CompTIA A+® Certification All-In-One For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

2.4. Using Tools and Configuration Utilities

A computer's configuration is very important for both cosmetic and functional reasons. In the following sections, you get a good look at the tools that you use to manage your system configuration.

2.4.1. Control panel applets

Most settings for your computer are stored in the Registry, but the Registry is a place where if you make an error while making changes, it can require that you reinstall your OS. To make your actions less prone to major errors, Microsoft created the Control Panel. The Control Panel contains applets that allow you to change many system settings without requiring you to make direct changes to the Registry. Control panel applets are the recommended method of changing most of your system settings. Table 2-3 provides a summary of each Control Panel applet and identifies on which OS(es) you'll find them.

Table 2.3. Control Panel Applets

Control Panel Applet	Description
Accessibility Options	Changes settings for accessibility features for users with physical limitations.
Add/Remove Hardware (2000)	Performs Plug and Play detection, full hardware scan, device configuration, and device removal.
Add Hardware (XP and Vista)	Runs a Plug and Play hardware detection of your computer to detect new hardware devices or allows you to manually select devices to install.
Add or Remove Programs (XP and 2000) Program and Features (Vista)	Allows you to start the installation of programs, displays a list of installed programs that can be removed, ...