Windows Vista Pocket Reference

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The following brief sections tell you what's new in Windows Vista, illustrate the layout of the Windows Vista interface, and identify the important concepts and components. Continue to Chapter 2 for tips and shortcuts for working with files, windows, and applications.

Windows Vista is a significant rework of Windows, and although the basics of Windows are the same, much has changed. Here are the most significant additions and changes in Windows Vista compared to Windows XP:

Windows Aero interface: The new interface is the first thing people will notice when they see Windows Vista on a Vista Premium-ready system. It sports customizable, translucent windows (called Aero Glass); live Taskbar thumbnails that show a live preview of an underlying window when a mouse is held over the tile; and Windows Flip and Windows Flip 3D, which show thumbnails of open windows as you flip through them. As the name implies, Windows Flip 3D, shown in Figure 1-1, shows the thumbnails in three dimensions. Note that Windows Aero is not available on the least expensive versions of Windows Vista, and that it has special hardware requirements. There are three other levels of the interface that are less sophisticated than Windows Aero: Windows Classic, Basic, and Standard.

Figure 1-1: Using Flip 3D to flip through live previews of open windows
Security: Security has been enhanced at every level of the operating system, in both visible and invisible ways. Windows Defender protects against spyware, and the Windows Firewall now includes outbound as well as inbound protection. (By default, though, outbound protection is turned off.) Internet Explorer runs by default in Protected Mode, which protects the operating system from assault via the browser, and it includes a phishing filter. Windows Service Hardening stops background Windows services from being used by malware to damage the filesystem, Registry, or network to which the PC is connected. Windows Vista also gives network administrators more control over network and PC security, such as the ability to restrict access to removable storage devices such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drives. Parental Controls allow parents to determine how their children can use the computer and what content they can access. BitLocker Drive Encryption, when used with compatible hardware, locks down a hard disk so that it cannot be accessed if the computer is stolen. Windows Vista also includes User Account Control (UAC), which pops up warnings and asks for passwords when certain setup or customization screens or features are accessed. This enhances security, but it can also mean that you will have to type in a password or click an approval button before you can change certain system features.

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Windows Vista is a significant rework of Windows, and although the basics of Windows are the same, much has changed. Here are the most significant additions and changes in Windows Vista compared to Windows XP:

Windows Aero interface: The new interface is the first thing people will notice when they see Windows Vista on a Vista Premium-ready system. It sports customizable, translucent windows (called Aero Glass); live Taskbar thumbnails that show a live preview of an underlying window when a mouse is held over the tile; and Windows Flip and Windows Flip 3D, which show thumbnails of open windows as you flip through them. As the name implies, Windows Flip 3D, shown in Figure 1-1, shows the thumbnails in three dimensions. Note that Windows Aero is not available on the least expensive versions of Windows Vista, and that it has special hardware requirements. There are three other levels of the interface that are less sophisticated than Windows Aero: Windows Classic, Basic, and Standard.

Figure 1-1: Using Flip 3D to flip through live previews of open windows
Security: Security has been enhanced at every level of the operating system, in both visible and invisible ways. Windows Defender protects against spyware, and the Windows Firewall now includes outbound as well as inbound protection. (By default, though, outbound protection is turned off.) Internet Explorer runs by default in Protected Mode, which protects the operating system from assault via the browser, and it includes a phishing filter. Windows Service Hardening stops background Windows services from being used by malware to damage the filesystem, Registry, or network to which the PC is connected. Windows Vista also gives network administrators more control over network and PC security, such as the ability to restrict access to removable storage devices such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drives. Parental Controls allow parents to determine how their children can use the computer and what content they can access. BitLocker Drive Encryption, when used with compatible hardware, locks down a hard disk so that it cannot be accessed if the computer is stolen. Windows Vista also includes User Account Control (UAC), which pops up warnings and asks for passwords when certain setup or customization screens or features are accessed. This enhances security, but it can also mean that you will have to type in a password or click an approval button before you can change certain system features.

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Those who were slightly confused by the two different versions of Windows XP—the Home Edition and the Professional Edition—will be flummoxed by the dizzying array of different Windows Vista versions. There are five different core Vista versions, for everyone from users with bare-bones PCs, to home users interested in multimedia, to users who work in large enterprises. As a practical matter, though, most home users will end up with Windows Vista Home Premium; those in many businesses will end up with Windows Vista Business; and those in very large corporations will run Windows Vista Enterprise Edition. Here's the rundown on the five core versions and how they differ:

Windows Vista Home Basic: As the name implies, this edition offers only bare-bones features. It's designed to run on entry-level PCs and doesn't have the Windows Aero interface, doesn't support creating video DVDs, and lacks Media Center features. It is missing more as well, such as mobility features, and it doesn't support Tablet PCs. Most likely, few people will opt for this version of Windows Vista.
Windows Vista Business: This version is aimed at users in small to medium-size businesses. It includes Windows Aero, supports Tablet PCs, and has most other Vista features. But it doesn't have a variety of multimedia features, such as the capability to create and burn video DVDs. It does, though, have a variety of features aimed at IT staff, such as wireless network provisioning capabilities, Remote Desktop connections, image-based backup, and other network administration features.
Windows Vista Home Premium: This has Aero and supports all of the multimedia Vista features, such as creating video DVDs, slide show creation, and the Windows Media Center. It supports basic networking and wireless networking, but it doesn't have network administration tools, wireless network provisioning, or the capability to connect to a domain. It also doesn't have the Encrypting File System (EFS) or image-based backup.

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Windows Vista requires considerable hardware—significantly more than previous versions of Windows. It needs a lot of graphics horsepower to support the full Aero interface, but it is possible to run Windows Vista without running Aero.

Because there are so many different versions of Windows Vista, and because it is possible to run Windows Vista without the Windows Aero interface, the exact hardware requirements are somewhat confusing. To help make things a little less confusing, Microsoft has set two levels of hardware: Windows Vista Capable and Windows Vista Premium Ready. A Windows Vista Capable PC will not be able to run all of the Windows Vista features, notably Windows Aero.

A Windows Vista Capable PC has these minimum hardware requirements:

An 800 MHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
512 MB of RAM
DirectX 9-capable graphics processor (Windows Display Driver Model [WDDM] driver support recommended) with a minimum of 64 MB of memory, preferably 128 MB
20 GB hard disk, with at least 15 GB free

A Windows Vista Premium Ready PC has these minimum hardware requirements:

A 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
1 GB of RAM
DirectX 9-capable graphics processor that supports WDDM driver support, Pixel Shader 2.0, 32 bits per pixel, and a minimum of 128 MB of memory
40 GB hard disk, with at least 15 GB free
DVD-ROM drive

Obviously, more is better, so it's a good idea to exceed these requirements when possible.

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Windows Vista includes a performance rating system, which may puzzle you at first. After all, your hardware can clearly support Windows Vista if you're able to run the tool, so what is its purpose?

In fact, it's not designed to tell you how well your PC runs Vista, but rather how well it can run other software. The idea is that software makers will assign their software a certain level, and you'll buy only the software that the performance rating system says you can run. The higher the number is, the better the performance.

In theory, that's fine. But it's not clear how well it will work in practice, because software makers, including Microsoft, have yet to rate their software according to this system. And it's also quite mysterious how the performance rating system calculates its ratings. As you can see in Figure 1-6, the individual components of this PC rate relatively high, from a 5 (the top rating) to a 3.7. So why is the overall system rating a 3.7? Windows Vista automatically takes the lowest component rating and uses that as the overall system rating.

Figure 1-6: Performance rating

Useful or not, you might want to see how Windows Vista rates your hardware. Choose Control Panel → System and Maintenance → Performance Information and Tools.

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Like most modern operating systems that use graphical user interfaces or GUIs (such as Mac OS X, Unix, and earlier versions of Windows), Windows Vista uses the metaphor of a Desktop with windows and file folders laid out on it. A program called Windows Explorer (explorer.exe) provides this Desktop metaphor.

Figure 1-7 shows the main features of the Windows Vista Desktop. The callouts in the figure highlight some of the special-purpose icons and buttons that may appear.

Figure 1-7: Windows Vista Desktop features

Drag files to the Recycle Bin to delete them. Open the bin and rummage through it to recover deleted files.
A folder lets you organize your files.
The Start button gives you access to commands and applications on your system.
The Quick Launch toolbar gives you fast access to frequently used applications.
Hover your mouse over a taskbar window icon, and you will see a live thumbnail of its content.
The Taskbar contains icons for each running application, plus toolbars and the notification area.
The System Tray (also called the notification area) contains the clock and useful status indicators about programs and services currently running.
A shortcut links to a file, folder, or program somewhere else on the system. You can differentiate between shortcuts and regular icons because shortcuts have a curved arrow on them.
You can have shortcuts to other computers on your network.
An open folder shows its contents in a window.
The Sidebar is used to display Gadgets.

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Windows Vista offers several settings that affect the way the interface responds to mouse clicks. The default setting (the way it works when you first install Windows Vista) will also be familiar to most users, as it is consistent with the way most operating systems work.

If you modify certain settings using the Folder Options dialog (Control Panel → Appearance and Personalization → Folder Options), however, Windows may respond differently.

If you are a new computer user who hasn't used a GUI before, here are some things you need to know:

PCs usually come with a two- or three-button mouse, although there are a variety of alternatives, such as touchpads (common on laptops), trackballs, and styluses. Many mice also include a scroll wheel which, as its name implies, you use to scroll through pages and screens.
To click an object means to move the pointer to the desired screen object and press and release the left mouse button.
Double-click means to click twice in rapid succession with the button on the left. (Clicking twice slowly doesn't accomplish the same thing.)
Right-click means to click with the button on the right.
If your pointing device has three or more buttons, you should use just the primary buttons on the left and the right, and read the documentation that comes with your pointing device to find out what you can do with the others. (You can often configure the middle button to take over functions such as double-clicking, cut and paste, inserting inflammatory language into emails, and so on.)

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Any open window contains a frame with a series of standard decorations and tools, as shown in Figure 1-8. To move a window from one place to another, click on the title bar and drag. The exact tools and functions available in any window vary according to the application or tool that launches it. Figure 1-8 shows a folder window, which is perhaps the most complicated window in Windows Vista.

Most types of windows are resizable, meaning that you can stretch them horizontally and vertically to make them smaller or larger. Just grab an edge or a corner and start dragging. There are two shortcuts that come in quite handy: maximize and minimize. If you click the maximize button (the middle button in the cluster in the upper right of most windows), the window will be resized to fill the screen. You can't move or resize maximized windows. If you minimize a window (the leftmost button in the cluster), it is shrunk out of sight and appears only as a button on the Taskbar. Minimizing is handy to get windows out of the way without closing them.

Figure 1-8: The decorations of a standard window: a title bar, title buttons, a menu, and a scrollable client area

The Address Bar (shows the current folder in Windows Explorer).
Application-specific toolbar.
Navigation pane (Windows Explorer only).
Details pane (Windows Explorer only). In many applications, this area is taken up by a status bar that gives information about the content of the window.
The scroll bar. Click here to move down one line, or scroll by keeping the mouse button depressed.
Drag this to jump scroll to a corresponding point in the document.

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Files are the basic unit of long-term storage on a computer. Files are organized into folders, which are stored on disks. (In DOS, Unix, and earlier versions of Windows, folders were more often referred to as directories, but both terms are still used.) This section reviews fundamental filesystem concepts, including file- and disk-naming conventions and file types.

Like every version of Windows that preceded it, Windows Vista retains the basic DOS disk-naming conventions. Drives are differentiated by a single letter of the alphabet followed by a colon:

A:: Represents the first "floppy" (usually 3.5-inch) disk drive on the system
B:: Represents the second floppy disk drive, if present
C:: Represents the first hard disk drive or the first partition of the first hard disk drive
D:: Often represents a DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drive, but can represent an additional hard disk drive or other removable drive
E: through Z:: Represent additional hard disk drives, DVD-ROM or CD-ROM drives, Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drives, removable cartridges such as ZIP or Jaz drives, or mapped network drives

By default, drive letters are assigned consecutively, but it's possible to change the drive letters for most drives so that you can have a drive

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There are many different ways to improve your experience with Windows Vista. Some solutions involve making modifications and additions to the operating system, while others describe how to work with the tools that come out of the box. The tips in this chapter illustrate the various keyboard and mouse shortcuts available in Windows Vista.

The tips that follow show you how to predict—and even change—how Windows Explorer responds to the dragging and dropping of files and objects. Here's an overview of how drag-and-drop works in Windows Explorer:

If you drag an object from one place to another on the same physical drive (c:\docs to c:\files), the object is moved.
If you drag an object from one physical drive to another physical or network drive (c:\docs to d:\files), the object is copied, resulting in two identical files on your system.
If you drag an object from one physical or network drive to another and then back to the first drive, but in a different folder (c:\docs to d:\files to c:\stuff), you'll end up with three copies of the object.
If you drag an application executable (an EXE file), the same rules apply to it that apply to other objects, except that if you drag it into any portion of your Start menu or into any subfolder of your Start Menu folder, Windows will create a shortcut to the file. Dragging other file types (documents, script files, or other shortcuts) to the Start menu will simply move or copy them there, according to the preceding rules.
If you drag a system object (such as an item in the My Computer window or the Control Panel) anywhere, a shortcut to the item is created. This, of course, is a consequence of the fact that these objects aren't actually files and can't be duplicated or removed from their original locations.
If you drag system icons or items that appear within system folders, such as Documents, Internet Explorer, or the Recycle Bin, any number of things can happen, depending on the specific capabilities of the object. For example, if you drag a recently deleted file from the Recycle Bin, it will always be moved, because making a copy of, or a shortcut to, a deleted file makes no sense.

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The tips that follow show you how to predict—and even change—how Windows Explorer responds to the dragging and dropping of files and objects. Here's an overview of how drag-and-drop works in Windows Explorer:

If you drag an object from one place to another on the same physical drive (c:\docs to c:\files), the object is moved.
If you drag an object from one physical drive to another physical or network drive (c:\docs to d:\files), the object is copied, resulting in two identical files on your system.
If you drag an object from one physical or network drive to another and then back to the first drive, but in a different folder (c:\docs to d:\files to c:\stuff), you'll end up with three copies of the object.
If you drag an application executable (an EXE file), the same rules apply to it that apply to other objects, except that if you drag it into any portion of your Start menu or into any subfolder of your Start Menu folder, Windows will create a shortcut to the file. Dragging other file types (documents, script files, or other shortcuts) to the Start menu will simply move or copy them there, according to the preceding rules.
If you drag a system object (such as an item in the My Computer window or the Control Panel) anywhere, a shortcut to the item is created. This, of course, is a consequence of the fact that these objects aren't actually files and can't be duplicated or removed from their original locations.
If you drag system icons or items that appear within system folders, such as Documents, Internet Explorer, or the Recycle Bin, any number of things can happen, depending on the specific capabilities of the object. For example, if you drag a recently deleted file from the Recycle Bin, it will always be moved, because making a copy of, or a shortcut to, a deleted file makes no sense.

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Windows Vista has more ways to launch a program than just about any other operating system:

Double-click on a program icon in Explorer, or on the Desktop.
Double-click on a file associated with an application to launch that application and open the file.
Pick the name of a program from the Start menu.
Click on a program's icon in the Quick Launch Toolbar to start it. This toolbar can include icons for any programs, although by default, it often has icons only for Internet Explorer, the Desktop (click it to go to the Desktop), Switch Between Windows, and Windows Mail after you set up Windows Mail the first time.
Right-click on a file, executable, or application icon and choose Open.
Select (highlight) an icon and press the Enter key.
Type the filename of a program in the Address Bar, which is displayed above the toolbar in any folder window, in Explorer, in Internet Explorer, or even as part of the Taskbar. You may also have to include the path (the folder and drive names) for some items.
Type in the filename of a program from the Start Search box and press Enter. You may also have to include the path (the folder and drive names) for some items.
Type in the first few letters or the entire name of a program (not necessarily the filename) in the Start Search box, choose the program you want to run from the list that appears, and press Enter. For example, if you wanted to run Microsoft Word, you could type Word, then select the Microsoft Word icon and press Enter.
Open a Command Prompt window and type the name of the program at the prompt. Note that some knowledge of the command prompt, which borrows a lot of syntax and commands from Vista's great-grandfather, the Disk Operating System (DOS), is required.

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This section lists many useful keyboard accelerators. The listings are organized both by keystroke (alphabetically within groups such as function key, Alt-key combination, and so forth) and by function or context (during startup, in the Recycle Bin, for managing windows, and so forth). The first section lists the key and then the function. The second section lists the desired function and then the required key(s).

Note that in addition to the standard keyboard accelerators, you can define accelerators of your own. For example, you can define a Ctrl-Alt combination to invoke any shortcut, whether it's on the Desktop, in the Start menu, or in any other folder. Right-click any Windows shortcut icon (even those right in your Start menu), select Properties, choose the Shortcut tab, and in the Shortcut key field, type the key (not including Ctrl and Alt) to which the shortcut should be linked. For example, to assign Ctrl-Alt-Z to the current shortcut, simply type Z in the field. You can use any key except Esc, Enter, Tab, the Space bar, PrintScreen, Backspace, and Delete. If it conflicts with an accelerator used by any existing application, the accelerator you've just defined will usually override the existing accelerator (test it to make sure). To clear an existing shortcut's accelerator, just empty the Shortcut key field on the shortcut's Properties sheet. These instructions apply to Windows shortcuts only. Internet shortcuts don't support keyboard accelerators.

Tables 2-1 through 2-7 list keystrokes that will work in Windows Explorer and most of the components that come with Windows Vista. However, some applications (including Microsoft applications) don't always follow the rules.

Table 2-1: Function keys
Key	Action

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Many people like using the mouse, but those who are more keyboard oriented are always looking for fast ways to access Internet Explorer features. That's where hot key combinations come in; rather than having to mouse around, you can press a simple key combination, such as Ctrl-D, to add a site to your Favorites. Table 2-9 lists Internet Explorer hot keys.

Table 2-9: Internet Explorer hot keys
Key combination	Action
Alt-left arrow	Go to the preceding page.
Alt-right arrow	Go to the next page.
Ctrl-Tab/Shift-Ctrl-Tab	Go to the next/previous tab.
Escape (Esc)	Stop the page from loading.
F5 or Ctrl-F5	Refresh the page.
Alt-Home	Go to your home page.
Alt-D	Give focus to the Address Bar.
Ctrl-Enter	Add "www." and ".com" to what you typed in the Address Bar, then navigate to the site.
Space bar/Shift-Space bar	Scroll down/up the web page.
Alt-F4	Close Internet Explorer.

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Many people like using the mouse, but those who are more keyboard-oriented are always looking for fast ways to access Windows Mail features. That's where hot key combinations come in; rather than having to mouse around, you can press a simple key combination. Table 2-10 lists Windows Mail hot keys.

Table 2-10: Windows Mail keyboard shortcuts
Key combination	Action
In Main window, View Message window, and Send Message window
F1	Open Help.
Ctrl-A	Select all messages or all text within a single message.
In Main window and View Message window
Ctrl-M	Send and receive email.
Ctrl-N	Open or post a new message.
Ctrl-Shift-B	Open Contacts.
Delete or Ctrl-D	Delete an email message.
Ctrl-R	Reply to the message author.
Ctrl-Shift-R or Ctrl-G (newsgroups only)	Reply to all.
Ctrl-F	Forward a message.
Ctrl-Shift-F	Find a message.

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This chapter provides a listing of the most useful components, features, and settings that make up Windows Vista—an encyclopedia, if you will, of everything you can do with Windows out of the box. Some of the more prominent applications and utilities that come with Windows Vista are available through shortcuts on the Start menu, but many useful tools aren't as conspicuous, available only to those users who know where to look.

In Windows, there is usually more than one way to accomplish any task. So, each entry in this chapter starts with the format name of the component as it appears on the screen and the executable filename, which can be typed into the address bar, the command prompt, or the Start Search box. Then, its location in the interface (if applicable) is shown with standard path notation, followed by a description, tips, command-line options, or other applicable helpful information.

: The Address Bar is a special toolbar with an input field and (optionally) an arrow. It appears in Internet Explorer, Windows Explorer, and, if you've right-clicked on the Taskbar and selected Address from the Toolbars menu, on the Taskbar. When you type an Internet address, the name of a program, or the path of a folder, and then press Enter, the Address Bar will respond in one of many ways, depending on its location and your system's settings.

: Windows Explorer now includes bread crumb navigation along the top, which shows you the complete path to your current location. Click on any spot back along the path, and you'll navigate directly there. Click the arrow next to any spot on the path, and you'll see a drop-down list of all the subfolders under that location.

: Change the color and "glassiness" of windows, the Start menu, and the Taskbar.

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: The Address Bar is a special toolbar with an input field and (optionally) an arrow. It appears in Internet Explorer, Windows Explorer, and, if you've right-clicked on the Taskbar and selected Address from the Toolbars menu, on the Taskbar. When you type an Internet address, the name of a program, or the path of a folder, and then press Enter, the Address Bar will respond in one of many ways, depending on its location and your system's settings.

: Windows Explorer now includes bread crumb navigation along the top, which shows you the complete path to your current location. Click on any spot back along the path, and you'll navigate directly there. Click the arrow next to any spot on the path, and you'll see a drop-down list of all the subfolders under that location.

: Change the color and "glassiness" of windows, the Start menu, and the Taskbar.
To open: Control Panel → [Appearance and Personalization] → Personalization → Window Color and Appearance

Right-click the Desktop and choose Personalize → Window Color and Appearance
Description: One of the most notable changes in Windows Vista compared to earlier versions of Windows is its transparent windows, courtesy of Windows Aero. You can change their colors and transparency from the Window Color and Appearance page.

Click a color to choose a new color. If you want to further customize the colors, click "Show color mixer," and controls will let you choose the precise colors of your windows. To change the transparency of windows, use the Color intensity slider. Move the slider to the left to make windows more transparent and to the right to make them less transparent. To change the colors and fonts of all screen elements in pretty much any way you'd like, click "Open classic appearance properties for more color options," and you'll open a dialog box from Windows Vista that lets you customize all elements of your screen.

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View and change the properties of files.

To open

Right-click a file → Properties

Click a file → Organize → Propertie

Description

The File Properties window has four tabs:

General

This tab displays basic information about the file, including its location, type, size, and size on disk; the date it was created, modified, and last accessed; and its attributes. You can change the program that opens it by clicking the Change button, and you can change the file attributes by selecting Read-only or Hidden. The Advanced button lets you compress and/or encrypt the file, add or take away the file from the index for searching, and add or take away the Archive bit (for use in backups).

Why are there two listings for file size—one for size, and one for size on disk? There are two cases where the file size and size on disk are different:

The cluster size of your NTFS filesystem dictates the size of the chunks that are set aside for files. On an NTFS filesystem with 4 KB clusters, a 1 KB file would use up 4 KB of disk space, and a 5 KB file would use up 8 KB.
If a file has been compressed, the size listing shows its uncompressed size, and the size on disk shows its actual size on your hard disk.

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A web browser used to view web content.

To open

Start → All Programs → Internet Explorer

Use the Internet Explorer icon on the Start menu or on the Quick Launch Toolbar.

Command Prompt → iexplore

Usage

iexplore [-nohome] [url]

Description

Internet Explorer is a full-featured web browser that you can use to navigate the Web, as well as view web content on your local network or hard drive. Web content is typically in the form of web pages (.html), but it can also be images (.gif, .png, and .jpg), FTP sites, or even streaming video or audio (via Windows Media Player).

You navigate in Internet Explorer by clicking hyperlinks in web pages or by typing addresses in Internet Explorer's Address Bar. You can "bookmark" frequently visited sites by creating Internet shortcuts (similar to Windows shortcuts), stored in your Favorites folder, your Desktop, or anywhere else on your hard disk.

Use the Back and Next buttons (as well as the Alt-left arrow and Alt-right arrow, respectively) to navigate through the history, which is empty in each new Internet Explorer window or tab that you open. Use the Stop button (or press the Esc key) to stop the loading of a page, and use the Refresh button (or press F5) to reload the page, displaying any changes that might have been made or displaying an updated version of a dynamically generated page.

The Home button loads the currently configured home page(s) into the browser window. The home page is merely a shortcut to a single web site, and you can change it by going to Tools → Internet Options.

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: Connect to a network or the Internet.
To open: Click the network icon in the System Tray → Connect or disconnect

Control Panel → [Network and Internet] → Connect to a network

Control Panel → [Network and Internet] → Network and Sharing Center → Connect to a network
Description: Once you've set up a network connection, use the "Connect to a network" screen to connect to any network—wired, wireless, VPN, or dial-up.

Connecting is straightforward: double-click the network to which you want to connect, or highlight it and click Connect. When you're connected to a network, disconnect from it by clicking Disconnect.

This screen is primarily designed for wireless, dial-up, and VPN connections. If your only connection to a network is via an Ethernet cable, you won't even get to the screen when you choose to connect. Instead, you'll be told that you're already connected to the network. Want to disconnect? There's a simple, physical solution for you—unplug your Ethernet cable.

: Configure and manage your network connections.
To open: Control Panel → [Network and Internet] → Network and Sharing Center → Manage network connections

Command prompt → ncpa.cpl
Description: Manage Network Connections is actually a specialized folder that lists and provides details about all of your network connections, and lets you configure and manage them. Click any network connection and a toolbar appears that lets you take a variety of actions on the connection, including connecting it, disabling the network device, renaming the connection, viewing the status of the connection, changing the connection's settings, and diagnosing problems with the connection.

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: Controls the way children can use the computer and the Internet.
To open: Control Panel → [User Accounts and Family Safety] → Parental Controls

Control Panel → [User Accounts and Family Safety] → Set up parental controls for any user

Control Panel → Set up parental controls for any user

Control Panel → [Security] → Parental Controls

Control Panel → [Security] → Set up parental controls for any user
Description: Many parents are justifiably worried about how their children use computers and the Internet. The Internet can be a dangerous place for children—particularly young children, preteens, and even teens. They may inadvertently come across pornography, violent images, or other unsuitable content, and they could even be targeted by predators.

In addition, parents may want to block access to certain programs on a shared PC—giving children access to your personal finance software, for example, could prove to be disastrous.

: Provides easy access to the Windows Firewall, antivirus and antimalware settings, Windows Update, and other security settings.
To open: Control Panel → Security → Security Center

Command Prompt → wscui.cpl
Description: The Security Center doesn't actually provide any additional security, but it does act as a control center for your existing software—keeping tabs on what's on or off and what needs updating or replacing, and providing impossible-to-miss warnings that erupt from the Windows notification area. You'll get a warning from the System Tray if the Security Center detects that something is amiss with your security; otherwise, the Security Center won't appear there.

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Detect non-Plug and Play devices and install the appropriate drivers.

To open

Control Panel → Add Hardware (in Classic view)

Command Prompt → hdwwiz.cpl

Description

When you turn on your computer, Windows automatically scans for newly added Plug and Play (PnP) devices and installs drivers for any that it finds. If you're trying to install a device that isn't detected automatically, you'll need to run the Add Hardware Wizard.

When you start the Add Hardware Wizard and click Next, it goes through the following steps:

You're asked whether to have the wizard search for and install the hardware automatically, or whether you want to choose the hardware from a list. It's best to have the wizard search automatically.
The wizard scans your system for any newly attached PnP devices. If one or more devices are found, the appropriate drivers are located and installed.
If no new devices are found in step 2 (or if you decide in step 1 to choose hardware from a list), you'll be asked to click Next to choose your hardware from a list.
The wizard displays a list of hardware categories from which you can choose ("Display adapters," "Imaging devices," "All devices," and so on). Select a category. A list of manufacturers appears. Select the manufacturer.
If you have the drivers for the device on either a floppy, a CD, or your hard disk, click Have Disk at this point. Otherwise, choose the specific model number from the list on the right. If your device doesn't show up here, drivers for it aren't included with Windows Vista.

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