Direct From The Source Tuf
The new Easy Connect feature simplifies Remote assistance by enabling a direct p2p transfer of the Remote assistance invitation using pNRp. When the User starts Remote assistance and selects Invite Someone You Trust To Help You and then Use Easy Connect, a Remote assistance invitation is created, encrypted, and published as a payload on a node in the pNRp cloud. This invitation will be retrieved by the Helper from the pNRp cloud and the information is used to establish a Remote assistance...
Protecting Yourself from Phishing Links
Phishing is a type of fraud designed to steal your identity. In phishing scams, scam artists try to get you to disclose valuable personal data such as credit card numbers, passwords, account data, or other information. They usually do this by convincing you to provide the information under false pretenses. Phishing emails claim to be from a trusted party, such as a financial institution or online service, but they aren't. By including links to fraudulent websites, these email messages can trick...
Setting Up a Tasks Trigger or Triggers
Tasks can be triggered in the following ways At task creation or modification On connection to a user session On disconnection from a user session You can establish zero, one, or several triggers for a task. If you don't set any triggers, you can still run the task on demand unless you clear the Allow Task To Be Run On Demand check box on the Settings tab of the Create Task dialog box . This gives you a way to test a new task before committing it to a schedule, for example . If you set multiple...
Using Other Controls to Keep Your Children Safe
Parental Controls in Windows Vista includes two controls that are not in Windows 7 Web filtering lets you specify lists of sites to allow and sites to block. Activity reporting monitors and reports computer activity, including when each child logged on and off, which programs she ran, which websites she visited, whom she has corresponded with via e-mail and instant messaging, and so on . Although those controls are no longer part of Windows, Parental Controls is designed to incorporate...
Adding Custom Migration Files
MDT 2010 will use only the MigApp .xml and MigDocs.xml files unless you indicate the path to your custom .xml files . As with other properties in MDT 2010, you can configure them in each deployment point's CustomSettings .ini file or add them to the MDT 2010 database. Set the property USMTMigFiles to the name of each custom migration .xml file. If you don't configure this property, MDT 2010 uses the default migration files MigApp .xml and MigDocs .xml. If you do configure this option, MDT 2010...
Getting Started with Windows Live Movie Maker
When you are working with Windows Live Photo Gallery, you can select the initial pictures and videos you want to work with, click Make and then click Make a Movie to open Windows Live Movie Maker with these items selected. Otherwise, you can start Windows Live Movie Maker by clicking Starts-All Programs -Windows Lives-Windows Live Movie Maker. As Table 10-4 shows, Windows Live Movie Maker works with a wide variety of image, sound, and video formats. This list is different from the formats...
Planning a Movie Maker Project
Windows Live Movie Maker lets you combine video, audio, and image files to create movies and slide shows you can publish and show on your computer or CD DVD, e-mail to others, or place on a web page or mobile device. You save the movie you create as a file, just as you would save a word processing or spreadsheet file, and you can play and view it at any time. However, movies and their accompanying files are larger than most other documents you create usually exceeding 5 MB. Before you begin,...
Configuring Incoming Connections
Windows 7 also supports incoming connections of both the dial-up and the VPN types In this scenario, Windows 7 is acting as a mini-VPN or RAS server to other client computers on the network Creating an incoming connection on a computer running Windows 7 requires administrator credentials on the computer and is supported only in workgroup environments To create a new incoming connection, follow these steps 1. Open the Network Connections folder 2. Press the Alt key to make the menu bar visible...
Personalizing Theme Elements Visuals and Sounds
The most obvious way to personalize your Windows experience is to customize its visual appearance the desktop background, the window colors, and so on and to select the sounds that Windows uses to let you know what it's up to . Those settings are made in the aptly named Personalization, a Control Panel tool that appears when you right-click the desktop and choose Personalize. You can also open Personalization, which is shown in Figure 4-12, by starting to type personalization in the Start menu...
Setting Printer Scheduling Prioritization and Other Options
The Advanced tab of the Printer properties dialog box provides most of the options you'll want to configure. You can use these options to configure your printer by completing the following steps Figure 12-19. Configuring the printer as necessary 1. Click Starts-Devices and Printers. In Devices and Printers, right-click the printer you want to configure and then select Printer Properties not Properties . 2. In the Properties dialog box, select the Advanced tab, as shown in Figure 12-19. 3. Use...
If you want to see both files click Copy but keep both files instead
The Your Files Have Been Restored dialog box appears. How do I restore a file from an older backup Windows Backup keeps track of your previous backups, and although you will most often want to restore a file from the most recent backup, you can use the following steps to restore files from any stored backup 1 Follow Steps 1 to 5 to display the Browse or Search Your Backup for Files and Folders to Restore dialog box.
If you want to see both files click Copy but keep both files
There is already a file with the same name in this location. Replace the file in the destination folder with the file you are copying Bluegress.jpg Backup Device BD-ROM Drive amp Size 28,4 KB Mo files will be changed. Leave this fife in the destination fold en Bluegrassjpg BIuegra55 C UsersVPaul Pictu resVFI owers Size 28.4 KB Thefileyou are copying will be renamed Bluegrass 2 ,jpg The Your Files Have Been Restored dialog box appears. How do I restore a file from an older backup Windows Backup...
Identifying the Elements of a Reg File
As you review the examples shown in the two figures, note the following characteristics of .reg files Header line The file begins with the line Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00. When you merge a .reg file into the registry, Registry Editor uses this line to verify that the file contains registry data. Version 5 the version shipped with Windows 7 generates Unicode text files, which can be used in Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Vista, as well as Windows 7 . If you want to share...
Multihoming
Multihoming refers to a computer or a device that has connectivity to one or more networks via two or more methods, either wired or wireless. Multihoming is becoming more common, especially with the wide use of wireless devices, such as Pocket PCs and wireless connectivity on laptops. Multihoming automatically selects the route with best performance for a particular data transfer. Each route has a corresponding interface, therefore the selection of the best route also implies an interface...
Incoming VPN and DialUp Access
Windows 7 has a stripped-down Remote Access Server RAS built in, and you can use it to connect to your computer by modem, or through the Internet, from another location using any computer running Windows 7, Vista, XP, or 2000. After you're connected, you can access your computer's shared files and printers just as you can on your home or office network. This incoming dial-up and VPN feature is available even on the SSTP Adapter, or L2TP Adapter. Note the gateway IP address listed. This address...
Setting Folder Options
Folder Options should be seen as more of a superset of controls over all folders on a system, whereas folder customization occurs on an individual or parent and subfolder basis. Folder Options is a Control Panel applet you can access from Computer and Windows Explorer. This applet is used to set a wide range of file system features. Open the Folder Options dialog box by clicking the Organize button and then clicking Folder and Search Options. The Folder Options dialog box appears as shown in...
Using the Windows Backup Program
The Windows Backup program Sdclt. exe is installed by default in all editions of Windows 7 . Its feature set is dramatically improved over its predecessor in Windows Vista, which was roundly and deservedly criticized for its inflexibility and for Microsoft's decision to remove important features from the program in home editions. And it's light-years beyond the NT Backup program included with Windows XP, which was designed before the turn of the millennium . Before you can create a backup, you...
Working With Gadgets
Windows 7 lets you add small utilities, called gadgets, to your desktop. Microsoft offers many different gadgets, each of which typically performs a single purpose. For example, the Weather gadget displays weather updates for your location the Clock gadget displays the current time. To add a gadget to your desktop, right-click the desktop and then click Gadgets. When the Gadgets window appears, double-click the gadget you wish to add or click Get More Gadgets Online for a larger selection. To...
You can also click the Create a new category link
afeuersSmorqen stemqeiundkoft.de 0342-023176 Alrjaridri Ciirriirin flcarrDno Fomero.ei TUIJ M r i 111 n2 rt 1 ffli J ifli -11 n J i r i j Romero y tomillo Gun Vi , 1 Madlid Taren oii 4 gt win The Create a New Category dialog box appears. 3 Type a name for the category. 4 Click a contact that you want to include in the category. Windows Live Contacts adds the contact to the category. Select contacts you want to add to the category Alejandra Camino Alriaiidrr Friin Ana Trujilta Anabela Uomingucs...
How KMS Works
KMS activation requires Transmission Control Protocol Internet Protocol TCP IP connectivity. By default, KMS hosts and clients use DNS to publish and find the KMS . The default settings can be used, which require little to no administrative action, or KMS hosts and clients can be configured manually based on network configuration and security requirements . KMS activations are valid for 180 days . This is called the activation validity interval. To remain activated, KMS clients must renew their...
Protecting Against DriveBy Downloads of IE AddOns
A recurring cause of instability in Windows machines is attributable to what's sometimes called drive-by downloads from the Web. How many times have you visited a website only to see a popup dialog box saying you need to install software for the website to work on your browser Sometimes it's clearly stated why this is necessary for playing a video, a proprietary sound file, or Flash animation, for example , and other times, the reason is not so clear. All you know is that you are faced with the...
Learning About CommandLine Programs
How do you know what programs are available and how to use them For that, you have to turn to documentation about the command-line environment. For some reason, Microsoft no longer provides this in the Help and Support system, but you can search online, and some programs can be told to display their own usage information. To show you what's available, we have posted a list of all the programs included with Windows 7 at www.helpwin7.com. And you might want to check out Brian's book Windows 7 and...
Protecting Against Bad Downloaded Programs
IE helps protect your computer from potentially malicious software. When you use IE to download a file, a message might appear in the information bar just below the Address box saying this To help protect your security, Internet Explorer blocked this site from downloading files to your computer. Click here for options. Clicking the information bar opens a drop-down list of options see Figure 14.10 . IE offers to block downloads from pages until you specify otherwise. IE offers to block...
Scanning for VirusesWithout an Antivirus Program
On the second Tuesday of each month, as part of its normal security releases, Microsoft releases an updated version of a utility called the Malicious Software Removal Tool MSRT . This utility is not designed to block new viruses from entering a computer rather, its function is to clean up systems that have been infected with well-known and widespread viruses and other forms of malware. The MSRT is delivered by Windows Update, and on most computers, this tool runs silently and then deletes...
Accessing Games for Windows LIVE from within Compatible Games
You're really only participating in the best of what Games for Windows - LIVE offers when you're playing a compatible game, which still amounts to a pretty small selection of titles. Most game developers today are forgoing the Games for Windows - LIVE program and simply doing their own thing. Or, they're signing up for the less inclusive Games for Windows logo program instead. These games supply some of the benefits of Games for Windows -LIVE but none of the online capabilities. That's not to...
Join a Workgroup Network Using a Wizard
Click the Start button, and then click Computer. Click the System properties button on the toolbar, and then click Change settings. Click Network ID, and then click Next to continue. Click the This is a home computer it's not part of a business network option, and then click Next to continue. Click Finish, and then restart your computer.
Jump Lists
When you right-click an application icon in the taskbar, Windows 7 will display a list of menus known as Jump Lists. Jump Lists contain several default options as well as a list of tasks and destinations that you can perform within the selected application. For example, Figure 2-5 shows the Jump List of the Control Panel application. It contains a section called Recent that displays a list of recently used applications in the Control Panel. Figure 2-5. The taskbar showing the list of recent...
Configuring Power Management
Most network connections support Wake On LAN the ability to wake a sleeping computer by sending a message over the network. This feature lets you take advantage of power-saving features, yet still have access to your computer, perhaps to perform a scheduled backup during the night or to play media files from a shared folder. To check on the power management settings for a network connection 1. In Network Connections select the connection and click Change Settings Of This Connection ....
Creating and Editing Your Live Storyboard
In Windows Live Movie Maker, each video you are producing is created as a video project with a live storyboard. The live storyboard provides a representation of each media item you've added to the video in the order the items are played. In this way, the live storyboard not only serves as an outline for the presentation, but it also lets you visualize the project in a way you otherwise would not be able to. At a glance, you can see the work from start to finish, and this is extremely important...
Understanding Device Installation
Deploying, managing, and troubleshooting devices and device drivers in Windows 7 requires knowledge of how device installation works, including the following concepts Driver staging vs. installation Tools for managing driver packages NOTE The 64-bit versions of Windows Vista or later versions do not support 32-bit device drivers or 16-bit applications. For more information, see Knowledge Base article 946765, A Description of the Differences Between 32-Bit Versions of Windows Vista and 64-Bit...
Advanced Tools for Managing Windows Firewall
If you have any experience at all with configuring firewalls, you'll quickly realize that the Windows Firewall application in Control Panel covers only the most basic tasks. Don't take that as an indication that Windows Firewall is underpowered. To the contrary, you can configure all manner of firewall rules, allowing or blocking traffic based on program, port, protocol, IP address, and so on. In addition, you can enable, disable, and monitor rules, configure logging, and much more. With...
Detecting and Repairing Disk Errors
NTFS was introduced and billed as a robust and self-healing file system, as opposed to FAT, which is not. All in all, we have to agree with Microsoft on this one. We have yet to see an NTFS partition go sour in any way, shape, or form. We've had NTFS partitions that would not boot and key system files that would not run, but for the most part, these errors were self-inflicted and usually brought on by playing with fire. The disk repair program in Windows 7's GUI is called Error Checking. These...
Optimizing Aero Glass
When you are using Windows Aero, you can configure the glass color, transparency, and intensity by completing the following steps 1. Right-click an open area of the desktop and then select Personalize. On the Personalization page in the Control Panel, click Window Color. 2. As shown in Figure 3-10, select one of the base colors available. Do this to save time even if you want to use the color mixer. 3. To enable transparency, select the Enable transparency checkbox. To disable transparency,...
Customize the Navigation Pane
Move a link. Drag an item in the Navigation pane to a higher or lower position in Favorites. Add a link. Drag an item from its original location to a position in the Navigation pane in Favorites. Rename a link. Right-click the link in Favorites, and then click Rename. Type a new name, and then press Enter. The original folder or search is not renamed, only the Navigation link. Remove a link. Right-click the link in Favorites, and then click Remove. The original folder or search is not removed,...
Creating and Configuring a Deployment Share
Before you can use MDT 2010 to deploy Windows 7, you must create a deployment share . A deployment share is a repository for the operating system images, language packs, applications, device drivers, and other software that will be deployed to your target computers . Deployment shares are new in MDT 2010 and consolidate two separate features found in MDT 2008 Distribution share Contains operating system source files, application source files, packages, and out-of-box drivers . Deployment point...
Configure Passwords and File Sharing
Windows 7 supports password-protected and passwordless file sharing. Before I explain this, I need to give you some background. In the original Windows NT workgroup network security model, when you attempted to use a network resource shared by another computer, Windows would see if your username and password matched an account on that remote computer. One of four things would happen If the username and password exactly matched an account defined on the remote computer, you got that user's...
BitLocker To Go
BitLocker To Go enables users to encrypt removable drives using a password or a smart card When a BitLocker To Go-protected drive is connected, Windows 7 prompts the user to enter the password. When the correct password is entered, the contents of the drive are available from Windows Explorer, and accessing the drive is completely transparent to the user. When a BitLocker To Go-protected drive is connected to an earlier version of Windows, the user can run the BitLocker To Go Reader...
Using Problem Steps Recorder to Get Help
Sometimes Windows Error Reporting doesn't find a solution for a problem you're having and the troubleshooter is unable to solve it. Although Windows provides many other tools as explained in the rest of this chapter you might decide instead to use your phone a friend lifeline. Windows 7 includes a new tool that lets you capture the steps that lead to a problem so that a support technician can review your actions and suggest a solution. The tool is called Problem Steps Recorder, and you can...
Removing an Update
If you find that a particular update creates a problem, you can try removing it Not all updates can be removed, however In particular, security-related updates usually cannot be removed In addition, updates upon which other updates or other Windows features are dependent cannot be removed To find out if an update can be removed and to go ahead and do the deed, if you choose in Windows Update, click Installed Updates in the left pane . Doing so takes you to a page within the Programs section of...
Direct From The Source Ogp
Understanding Kernel Stack Overflows Microsoft Global Escalation Services Team Kernel stack overflows are a common error in many cases reported to us by customers. These are caused by drivers taking up too much space on the kernel stack. This results in a kernel stack overflow, which will then crash the system with one of the following bugchecks STOp 0x7F UNEXpECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAp with parameter 1 set to EXCEpTION_DOUBLE_FAULT, which is caused by running off the end of a kernel stack. STOp...
Network Troubleshooting Tools
When the troubleshooters don't solve the problem, it might be time to dig deeper into the Windows toolbox. Windows 7 contains an assortment of utilities you can use to diagnose, monitor, and repair network connections . Table 19-1 lists some of the more useful networking-related command-line utilities and summarizes how you can use them .To learn more about each utility, including its proper syntax, in a Command Prompt window type the executable name followed by . Table 19-1 Windows Network...
Burning data disc masters
You can burn a mastered disc by completing the following steps 1. In Windows Live Photo Gallery, select one or more of the pictures and videos you want to burn to disc. 2. Click Make and then click Burn a Data CD. Windows Live Photo Gallery will then open the tray on your default CD DVD burner. 3. Insert a blank disc into your CD DVD burner and then close the tray. You can insert a CD or DVD. 4. In the Burn a Disc Wizard, type a disc title, select With a CD DVD Player, as shown in Figure 9-27....
Searching from the Start Menu
The search box on the Start menu has a dual personality. Its primary role is to help you find shortcuts to applications on the Programs menu and tasks in Control Panel. When you type a search term that matches any item in either of those locations, the results appear almost instantaneously. But this box also offers complete access to everything else in the search index websites in your history folder saved Favorites messages in your e-mail store appointments and contacts from Microsoft Outlook...
Sending Faxes from Windows Fax and Scan
To send a fax with Windows Fax and Scan, click the New Fax button to open the New Fax dialog box, shown in Figure 11.4. You can send a fax by printing to the Fax printer, but you can also create one from scratch by clicking New Fax. You can send a fax by printing to the Fax printer, but you can also create one from scratch by clicking New Fax. If your fax modem doesn't work, check the following Test the fax modem To make sure your modem is working properly, open Control Panel. In the search...
Migration Files
Both ScanState and LoadState use three migration xml files to control migrations In addition to these three files, you can specify one or more custom xml files to migrate custom applications or customize the standard migrations. The following section, Developing Migration Files, describes the .xml files that come with USMT and how to build custom migration files. USMT ships with three standard migration xml files You can customize these files to control the behavior of USMT during migration In...
Figure The Menus button provides a minimenu of its own
The Layout option enables you to determine which UI pieces are visible in the Windows Live Mail application, and, in some cases, where they are located. The Layout dialog, shown in Figure 21-8, expands and contracts as you select individual options. Figure 21-8 Various elements of the Windows Live Mail UI are highly configurable. Figure 21-8 Various elements of the Windows Live Mail UI are highly configurable. Options, of course, opens the Windows Live Mail Options dialog, previously discussed....
Improving Remote Assistance Performance
You might shudder at the thought of accessing another desktop over a dial-up connection Surprisingly, the performance can be quite usable You wouldn't want to use this sort of connection for everyday work, but for troubleshooting, it's good enough You can maximize Remote Assistance performance over a slow link by observing these guidelines If possible, use Windows Vista or Windows 7 for both the novice and expert . Its version of Remote Assistance incorporates a number of performance...
Task Scheduler
Task Scheduler can be run from the Administrative Tools window in Control Panel, the System Tools node in Computer Management, or from the Start menu All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Task Scheduler . Using Task Scheduler, you can set up any program or script or even open a document to be run automatically at predetermined times. This utility is very useful for running system maintenance programs or your own scripts and programs when you can't be around to execute them manually. To learn...
Group Policy in Windows Vista and Windows Server
To address the limitations described previously, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 introduced the following new features and enhancements for Group Policy ADMX templates Windows Vista uses Extensible Markup Language XML -based Administrative Template ADMX files that use standard XML syntax instead of the proprietary syntax used in ADM template files in previous versions of Windows . Language-specific resources are stored in separate Architecture Description Markup Language ADML files so...
Resource
Copyright 2010 by Mitch Tulloch, Tony Northrup, and Jerry Honeycutt All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Library of Congress Control Number 2009935674 Printed and bound in the United States of America.