Windows Xp

by Gralla, Preston

• ISBN13: 9780596006198
• ISBN10: 0596006195
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-10-01
• Publisher: Oreilly & Associates Inc

Summary

Hundreds of problems and solutions, power tips, cool tricks, and workarounds are presented in this insightful and amusing book from Missing Manuals creator David Pogue. Windows XP Hints gives readers useful hints for everything from the desktop to Office programs to the registry, and includes documented (but little-known) tips as well as undocumented tricks. The book moves beyond mere productivity and explores what's possible with Windows XP. Intermediate XP aficionados will find valuable tips to control and enjoy their OS, rather than be controlled. Because each hint is offered as an individual item that's not dependent on other hints, readers are free to browse, discover, and pilot their own path through the book.

Author Biography

Preston Gralla, the author of more than 20 books, is also a freelance journalist and columnist. He has written for major national newspapers and magazines, including PC Magazine, Computerworld, the Los Angeles Times, the Dallas Morning News (where he was the technology columnist), USA Today and several others. A well-known technology expert, Preston has also appeared on many TV and radio programs and networks, including CNN, MSNBC and NPR. In addition, he's won a number of awards for his writing, including for "Best Feature in a Computer Magazine" from the Computer Press Association. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Table of Contents

The Missing Credits	xv
Introduction	xix
Getting Started	1	(26)
Startup and Shutdown	1	(11)
Instant Startup	1	(1)
Instant Startup for Laptops	2	(1)
Nixing the Startup Screen	3	(1)
Changing the Startup Screen	4	(2)
Good Housekeeping for Speedier Startups	6	(1)
Killing the Error Messenger	6	(1)
Customizing Your Startup Process	7	(1)
Automating Reboots and Shutdowns	8	(2)
Speedier Shutdown Times	10	(1)
Other Software that Can Control Startups and Shutdowns	11	(1)
Controlling Your Monitor and Sounds	12	(8)
Insta-Mute	12	(1)
The Silence of the Modem	12	(1)
Personalizing Your PC's Sounds	12	(3)
Building Sound Themes	15	(1)
Visual Reminders	15	(1)
Adding Sounds to Microsoft Office	16	(1)
More Screen Real Estate with Virtual Desktops	17	(1)
Expand Your Screen Real Estate with Two Monitors	18	(2)
Individual Windows Tricks	20	(2)
Previewing Windows Before Switching to Them	20	(1)
Manage Groups of Open Windows	21	(1)
User Accounts and Logons	22	(5)
Using Your Own Picture for Your User Account	22	(1)
Fast User Switching	23	(1)
Create a Random Password	24	(1)
Create a Password Reset Disk	24	(1)
Set Disk Quotas for Users	25	(2)
The Desktop and Interface	27	(30)
Desktop Makeover	27	(10)
The Easiest Way to Customize Your Desktop	28	(1)
Changing the Standard Desktop Icons	29	(1)
Cleaning Your Desktop Automatically	30	(1)
Adding a Run Icon to Your Desktop	31	(1)
Rearranging Your Desktop Icons	31	(2)
Slapping Your Favorite Web Page on Your Desktop	33	(2)
Special Effects for the Windows Desktop	35	(2)
The Start Menu	37	(5)
Making the Start Menu Jump to Attention	37	(1)
Switching to the Classic Start Menu	38	(1)
Tweaking the Start Menu	38	(1)
Customizing the Most Frequently Used Programs List	38	(2)
More Advanced Start Menu Tricks	40	(1)
Organizing the All Programs Menu	41	(1)
The Taskbar	42	(4)
Launching Web Pages from the Taskbar	42	(1)
Adding Files, Folders, and Disks to the Taskbar	43	(1)
Hiding Icons on the Bottom of Your Screen	43	(2)
The Quick Launch Bar	45	(1)
The Control Panel	46	(5)
Accessing the Control Panel Faster	46	(1)
Cleaning up the Control Panel	46	(3)
Bypassing the Control Panel with Keyboard Shortcuts	49	(1)
Recategorizing Control Panel Applets	50	(1)
Icons and Themes	51	(6)
Turning Your Photos into a Screen Saver	51	(1)
Using Themes To Dress Up Your PC	52	(2)
Creating Your Own Theme	54	(3)
Windows Explorer and Searching	57	(30)
The Windows Explorer Interface	57	(6)
Opening Explorer with a Keyboard Shortcut	57	(1)
Speeding Up Windows Explorer with Keyboard Shortcuts	58	(1)
Showing the Full File Path in Explorer	59	(1)
Customizing Windows Explorer Toolbars	60	(2)
Alternatives to Windows Explorer	62	(1)
Working with Files and Folders	63	(11)
Instantly Jumping to a File or Folder	63	(1)
Copying and Moving Files Faster	63	(1)
Customizing the File Details Displayed in Explorer	64	(1)
Adding Images to Your Folders	64	(1)
Showing File Name Extensions	65	(1)
Renaming Groups of Files in One Fell Swoop	66	(2)
Displaying Hidden and System Files and Folders	68	(1)
Changing Where Windows Stores Documents	69	(1)
Making it Easier to Open Files	70	(2)
Setting the Program Used to Open a File Type	72	(1)
Displaying Cascading Folders on the Start Menu	73	(1)
Compressing Files and Folders	74	(6)
Getting Extra Disk Space by Using NTFS Compression	74	(2)
Getting Extra Space by Using Zip Folders	76	(2)
Using WinZip for More Compression Features	78	(1)
Automatically Compressing and Emailing a Photo	79	(1)
Searching Your Computer	80	(7)
Customizing Windows XP's Basic Search Tools	80	(2)
Finding Music and Picture Files	82	(2)
Saving a Search for Future Reference	84	(1)
Using the Indexing Service to Speed Up Searches	85	(2)
Built-In Utilities	87	(20)
Better Backups	87	(6)
Installing the Backup Program in Windows XP Home Edition	88	(1)
Backing Up Your Goods	88	(4)
Better Backup Programs	92	(1)
Notepad and Clipboard	93	(5)
Inserting a Time and Date Stamp with Notepad	93	(1)
Creating Headers and Footers with Notepad	94	(1)
Better Notepads	95	(1)
Viewing the Contents of Your Clipboard	96	(1)
A Better Clipboard	97	(1)
Other Built-In Utilities	98	(9)
The Fax Program	98	(2)
A Better Calculator	100	(1)
Opening Graphics Documents in Paint	101	(1)
Inserting Special Characters	101	(2)
Shortcuts to Open Windows XP Applications and Utilities	103	(4)
Microsoft Office	107	(22)
General Office Advice	107	(3)
Killing Clippy	107	(1)
Turning Off the Office Clipboard	108	(1)
Finding Files Faster	108	(2)
Microsoft Word	110	(6)
Using Invisible Ink	111	(1)
Inserting Special Characters	111	(1)
Creating Your Own Keyboard Shortcuts	112	(1)
Turning Word into Your Personal Translator	113	(2)
Inserting Your Digital Signature into Word Documents	115	(1)
Using the Word Count Toolbar	115	(1)
Excel	116	(5)
Automatically Importing Data from the Web	116	(2)
Creating a Watermark	118	(2)
Speeding Up Excel with Keyboard Shortcuts	120	(1)
Quickly Add New Data to a Chart	121	(1)
PowerPoint	121	(2)
Saving Fonts with Your Presentation	121	(2)
Copying Your PowerPoint Settings to Another Computer	123	(1)
Putting Your Presentations on a Diet	123	(1)
Access	123	(2)
The Express Route to Creating Tables	123	(1)
The Database Diet	124	(1)
Hiding Top Secret Tables	125	(1)
FrontPage	125	(4)
Flowing Text Around a Picture	125	(1)
Watermarks	126	(1)
Creating an Online Photo Gallery	127	(2)
The Internet	129	(38)
Internet Speed Tricks	129	(4)
Faster Surfing I	129	(1)
Faster Surfing II	130	(1)
Caching Up	131	(2)
Speeding Up Downloads	133	(1)
Pop-Ups and Cookies	133	(9)
Software that Stops Pop-Ups	134	(1)
Alternative Browsers that Stop Pop-Ups	134	(1)
Shooting the Windows Messenger	135	(2)
Crumbling Cookies	137	(2)
Custom Cookie Settings	139	(1)
Share Your Cookies	140	(1)
Examining and Deleting Cookies	141	(1)
Managing Cookies with Add-On Software	142	(1)
Keeping Advertisers Away from Your Cookies	142	(1)
Firewalls	142	(7)
A Basic Firewall	142	(2)
How to Bypass XP's Firewall	144	(2)
A Better Firewall: ZoneAlarm	146	(1)
Testing Your Security with Shield's Up	147	(2)
Online Safety You May Not Have Considered	149	(6)
Controlling Your Internet Security Levels	149	(2)
Beware of AutoComplete	151	(1)
Don't Let the Web Bugs Bite	152	(1)
Protecting Yourself Against Spyware	152	(1)
Protecting a Public Wireless Connection	153	(1)
Surfing Anonymously	154	(1)
Evaluating and Troubleshooting	155	(3)
Peering into Your Internet Connection	155	(2)
Your Real Internet Connection Speed	157	(1)
Diagnosing a Broken Internet Connection	157	(1)
Windows Messenger	158	(4)
Are You Using Windows Messenger or MSN Messenger?	158	(1)
Protecting Your Privacy in Windows Messenger	159	(1)
Split Your Personality with Windows Messenger	160	(1)
Yes, You Can Skin Messenger	161	(1)
Turning Off Messenger's Tabs	161	(1)
Save a Messaging Session to a Text File	162	(1)
Windows Messenger Add-Ons	162	(1)
Other Instant Messengers	162	(5)
Downloading Other Instant Messengers	162	(2)
Turn Off the AIM Today Window	164	(1)
Stopping Online Harassment in AIM	164	(1)
Sending Text Messages with Yahoo! Messenger	164	(1)
Spicing up Yahoo! Messenger	165	(1)
ICQ on the Desktop	165	(1)
ICQ Shortcut Keys	165	(1)
Protecting Yourself Against Instant Messaging Dangers	165	(2)
Web Browsers	167	(36)
Smarter Surfing	167	(11)
Address Shortcuts	167	(1)
Getting the Big Picture	168	(1)
Making Web Fonts Easier to Read	169	(1)
Opening a New Web Page in Its Own Window	170	(1)
Keyboard Shortcuts	170	(2)
Filling Out Forms Faster	172	(1)
Revisiting History	172	(1)
Printing a Wide Web Page	173	(1)
Saving Web Pages on Your PC	174	(2)
Saving Web Pages with SurfSaver	176	(1)
Saving Frequently Updated Web Pages Automatically	176	(2)
Searching the Web from Internet Explorer	178	(5)
The Google Toolbar	178	(1)
The Google Deskbar (Not just for Internet Explorer)	179	(1)
Searching from the Address Bar	180	(3)
Managing Your Favorites	183	(3)
Finding Favorites Fast	183	(1)
Organizing Favorites from A to Z	183	(1)
Copying Favorites to Another Computer	184	(1)
Creating Favorite Files and Folders	185	(1)
Cache Flow	186	(2)
Customizing the Cache	186	(1)
Viewing Your Cache	187	(1)
Cleaning Out Your Cache	188	(1)
Customizing Internet Explorer	188	(5)
Browser Windows the Size You Want	188	(1)
Rolling Your Own Toolbar	189	(1)
Changing the Toolbar Background	190	(1)
Changing Internet Explorer's Title Bar	191	(1)
Changing Internet Explorer's Logo	191	(2)
Alternative Browsers	193	(10)
A Google Toolbar for Netscape, Mozilla, and Firefox	195	(1)
Speeding Up Netscape with Keyboard Shortcuts	195	(1)
Dressing Up Netscape with Themes	196	(1)
Filling in the Blanks with Netscape	197	(1)
Adding Firefox Features	198	(1)
Mozilla Firefox Shortcuts	198	(1)
Rewinding Your Opera Session	199	(1)
Waving the Opera Wand	199	(1)
Speeding Up Opera with Keyboard Shortcuts	200	(1)
Nota Bene Opera	200	(3)
Email	203	(34)
Sending and Receiving Email	203	(5)
Email in a Hurry	204	(1)
Blind Carbon Copies	205	(1)
Checking Mail on Your Schedule	205	(1)
Allowing Time for Second Thoughts	205	(1)
Cleaning Up Email Conversations	206	(1)
Revealing Message Headers	207	(1)
Sign-Offs	208	(7)
Customized Signatures	208	(3)
Fancy Signatures	211	(1)
Using Digital Business Cards	212	(3)
Slamming Spam	215	(4)
Hiding Your Email Address from Spammers	215	(1)
Built-In Spam-Fighting Tools	216	(2)
Third-Party Spam-Killers	218	(1)
Organizing and Handling Mail	219	(8)
Adding New Contacts in Two Seconds	219	(1)
Marking Messages Unread	220	(1)
Clearing Clutter	220	(1)
Taking Control of Mail Overload	221	(4)
Opening Blocked File Attachments	225	(2)
Getting Email to Play Nicely with Windows	227	(2)
Killing the ``Unread Messages'' Notice	227	(1)
Killing the Windows Messenger	228	(1)
Contacting Windows Messenger Buddies	228	(1)
Relocating Outlook on Your Taskbar	228	(1)
Outlook-Only Tips	229	(4)
Opening Outlook in Separate Windows	229	(1)
Deleting Outlook Items Lickety-Split	229	(1)
Removing Outlook's Memorized Addresses	230	(1)
Backing Up Outlook	230	(1)
Sharing Outlook on Two Computers	231	(1)
Using Outlook to Keep Up with the News	232	(1)
Just for Outlook Express	233	(2)
Killing the Outlook Express Startup Screen	233	(1)
Renaming the Outlook Express Window	234	(1)
Backing Up Outlook Express	234	(1)
Beyond Outlook: Other Email Software	235	(2)
Eudora	236	(1)
Thunderbird	236	(1)
IncrediMail	236	(1)
Networking	237	(20)
Wireless Networking	237	(7)
Zero Configuration WiFi Services	238	(1)
Connecting to Wireless Networks	238	(2)
Finding Hotspots Before You Travel	240	(2)
Protecting Your Wireless Network with WEP	242	(1)
Unplugging the Unplugged Icon	243	(1)
Home Networking	244	(7)
Desktop Shortcuts for Your Network Resources	245	(1)
Finding Another Computer on the Network	245	(1)
Stop Searching for Network Resources	245	(1)
Speeding Up My Network Places and Network Browsing	245	(1)
A Faster Path to Computers on Your Network	246	(1)
Coaxing Your Network Card to Run Its Fastest	247	(1)
Optimizing Your Router	247	(1)
Sharing Files on a Network	248	(2)
Chatting on Your Network with WinChat	250	(1)
Troubleshooting Network Problems	251	(6)
Moving Your Laptop from One Network to Another	251	(1)
Finding Your Network Information	252	(2)
The Network Diagnostics Tool	254	(1)
Repairing a Broken Network Connection	254	(3)
Hardware	257	(18)
Hardware Troubleshooting	257	(6)
Getting Help from the Device Manager	257	(2)
Resolving Conflicts	259	(2)
Driver Magic	261	(2)
Laptop Tricks	263	(3)
Extending Your Laptop's Battery Life	263	(2)
Helping a Fussy Laptop Enter Standby	265	(1)
Removing a Useless Warning	265	(1)
Printers and Printing	266	(3)
Printing Font Samples	266	(1)
Receiving a Message when Your Print Job Is Done	267	(1)
On-the-Road Printing Strategies	268	(1)
Of Mice and Keyboards	269	(6)
Customizing Your Mouse Settings	269	(3)
Stopping Erratic Mouse Behavior	272	(1)
An Easier-to-See Insertion Point	272	(1)
The Onscreen Keyboard	273	(2)
System Speedups	275	(14)
Managing Your Memory	275	(9)
DOS Swap	276	(1)
Eliminating Needless Visual Effects	276	(1)
Services You Don't Need	277	(2)
Putting Services on Permanent Leave	279	(1)
Removing Programs that Run at Startup	280	(1)
Fancy Memory Trick I	281	(1)
Fancy Memory Trick II	282	(1)
Deciding You Need More Memory	283	(1)
Processor Tricks	284	(5)
CPU-Draining Programs You Don't Need	284	(1)
Focusing Your CPU's Attention	285	(2)
A Souped-Up Alternative to Task Manager	287	(2)
Security	289	(14)
Securing Your System	289	(9)
Microsoft's Baseline Security Adviser	289	(2)
Windows Update	291	(1)
Manually Checking for Updates	292	(1)
Checking for Viruses	293	(2)
Stripping Personal Information from Your Documents	295	(1)
Preventing Word from Stealing Your Files	296	(1)
Hard-to-Crack Passwords	296	(1)
Safe Travels with a Laptop	297	(1)
Encryption for Windows XP Pro	298	(5)
Protecting Your Data by Encrypting Files and Folders	299	(2)
Changing the Color of Encrypted Files and Folders	301	(1)
A Final Security Measure	301	(2)
Crash Recovery	303	(8)
Creating a Restore Point	303	(1)
Restoring Your System	304	(1)
Limiting the Size of System Restore's Files	304	(1)
Deleting Old Restore Points	305	(1)
Changing System Restore's Backup Schedule	306	(1)
Getting System Restore to Ignore Certain Folders	307	(1)
Safe Mode	308	(3)
Windows Media Player	311	(14)
Finding the Menu Bar	312	(1)
Listening to Music	312	(6)
The MP3 Factor	312	(1)
The Graphic Equalizer	313	(1)
3D WOW Sound	314	(1)
Improving CD Playback Sound	315	(1)
Groovy Visual Displays	316	(1)
Skinning Windows Media Player	316	(2)
Recording, Mixing, and Copying Music	318	(4)
Turning Off Copy Protection	318	(1)
Mixing Smoother CDs	319	(1)
Preventing Skips When You Burn CDs	319	(2)
Saving Internet Radio Streams	321	(1)
Video	322	(2)
Watching International DVDs	323	(1)
Keyboard Shortcuts	324	(1)
The Registry	325	(14)
The Registry Editor	328	(4)
An Important Registry Precaution	332	(1)
Editing the Registry with Reg Files	333	(2)
Protecting the Registry	335	(1)
Creating a Registry Favorites List	336	(1)
Printing the Registry	337	(2)
Appendix: Windows XP Keyboard Shortcuts	339	(4)
Index	343