Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows XP, Professional

Robert Cowart has written more than 35 books on computer programming and applications, with more than a dozen on Windows. His titles include Windows NT Unleashed, Mastering Windows (3.0, 3.1, 95, 98, and Me), Windows NT Server AdministratorÕs Bible, Windows NT Server 4.0: No Experience Required, and Special Edition Using Windows 2000 Professional. Several of his books have been bestsellers in their categories, and have been translated into more than 20 languages. He has written on a wide range of computer-related topics for such magazines as PC Week, PC World, PC Magazine, PC Tech Journal, Mac World, and Microsoft Systems Journal. He has taught programming classes at the University of California Extension in San Francisco and has appeared as a special guest on the PBS TV series Computer Chronicles, CNNÕs Headline News, ZD-TVÕs The Screen Savers, and ABCÕs World News Tonight with Peter Jennings. He is president and co-founder of Brainsville.com, a company specializing in creating multimedia training courses. Robert resides in Berkeley, California. In his spare time, he is involved in the music world, presenting chamber-music concerts and playing classical piano. He also is a teacher of the Transcendental Meditation technique. Brian Knittel has been a software developer for more than 20 years. After doing graduate work in nuclear medicine and magnetic resonance imaging technologies, he began a career as an independent consultant. An eclectic mix of clients have led to long-term projects in medical documentation, workflow management, real-time industrial system control, and most importantly, 15 years of real-world experience with MS-DOS, Windows, and computer networking in the business world. Previously, he co-authored Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional and contributed to several of Bob CowartÕs other Windows books. Brian lives in Albany, California, halfway between the tidal wave zone and the earthquake fault. He spends his free time restoring antique computers (check out www.ibm1130.org) and trying to perfect his wood-fired pizza recipes.

I. INTRODUCING WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL.

1. Introducing Windows XP Professional.


An Overview of Windows XP Professional. A Little Windows History. What's New in Windows XP Professional? Differences Between Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional, 64-Bit, and Server Versions of Windows XP. Differences Between Versions of Windows XP. How Does Windows XP Professional Compare to Unix and Linux? Windows XP Professional on theCorporate Network.

2. Getting Your Hardware and Software Ready for Windows XP.


General Considerations. Hardware Requirements. Preparing Your Hardware forWindows XP. Preparing Your Software forWindows XP. Troubleshooting. Tips from the Windows Pros: Shopping for the Right Hardware and Software.

3. Installing Windows XP Professional.


Choosing an Upgrade Path. Choosing an Upgrade Path. Choosing a File System: FAT, FAT32, or NTFS? Getting Your Network Information Together. It's Backup Time! Clean Installation Procedure. Upgrading over an Existing Operating System. Making Replacement Startup Floppies. Troubleshooting. Tips from the Windows Pros: Automating Setup.

II. GETTING YOUR WORK DONE.

4. Using the Windows XP Interface.


Who Should Read This Chapter? Logging In to Windows XP. Using Windows XP—the UserExperience. The Taskbar, the Start Menu, and Other Tools. Running Your Applications. Using My Documents, My Pictures, and My Music. Using the Help System. Exiting Windows Gracefully. Dealing with a Crashed Application or Operating System. Troubleshooting. Tips from the Windows Pros: Working Efficiently.

5. Using the Simple SuppliedApplications.


A Sea of Freebies. Notepad. WordPad. Paint. Calculator. Character Map. Volume Control. Working with the WindowsClipboard. Using the Search Applet. Troubleshooting.

6. Printing and Faxing.


Windows XP Printing Primer. Installing and Configuring a Printer. Installing a Local Printer. Changing a Printer's Properties. Removing a Printer from the Printers and Faxes Folder. Printing from Windows Applications. Working with the Printer Queue. Viewing and Altering Document Properties. Printing to Disk Option. Color Management. Faxing. Troubleshooting. Tips from the Windows Pros: Choosing a Printer Name.

7. Multimedia and Imaging.


Multimedia, Imaging, and Windows. What's Built in to Windows XP for Photographs? Using the Scanner and CameraWizard. What's Built in to Windows XPfor Video? Video Capture with MicrosoftMovie Maker. Windows Media Player. Troubleshooting. Tips from the Windows Pros: Archiving Your Company's History.

III. WINDOWS XP AND THE INTERNET.

8. Internet and TCP/IP ConnectionOptions.


Going World Wide. Connection Technologies. Choosing an Internet ServiceProvider. Choosing Equipment. Ordering the Service. Installing the Hardware. Configuring Your InternetConnection. Adjusting Dial-Up ConnectionProperties. Configuring a High-SpeedConnection. Enabling the Internet ConnectionFirewall. Making and Ending a Dial-Up Connection. Using Multiple Modems or ISDN Channels. Changing the Default Connection. Managing Multiple InternetConnections. Troubleshooting. Tips from the Windows Pros: Staying Connected While Traveling Abroad.

9. Browsing the World Wide Web with Internet Explorer.


Origins and Development of the World Wide Web. What's New in Internet Explorer 6? Internet Explorer 6 Quick Tour. Dealing with Multimedia Browsing and Downloading. Customizing the Browser and Setting Internet Options. Effectively Searching the Web. MSN Explorer Browser—TheTouchy-Feely Alternative to IE. Getting a Passport to MicrosoftCountry. Troubleshooting. Tips from the Windows Pros: Finding and Using PDF Documents on the World Wide Web.

10. Sending E-mail withOutlook Express.


Choosing an E-mail Client. Choosing an E-mail Client. Outlook Express Quick Tour. Outlook Express Quick Tour. Outlook Express Quick Tour. Creating and Sending New Mail. Using the Address Book. Handling Unique Mail Situations. Troubleshooting. Tips from the Windows Pros: CreatingFormatted E-mail.

11. Reading Newsgroups with Outlook Express.


Newsgroups and the Internet. Setting Up a Newsgroup Accountin Outlook Express. Finding and Reading Newsgroups. Newsgroup Safety. Customizing Outlook Express for Newsgroups. Troubleshooting. Tips from the Windows Pros: Newsgroups…for More thanJust News.

12. Chatting and Conferencing with Windows Messenger.


An Overview of Windows Messenger. Getting Started with WindowsMessenger. Chatting with Text. Communicating with Voice. Communicating with Video. Conferencing Options. What About NetMeeting? Troubleshooting. Tips From the Windows Pros: Extending Your Chat Community.

13. Hosting Web Pages with Internet Information Services.


Overview of Internet InformationServices. IIS Services and Requirements. Determining Which IIS Services You Need. Installing IIS. Taking a Quick Tour. Setting Up a Simple Web Site. Managing Your Site with the Computer Management Console. Sharing Folders with Web Sharing. Managing the FTP Server. Managing the SMTP Server. Log Files. Enabling Site Searching Using the Indexing Service. Configuring Shared Connections. Security Issues for Internet Services. Troubleshooting. Tips from the Windows Pros: Scripting for Interactive Sites.

14. Troubleshooting YourInternet Connection.


It's Great When It Works, But…. Before You Run into Trouble. Troubleshooting. Troubleshooting Internet Problems with Windows TCP/IP Utilities. Web-Based Utilities. Tips from the Windows Pros: Pinging with Larger Packets.

IV. NETWORKING.

15. Overview of Windows XPNetworking.


Network Concepts. Network Connection Technologies. Resolving Computer Names. The Many Faces of Windows XP. Windows XP's Network Services. Tips from the Windows Pros: Becoming a Networking Professional.

16. Creating a Windows XPPro Network.


Creating or Joining a Network. Planning Your Network. Choosing a Network and CablingSystem. Installing Network Adapters. Installing Network Wiring. Configuring a Peer-to-Peer Network. Joining a Windows XP/2000 Domain Network. Network Security. Checking Out the Neighborhood. Install and Configure BackupSoftware. Bridging Two Network Types with Windows XP. Troubleshooting. Tips from the Windows Pros:Grassroots Networking.

17. Using a Windows XP Network.


Windows XP Was Made to Network. Traditional Versus Web Sharing. My Network Places. Using Shared Folders. Exploring and Searching theNetwork. Using Web Folders. Using Printers on the Network. Using Network Resources Effectively. Sharing Resources. Sharing Folders and Drives. Sharing Web Folders. Sharing Printers. Managing Network Use of Your Computer. Managing Network Resources Using the Command Line. The Distributed File System. Troubleshooting. Tips from the Windows Pros: Using Command-Line Utilities.

18. Windows Unplugged: Remote and Mobile Networking.


Going Unplugged. Dial-Up Networking. Wireless Networking. Offline Folders. Web Folders and Web Printing. Virtual Private Networking. Remote Desktop. Remote Assistance. Copying Files Between TwoComputers. Infrared File Transfers. Multiple LAN Connections. Troubleshooting. Tips From the Windows Pros: Manually Adding Routing Information.

19. Connecting Your LANto the Internet.


It's a Great Time to Connect Your LANto the Internet. The Nuts and Bolts of theConnection. Getting Your Internet ServiceInstalled. Configuring Your LAN. Making Services Available. Troubleshooting. Tips from the Windows Pros: Squeezing Top Speed from Your High-Speed Connection.

20. Networking Mix and Match.


Networking with Other Operating Systems. Internetworking with NovellNetWare. Internetworking with DOS and OS/2. Internetworking with Unix and Linux. Internetworking with Macintosh. Internetworking Over Dial-Up and VPN Connections. Advanced Networking Services. Troubleshooting. Tips from the Windows Pros: TheHosts File.

21. Network Security.


It's a Cold, Cruel World. Who Would Be Interested in My Computer? Preparation. Active Defenses: Blocking Known Methods of Attack. Testing, Logging, and Monitoring. Disaster Planning: Preparation for Recovery After an Attack. Specific Configuration Steps forWindows XP. More About Security. Troubleshooting.

22. Troubleshooting Your Network.


When Good Networks Go Bad. Diagnostic Tools. Testing Network Cables. Checking Network Configuration. Testing Network Connectivity. Diagnosing File and Printer Sharing Problems. Testing Network Throughput. Tips from the Windows Pros: MonitoringYour LAN.

V. SYSTEM CONFIGURATION AND CUSTOMIZATION.

23. Tweaking the GUI.


GUI: To Tweak or Not to Tweak. Start Menu Pizzazz! Display Properties. Tweak UI. Miscellaneous GUI Tips. Which Windows Are You Using? Customizing Folder Views. Configuring the Recycle Bin. Tuning Visual Effects. Troubleshooting.

24. Configuration via Control Panel Applets.


Sizing Up the Control Panel. Opening the Control Panel. Accessibility Options. Add Hardware. Add or Remove Programs. Date and Time. Game Controllers. Keyboard. Mouse. Phone and Modem Options. Regional and Language Options. Scanners and Cameras. Sounds and Audio Devices. Troubleshooting.

25. Maintaining and Optimizing System Performance.


Running a Tight Ship. Measuring System Performance with Performance Monitor. Tuning Windows Performance with the System Applet. Program Compatibility Wizard. Configuring the ProgramEnvironments. The Windows XP Command Line. Troubleshooting. Tips from the Windows Pros: Getting More Out of the Command Prompt with Command Extensions.

26. Font Management.


A Little Windows Font History. A Little Font Primer. Font Substitutions. Building a Font Collection. Managing a System's Font Collection. Troubleshooting.

VI. SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION AND MAINTENANCE.

27. System Utilities.


Getting Under the Hood. Scheduled Tasks. System Applet. Administrative Tools. System Tools. Accessibility. Windows Update. Task Manager. Protecting the System Files. Microsoft Management Console(MMC). Troubleshooting. Tips from the Windows Pros: PowerUser Tricks.

28. Managing Users.


Multiple Users on One Machine. User Account Types. Working with Passwords. Creating and Managing UserAccounts. Sharing Files Among Users. Simple File Sharing. NTFS File Permissions. User Profiles. Troubleshooting. Tips from the Windows Pros: Setting up for Multiple Users.

29. Managing the Hard Disk.


Hard Disk Management. Windows XP File and StorageSystems. Organizational Strategies. Windows XP's Disk ManagementTools. Disk Management. Removable Storage. Disk Defragmenter. Detecting and Repairing Disk Errors. Convert. Encryption. Compression: How It Works, How toUse It. Indexing. Disk Cleanup Utility. Backup Tools and Strategies. Zipping Files. Third-Party Management Tools. Hard Disk Troubleshooting. Tips from the Windows Pros: Quieting a Noisy System.

30. Installing and Replacing Hardware.


Upgrading Your Hardware. Upgrading Your Hardware. Adding Hardware. Using the System Applet. Understanding and Resolving Hardware Conflicts. Installing and Using MultipleMonitors. Installing a UPS. Using Hardware Profiles. Troubleshooting. Tips from the Windows Pros: Upgrading and Optimizing Your Computer.

31. Multibooting Windows XP with Other Operating Systems.


Why Multiboot? Preparation. File System Specifics. Application Considerations. The Windows XP Boot Loader. Multiboot Scenarios. Dual-Booting Windows XP Professional and Windows Me/9x. Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional. Windows XP Professional and Windows 2000 or NT. Windows XP, Windows NT 4.0, and Windows 9x/Me. Windows XP and Linux. The Virtual Machine Approach. Macintosh and Windows. Troubleshooting. Tips from the Windows Pros: Living with More Than One OS.

32. The Registry.


What Is the Registry? How the Registry Is Organized. Registry Contents. Backing Up and Restoring theRegistry. Using Regedit. Other Registry Tools. Registry Privileges and Policies. Troubleshooting. Tips from the Windows Pros: Registry Tips on the Web.

33. Troubleshooting and RepairingWindows XP.


Troubleshooting. Boot Options. Recovery Console. Parallel Copies of Windows XP. As a Last Resort. Preventing Problems. System Restore. Black Magic of Troubleshooting. Scatter-Gun Troubleshooting.

Index.