Local Computer Policy and
navigate to the following locations: Local Computer Policy \ Computer
Configuration \ Windows Settings \ Security Settings \ Local Policies \
Security Options. The following settings can be used to control
UAC: User Account
Control: Admin Approval Mode for the Built-in Administrator
Account. The default value for
the UAC policy setting is Disabled for new installations and upgrades when
the built-in Administrator is not the only active local administrator
account on the computer. User Account
Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators in Admin
Approval Mode. This security setting
determines the type of prompt an admin-level user will receive when they
attempt to perform an admin-level task. The default value is Prompt for
Consent. You can increase security by setting the value to Prompt for
Credentials. Doing so means the admin-level user will need to enter their
admin-level username and password. User Account
Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for standard
users. This security setting
determines the type of prompt a standard user will receive when they
attempt to perform an admin-level task. The default value is Prompt for
Credentials. You can increase
security by setting the value to Automatically deny elevation requests.
Standard users will then have to perform admin-level tasks using the Run
command or by logging in with an admin-level account.
In the next
installment of this article, we'll look at how Windows Defender and the
Malicious Software Removal tool work to protect your computer against
malware. Malware Protection In Vista (Part
II)
In the first installment of this article, we looked
at the User Account Control feature in Windows Defender You should enable the Check for updated definitions
before scanning option. This is your best bet for ensuring the software is
up-to-date with the latest definitions. Otherwise you must be diligent
enough to manually check for updates on a regular basis.
Note: Windows Defender
should be used in conjunction with third party anti-virus
software. There are several settings within the Local
Computer Policy for controlling how Windows Defender behaves. The settings
you configure will be specific to your requirements of your computing
environment. For example, if WSUS is used to deploy updates to
Windows Defender, you should consider enabling the Turn on definition
updates through both WSUS and Windows Update. In the event that the WSUS
server in your environment is unavailable, Malicious Software Removal
Tool Although the tool is not necessary if you are
running up-to-date anti-virus software, it does provide another layer of
protection. The tool is installed with When the tool is run, you can choose the type of
scan to perform. As you can see from the exhibit, you can perform a Quick,
Full or Custom scan. If you choose a Quick scan, the Malicious Software
Removal Tool will scan the areas of a computer that are likely to contain
malicious software. With a Full scan, the entire system is checked for
malware. You should perform a Full scan every once in a while but be
advised that it can take up to a few hours depending on your system.
Finally, you can opt to perform a Custom scan and choose the folders or
areas of your computer that you want the Malicious Software Removal Tool
to scan. The results of the scan will indicate whether any malicious
software was found on your computer. In the last installment of this article, we'll look
at how Software Restriction Policies, Internet Explorer and the Windows
Firewall work to protect your computer against
malware. Malware Protection In Vista (Part
III)
The second installment of this article described
how Windows Defender and the Malicious Software Removal tool protect your
computer. Software Restriction
Policies Internet Explorer Protected Mode is enabled from the Internet Options
window's Security tab. This feature prevents malicious users from changing
any files or settings without your explicit permission. It is enabled by
default for all security zones, except the Trusted Site
zone. IE 7 protects against phishing scams through the
Phishing Filter. It is designed to protect against phony Web sites that
attempt to gather personal information about you when you are online. The
tool requires little to no configuration. Once it is enabled through the
Internet Properties window, it will run in the background without your
intervention. Windows Firewall By implementing a firewall, you can close the door
to your local computer and private network so intruders cannot get in, but
you can still get out. The Windows Firewall with Advanced Security allows
you to filter both inbound and outbound traffic.
In
Saving searches in
Vista
Question: I like For those who aren't
familiar with Instant Search, let me explain. You'll find it at the bottom
of the Start menu. Instant Search will search
your e-mail, documents and Internet history. It will even find programs
for you! This is surprisingly convenient if you have many programs
cluttering your Start menu. It's true that you can save
your searches. But you'll have to do so from Windows Explorer or the new
Search Explorer. And before you save them, you have to create them. So,
let's start there. Go to either Windows
Explorer (Start>>All Programs>>Accessories>> Windows
Explorer) or Search Explorer. To open Search Explorer, click Start. Type
"search" (minus the quotes) in the Instant Search box. On the results
list, click Start Search. In either window, enter your
search term in the Search box. The results are updated as you type.
Included in the menu bar is a Save Search button. Instant Search includes
advanced options. But it is a bit clunky. The advanced options are pretty
well hidden. To find them, click Search
Tools>>Search Pane. This opens another menu bar. Options there allow
you to limit your search to a few types of files. There's also a link for
Advanced Search. Click it. The pane expands to provide
more options. You can limit search results to specific folders or a range
of dates. Also, you can search tags you've added to your music and photos,
among other search options. You probably will want to
apply advanced search options before saving a search. Otherwise, you'll
have too much stuff in the results. So, let's save the search,
already! Click Save Search on the toolbar. Enter a name for your search.
You can also use the navigational tools to select your save location. By
default, You can update the search
results whenever you like. Double-click it to run it again.
By default, To find your search, click
Start and enter the name of the search in Instant Search. If you can't
remember the name of the search, go to Windows Explorer. The Searches
folder is listed in the left pane. Click it. The list of searches will
appear in the right pane. Instant Search is included
with all versions of Coming up in Monday's
Tip:
Photographing documents. Sites like
Wikipedia and MySpace are popular
because anybody can contribute. But do they pose dangers? Tune in to this
weekend's Kim Komando Show. I'll give you the lowdown on these open-door
sites. Visit my site to find
out how you can listen to my three-hour radio show or my Digital Minute,
which airs Monday through Friday. Would you like to learn more
about Windows Vista? Visit the Windows Vista
tips section on my site. Check Boxes For
Files
When you need to perform an action to multiple
files, you can hold down the CTRL key and select the each individual file.
An alternate method, if the files are in consecutive order, is to select
the first file, hold down the SHIFT key and select the last file. Sounds
easy enough? If you goof up though, you need to start all
over. Windows Vista makes it much easier to select
multiple files because it lets you place check boxes next to files. To
enable this feature, open Windows Explorer and select Folder Options from
the Tools menu (If you do not see the Tools menu, press the ALT key). From
the Folder Options window, select the View tab. Under the Advanced
Settings, scroll down to the bottom of the list and select the Use Check
Boxes To Select Items option. Click OK. So how does this feature work? When you hold your
mouse pointer over the files in Windows Explorer, a check box will
momentarily appear. When you click a check box, it will remain beside the
file indicating that it is selected. Q: A: Well, either way you look at
it, if you're in the search for some IE 7 keyboard shortcuts, you've all
come to the right place. I've been keeping a few up my sleeve just for
this special occasion! So, shall we take a look at them? I thought you
might enjoy that. Here we go! Now, most of these shortcuts
deal with using tabbed browsing. That's one of the main features that came
along with Internet Explorer 7. If you're not too familiar with tabbed
browsing, these shortcuts may not be very useful to you, but I would
suggest hanging on to this tip anyway. Once you do get the hang of tabbed
browsing, you can refer back to it and you'll be all set! 1.) Ctrl + T - Opens a
new tab in the foreground. 2.) Ctrl + Click -
Opens links in a new tab in the background. 3.) Ctrl + Shift +
Click - Opens links in a new tab in the foreground. 4.) Alt + Enter - Opens
a new tab from the address bar. 5.) Alt + Enter - It
also opens a new tab from the search box. 6.) Ctrl + Q - Opens up
quick tabs, which are thumbnail views. 7.) Ctrl + Tab or
Ctrl + Shift + Tab - Allows you to switch between tabs. 8.) Ctrl + N - Switches
to a specific tab number. In this case, N can equal anything between the
numbers one and eight. 9.) Ctrl + 9 - Switches
to the last tab. 10.) Ctrl + W - Closes
the current tab. 11.) Ctrl + Alt + F4 -
Closes other open tabs. 12.) Alt + F4 - Closes
all the tabs. Now, here are a few mouse
shortcuts for you as well. 1.) Click the middle mouse
button (if your mouse has one) on a link and it will open up that link in
a background tab for you. 2.) Double click any empty
space right next to the last tab you have open and it will open up a brand
new tab. 3.) If you click on the middle
mouse button on one of your tabs, it will close the tab for
you. How does all that sound?
Pretty cool, huh?! Now, you might want to start memorizing these shortcuts
if you think you'll use them a lot. Or, just print them out so you can
have them right by your computer when you're ready to use them. Either
way, these simple shortcuts can make your IE 7 experience so much
easier! ~ Malware Protection In Internet Explorer 7 (Part
I)
Malware is any program or file that is intended to
be harmful to your computer. Microsoft has become more dedicated in
protecting computers against malware attacks as in evident in the release
of Windows Vista Windows Vista includes several technologies, that
when used together, enhance protection against various forms of malware.
These technologies include:
User Account Control User Account Control is enabled by default in
Windows Vista. Microsoft recommends leaving it enabled to protect against
the installation of malicious software. The Further to enabling/disabling this feature, you can
control the behavior of UAC through the local computer policy. Open the
Local Computer Policy and navigate to the following locations: Local
Computer Policy\Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security
Settings\Local Policies\Security Options. The following policy settings are
available:
Malware Protection In Internet Explorer 7 (Part
II)
Another malware protection technology in Windows Defender is configured (through the
Note: Windows Defender should be used in
conjunction with third party anti-virus
software. There are several settings within the Local
Computer Policy for controlling how Windows Defender behaves. The settings
you configure will be specific to the requirements of your computing
environment. For example, if WSUS is used to deploy updates to
Windows Defender, you should consider enabling the Turn on definition
updates through both WSUS and Windows Update. In the event that the WSUS
server in your environment is unavailable, Malicious Software Removal
Tool Although the tool is not necessary if you are
running up-to-date anti-virus software, it does provide another layer of
protection.The tool is installed with Windows Vista and is available as a
free download for Windows XP. You can locate the tool by typing mrt.exe in
the Search field on the Start menu. When the tool is run, you can choose the type of
scan to perform. As you can see from the exhibit, you can perform a Quick,
Full or Custom scan. If you choose a Quick scan, the Malicious Software
Removal Tool will scan the areas of a computer that are likely to contain
malicious software. With a Full scan, the entire system is checked for
malware. You should perform a Full scan every once in a while but be
advised that it can take up to a few hours depending on your
system. Finally, you can opt to perform a Custom scan and
choose the folders or areas of your computer that you want the Malicious
Software Removal Tool to scan. The results of the scan will indicate
whether any malicious software was found on your
computer. Malware Protection In Internet Explorer 7 (Part
II)
Another malware protection technology in Windows Defender is configured (through the
Note: Windows Defender should be used in
conjunction with third party anti-virus
software. There are several settings within the Local
Computer Policy for controlling how Windows Defender behaves. The settings
you configure will be specific to the requirements of your computing
environment. For example, if WSUS is used to deploy updates to
Windows Defender, you should consider enabling the Turn on definition
updates through both WSUS and Windows Update. In the event that the WSUS
server in your environment is unavailable, Malicious Software Removal
Tool Although the tool is not necessary if you are
running up-to-date anti-virus software, it does provide another layer of
protection.The tool is installed with Windows Vista and is available as a
free download for Windows XP. You can locate the tool by typing mrt.exe in
the Search field on the Start menu. When the tool is run, you can choose the type of
scan to perform. As you can see from the exhibit, you can perform a Quick,
Full or Custom scan. If you choose a Quick scan, the Malicious Software
Removal Tool will scan the areas of a computer that are likely to contain
malicious software. With a Full scan, the entire system is checked for
malware. You should perform a Full scan every once in a while but be
advised that it can take up to a few hours depending on your
system. Finally, you can opt to perform a Custom scan and
choose the folders or areas of your computer that you want the Malicious
Software Removal Tool to scan. The results of the scan will indicate
whether any malicious software was found on your
computer. Malware Protection In Internet Explorer 7
(Part III)
Internet Explorer has its own set of security
options that can be used in conjunction with the other technologies
discussed to protect your computer. IE7 in From the Security tab, you can enable Protected
Mode. This feature prevents malicious users from changing any files or
settings without your explicit permission. It is enabled by default for
all security zones, except the Trusted Site
zone. Phishing Filter The tool requires little to no configuration. Once
it is enabled through the Internet Properties window, it will run in the
background without your intervention. Windows Firewall By implementing a firewall, you can close the door
to your local computer and private network so intruders can not get in,
but you can still get out. The Windows Firewall with Advanced Security
allows you to filter both inbound and outbound traffic.
In Windows Vista, the firewall is now more advanced
because it lets you create and apply specialized rules depending on the
type of network you are connected to. The Windows Firewall with Advanced
Security supports three different profiles that are based on three common
environments: Domain, Public and Private. The profile that you apply will be based on the
network you are connected to. If you connect your computer directly to a
Public network such as the Internet, the Public profile should be applied.
Does §
"What do you
think of this Computerworld
article? Is 4GB RAM what There's some
controversy about just how much RAM Vista needs. As has been the case with
all versions of Windows back to at least Win98, Microsoft's "minimum"
recommendations should really be called "life-support" standards -
the least amount of PC hardware required to get the operating system
barely alive and functioning. Scan Dog
II
After my Scan Dog
article ran in Windows Fanatics, I heard from some of you out there that
were in the same boat as I was and had older Epson scanners that did not,
and would NEVER have, drivers to use the scanner while using Windows Vista
as the operating system. One comment that could potentially help many of
you out there was sent to me by Lockergnome reader Doug McRae (Mac). He
spoke to Epson and sent me the following: I downloaded the XP driver to my desktop in
Hope this helps you get your older scanner working
in Mac From Epson tech
support:
Once you have the file on your desktop right click
it and select properties, select COMPATIBILITY then check the run this
program in compatibility mode for. Now select Windows XP SP2. Select APPLY
then OK. Locate and double click on the downloaded driver
installation file. If at any point in the installation you see a screen
that says User Account Control select
CONTINUE.
Other options suggested were VMware and a product
called Vue
Scan. Of course there is always
the option of purchasing a new scanner... Thanks to everyone who
responded. Share a printer or
files in Vista
Like XP, Windows Vista makes
networking easier than its predecessors. However, that means the steps for
setting up network shares are a bit different. Share a folder In The computers that have
access to the folder are listed in the lower box. Under Permission Level,
you can set permissions for specific computers. Click the arrow on a
computer's listing to change that computer's
permissions. Permission options include
Reader, Contributor and Co-owner. A Reader can open the folder's files,
but cannot edit them or add new files. A Contributor can open files and
add new files to the folder. A Co-owner gets the additional privilege of
editing the files. Share a
printer If one of your networked
computers has a printer, you can share the printer. Start with the
computer that's directly connected to the printer. Click
Start>>Control Panel. Click Network and Internet. Then click Network
and In the lower half of the
window is a "Printer sharing" listing. Click the arrow to the right of the
listing. Select "Turn on printer sharing." Then click the Apply button. If
Windows prompts you for confirmation, just click Continue or
Allow. That's it for the PC
connected to the printer. However, you must prepare your other computers
to use the shared printer. Do the following at each of your other
networked computers. Click Start>>Control
Panel. Click Hardware and Sound. Under Printers, click "Add a printer."
Then select "Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth
printer." Windows will list printers
available on your network. It may take a minute or two for your shared
printer to appear. To show in the list, your shared printer should be
powered on. Likewise, its directly connected computer should be
on. Select the shared printer
and click Next. Windows will alert you if you need a driver for the
printer. If Windows can't install the driver automatically, you may have
to do so yourself. Use the printer's install disc if you have it.
Otherwise, check the printer manufacturer's Web site for the
driver. If you're using XP
computers, set them up using the steps from my XP sharing tip. With
multiple computer connections, your printer may be used more often. Check
out my tip on saving money with ink cartridge
refills. Coming up in Monday's
Tip:
Cellular Internet for your laptop. Most people
search
the Web for entertainment and information. But did you know Web sites are
collecting information on you? On this weekend's Kim Komando Show, I'll
tell you what the data sites retrieve from you. Visit my
site to find out how you can listen to my three-hour radio show
or my Digital Minute, which airs Monday through
Friday. Be sure to check out all my
useful tips for
Windows Vista. I'm constantly adding new information to help
make the transition easier. Q: A: In the last few minutes, I
have been racking my brain, trying to think of the best way to present
this new e-mail program to you all. The most useful thing I came up with
is to just show you how to set up your Vista Mail account to get it going
so you can actually start to use it for all your e-mail needs. I have a
feeling that some of you have probably been looking around on your new
To get there, go to Start and click on Windows Mail. Now, if you have not set up your account yet, you will see a wizard pop up that will take you through all the steps. Here they are in a nutshell. 1.) Type in your name (or at least the name you want all of your receivers to see when you send them mail). Click Next when you've decided. 2.) Enter in your e-mail address. This can be the same one you've used for years or if you'd like to create a new one (in Yahoo!, Hotmail, etc.), you can do so. Click Next again when you're done. 3.) The next step asks you for your Incoming and Outgoing names. This is actually information that you will need to get from your ISP. If you used Outlook Express on your other computer, you can use the same information, but if you don't remember it, contact your ISP to get it. That's the only way you'll get past this part of the setup. Click Next when you're finished. 4.) Next, you'll need to choose a username and password for your e-mail account. At this stage, you can click the "Remember" checkbox, so you won't have to type it in each time you open your Windows Mail. Then click Next. 5.) If you're all set, you can click the Finish button and your account will automatically be set up. Yep, it's as easy as that! A little less confusing than setting up an Outlook Express account, but it still asks for all the important information needed. So, once you have your account all ready, you can start to look through it and figure out how to use it. But, don't worry too much, because it's very similar to OE, version 6. So, if you used that before, you should be just fine. The first thing I noticed with Windows Mail was that the views were pretty much the same. There's the box on the top and the box on the bottom. The top shows your received e-mails in a list and the bottom shows the actual e-mail content. I also noticed that the folders on the left hand side were exactly the same, including Inbox, Outbox, Sent Items, Deleted Items, Drafts and Junk E-mail. The menus along the top were fairly similar as well. I'm sure you'll see that they are no longer icon type buttons, but a bit of a smaller version. You'll see Create Mail, Reply, Reply All, Forward and Send/Receive. All of those work just like OE. A couple things that were different are the Print and Delete buttons. In Windows Mail, the print button is an actual icon of a printer and the delete button is just a big red X. You just have to click on those to print or delete your e-mails. I guess they weren't good enough to get their own buttons this time around. : ) After those, there is a series of new icons. If you hover your mouse over them, you'll see that one is Contacts, the second is Windows Calendar and the third is Find. With Contacts, you can click on that to add people to your address book. It's a very convenient way of accessing the e-mail addresses and names you need. Just a quick click and there they are. The Windows Calendar is another very cool feature. Click on that button and a calendar will pop up for you. You can go from month to month, making notes of your appointments, etc. It's very easy to use and great for keeping track of your daily activities. The Find button is where you can either search for a particular message, a certain person or for text in a certain message. That way, if you lose an e-mail, you can search by any of these items to retrieve it much faster. There is also a Search box at the top of the window and you can use that to search for e-mail messages as well. Just type in a few keywords that you know were used in the e-mail you're looking for and it should come right up in the window for you. It's as easy as pie! Everything else with Windows Mail is pretty much the same as what you're probably used to. The menus along the very top are the same, including File, Edit, View, etc. You can still access your preferences through the Tools, Options menu as well. All of those tabs are the same too, so you can set up your account just the way you want it. Windows Mail does have some new stationery options to choose from. You can get those by going under the Message menu. My favorite is the green bubbles choice. It gives the e-mails I send out some real jazz! So, as you can see, everything
is still pretty much the same as Outlook Express 6, but be sure to browse
through Windows Mail and familiarize yourself with everything. I'm sure a
lot of you will get the hang of things right away, but at least you now
have a small guide to go by for now. And you know, there's always the Help
menu if you need extra help. Now, go on and enjoy your new ~ Have
a question for the newsletter? Submit it at the link
below: Securely Using Hot Spots A lot of service oriented businesses provide Internet access via free public wireless networks. From airports to fast food chains, these access points or "hot spots" as they are called, are even being implemented in government buildings, such as libraries. This can be a real convenience to people on the go, someone waiting for a flight or even for someone who is out of town that may need to get online with a good connection speed and not tie up their cell phone. The ability to get online at one of these locations is just another exciting step toward technological advancement, but what are the security risks? I mean, especially when these networks are set up with ease of use, not security, in mind. With the use of software called "packet sniffers," people can grab non-encrypted data right out of the air and save it to a log to view whenever they want. So, what does this mean? Well, let's say you're out of town and while you're at the airport, you check on your Ebay bid or you log on to your bank's Web site to look at your account. When you're done, you shut down your PC and grab your connecting flight, unaware that there was someone within the network's signal strength with a packet sniffer. If this is the case, he/she has just logged a bunch of your personal information, including your usernames and passwords. And this is just one scenario. If you don't have your PC set up properly, a hacker could possibly get right into your PC, look at your files and change your settings. It's much too easy. Needless to say, there is some concern when it comes to connecting to a public network. This does not mean, however, that all of these hot spots are vulnerable to this level. Some facilities actually do provide some defensive measures, such as air monitors, to spot unusual activity on their network. I recommend being pro-active in your security and these following recommendations are a great start: 1.) Turn off the ad-hoc mode on your network card (allows peer-to-peer connection). 2.) If you're not online, disable your network card. 3.) Make sure you have a firewall in place and running. 4.) If you are viewing e-mail, you might want to use digital signatures to authenticate and identify yourself. 5.) I would suggest not using your credit card at one of these locations, but if you have to, make sure you're on a secure connection. 6.) And of course, it wouldn't be a security article if I didn't say, "Make sure your system is up to date." So, make sure to have your system set up to utilize the practices above and be cautious, because the truth of the matter is, anyone around you could be attempting to hack into your machine or grab your transmissions at any time. Stay safe out there! ~ For stories, jokes, quotes and cartoons every day, sign up for our Just for Grins newsletter. Are you one of the many who
have made the switch over to the new operating system of Windows Vista? If
so, are you having some trouble finding programs and other applications
that will work on your new computer? I know a lot of computer companies
(including us here at WorldStart) are working very hard to test their
products for Well, lucky for all of us,
Microsoft has compiled a list of all the applications that have earned
either the "Certified for Windows Vista" or "Works with Windows Vista"
logo. So, if you have bought a piece of software recently and you see
either of those logos printed on it, that means it will work successfully
with The list is laid out into three columns: Company, Product Name and Version. The number of programs on the list have gone up from approximately 104 in February 2007 to over 250 now in May 2007. If you want to check the list out for yourself, just click here. If you scroll past the introduction, you'll see the list toward the bottom of the page. You can just take your time and browse through the program names and who knows, maybe you'll find exactly what you've been waiting for. Check it out today! ~ Two New
I thought I'd give
you a double dose of Windows Vista tips today. I hope you don't mind too
much. Keep reading for all the 1.) Using Smaller Start Menu Icons The new operating
system of Windows Vista uses large icons by default in the Start menu. But
what if you don't like them that way? Is there a way to change them to a
smaller size? Of course there is! And even though Right click on the Start button and select Properties. Then click the Customize button.
If you thought that
2.)
The default action for the power button on the Start menu in Windows Vista is actually set to Sleep. Now, this isn't necessarily useful for everybody. You can configure this setting easily by using the advanced power settings panel, but it's a little tricky to get to. So, what will we do? Well, we'll take a shortcut, of course! Open a command prompt (type "cmd" into the search bar under the Start menu) and then type in the following information, exactly as you see it: powercfg.cpl,1 Now, you could also take the long route (Control Panel, Power Options, Change Plan Settings, Change Advanced Power Settings), but that's up to you. Once you get to this dialogue box, navigate down, as shown to "Power buttons and lid." From here, you can change the options:
You can change the power button to either Sleep, Hibernate or Shut Down (or even nothing at all). It's your choice! Hope you enjoyed
these quick little tips that will help optimize your ~ Ramachandran Kumaraswami If you enjoy
our tips, tell your friends.
That's what keeps this newsletter growing. Run
With Have you made the switch to
the new operating system of Windows Vista yet? If you have, are you
getting a little frustrated with being away from everything you knew in
XP? I mean, going from XP to But, if you look past all that
confusion, you'll find that there are a few things you can do with
To get the Run option back for
yourself, right click on the Start button in ~ Run
With Have you made the switch to
the new operating system of Windows Vista yet? If you have, are you
getting a little frustrated with being away from everything you knew in
XP? I mean, going from XP to But, if you look past all that
confusion, you'll find that there are a few things you can do with
To get the Run option back for
yourself, right click on the Start button in ~ I know it is a lot, but hopefully you found something here that was useful to you. More Next Friday, Please feel free to forward this to anyone that you think might be interested in it. If they wish to subscribe, they can click on the link below. If this was forwarded to you and you wish to subscribe,
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No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free
Edition.
Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.11.0/927 - Release Date:
7/30/2007 5:02 PM