Table of Contents

chapter

1

chapter

2

Make Windows Vista Faster and More Efficient

Create Shortcuts for Your Favorite Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Adjust Visual Effects for Best Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Ensure Windows Vista Is Optimized for Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Update a Device Driver to Ensure Top Device Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Set Up Windows Vista the Way You Want

Pin an Item to Your Start Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Remove an Item from Your Start Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Add the Run Command to the Start Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Display a Clock for Another Time Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Automatically Move the Mouse to the Default Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Hide the Taskbar to Get More Screen Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Run a Program in Compatibility Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Configure AutoPlay Default Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Categorize Your Images with Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Create Custom Names for Imported Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Synchronize a Media Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Create an Automatic Playlist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Adjust Rip Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Customize the Media Player View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Share Your Media Library with Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

Display the Windows Media Player Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Get the Most Out of Your Files and Folders

Open Your Files and Folders with a Single Click . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

Organize Files by Grouping and Stacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Move Your Documents Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86

Restore a Previous Version of a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88

Enhance Internet Security and Privacy

Protect Children by Activating Parental Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92

Avoid Objectionable Material by Filtering Web Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94

Prevent Windows Mail from Sending a Read Receipt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108

Configure Windows Mail to Thwart E-Mail Viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110

Unleash the Power of Internet Explorer

Automatically Switch to New Tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

View Open Pages as Quick Tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116

Open Multiple Pages When You Start Internet Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118

Subscribe to a Web Feed to See New Site Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120

Set the Web Feed Refresh Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

Improve Searching by Adding More Search Engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124

Customize the Links Bar for Easier Surfing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126

Make E-Mail Easier

Leave Your Messages on the Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134

Change Your Message Priority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135

E-Mail Multiple People Using a Contact Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136

Protect Your Contacts by Creating a Backup Copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138

E-Mail an Electronic Business Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140

Change the Location of Your Message Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142

Activate the Spell Checker to Eliminate Message Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144

Create a Rule Quickly from a Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146

Synchronize a Newsgroup to Read Posts Offline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148

Hide Recently Used Documents to Enhance Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162

Prevent Malicious Code from Running . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164

Switch to Advanced Sharing to Improve Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166

Safeguard Your Computer with a System Image Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168

Get More Out of Your Notebook and Tablet PC

Set a Battery Alarm to Avoid Running Out of Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172

Improve Handwriting Recognition by Enabling Automatic Learning . . . . . . . . . .186

View the Current Status of Your Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190

Run the Network Diagnostics Tool to Repair Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192

Personalize Your Network Name and Icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194

Display a Network Folder as a Disk Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .196

Share a Folder with Other Users on the Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .198

Protect Your Shared Files with Advanced File Permissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200

Work with Network Files Offline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202

Manually Connect to a Hidden Wireless Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204