From the Publisher

With this official MCSE Training Kit, IT professionals learn how to install, administer, and troubleshoot Microsoft Windows XP Professional—the next edition of the Windows 2000 Professional operating system. As they build these essential system-support skills, they're also getting in-depth preparation for one of the new core exams on the Windows MCSE certification track. Topics map directly to the objectives measured by the exam; students learn through an integrated system of lessons, hands-on exercises, and self-assessment. An economical alternative to classroom instruction, this kit enables working professionals to set their own pace and learn by doing!

Official Microsoft study guide for setting up and supporting Windows XP Professional

Provides self-paced, from-the-source information and practice with the skills measured by the core MCSE exam
Key Book Benefits:
* Offers detailed, from-the-source instruction for setting up and supporting Windows XP Professional

* Provides in-depth preparation for MCP Exam 70-270, a core requirement on the Windows MCSE track

* Features complete study guide—plus the Microsoft Encyclopedia of Networking eBook—on CD-ROM

Product Details

• Table of Contents
• Read an Excerpt
• Read a Sample Chapter

Table of Contents

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 10: Configuring Windows XP Professional

About This Chapter

• Microsoft Management Console (MMC)
• Control Panel
• Registry Editor

Before You Begin

• A computer that meets the minimum hardware requirements listed in the preface, "About This Book"
• Installed the Windows XP Professional software on the computer

Lesson 1: Configuring and Troubleshooting the Display

• Use Control Panel to configure, manage, and troubleshoot the display
• Use Control Panel to manage which icons appear on the desktop

Estimated lesson time:  30 minutes

Configuring Display and Desktop Properties

Click to view graphic

Figure 10.1  Screen Saver tab of the Display Properties dialog box

Table 10.1  Display Properties Dialog Box Tabs

Tab	Description
Themes	Allows you to chose a theme. A theme is a background, plus a set of sounds, icons, and other elements to help you personalize your computer.
Desktop	Allows you to choose a background and color for your desktop. The Customize Desktop button allows you to add or remove some Windows program icons and determine what icons represent those programs. You can also include Web content on your Desktop (see Figure 10.2).
Screen Saver	Allows you to choose a screen saver. A screen saver is a moving picture or pattern that appears on your screen after the keyboard or mouse has not been used for a specific period of time that you configure. The default is 15 minutes. Screen savers prevent damage to monitors by preventing an image from becoming burned into the monitor. You can use your own picture as a screen saver by uploading it from a digital camera or scanner, copying it from the Internet, or copying it from an e-mail attachment. You can also click Power to adjust monitor power settings and save energy. See Lesson 2, "Configuring Power Management."
Appearance	Allows you to configure the windows and buttons style, the color scheme, and font size. Click Effects to configure the following options: Use The Following Transition Effect For Menus And Tooltips Use The Following Method To Smooth Edges For Screen Fonts Use Large Icons Show Shadows Under Menus Show Windows Contents While Dragging Hide Underlined Letters For Keyboard Navigation Until I Press The Alt Key If you select Windows Classic as your theme, you can click Advanced to customize the look of windows, menus, fonts, and icons.
Settings	Allows you to configure display options including the number of colors, video resolution, font size, and refresh frequency, as shown in Figure 10.3 and explained in Table 10.2.

Click to view graphic

Figure 10.2  Desktop Items dialog box

To access the Desktop Items dialog box, on the Desktop tab, click Customize Desktop. The Desktop Items dialog box allows you to choose to include or exclude an icon for My Documents, My Computer, My Network Places, and the Recycle Bin on your Desktop, as well as to customize the icons used to represent these items. You can also configure the frequency with which the Desktop Cleanup Wizard is run from this dialog box. The default setting for running the Desktop Cleanup Wizard is every 60 days. Click Clean Desktop Now to run the Desktop Cleanup Wizard immediately. The Desktop Cleanup Wizard removes icons from the desktop that have not been used in the last 60 days, but it does not remove any programs from your computer.

To include Web content on your Desktop, in the Desktop Items dialog box, click the Web tab. Any Web page listed in the Web Pages text box can be included on your Desktop by selecting it. Click New to add a Web page and click Delete to remove a Web page from the list. Click Properties to view the Properties dialog box for the Web page. The Properties dialog box allows you to make the Web page available offline, synchronize immediately or schedule the synchronization of this offline Web page with the content on the Internet, and specify whether you want Internet Explorer to download more than just the top-level page of this Web site.

Click to view graphic

Figure 10.3  Settings tab of the Display Properties dialog box

Table 10.2 describes the options available in the Settings tab for configuring the display settings.

Table 10.2  Settings Tab Options for Configuring the Display

Option	Description
Color Quality	Displays the current color settings for the monitor attached to the video adapter listed under Display. This option allows you to change the color quality for the display adapter.
Screen Resolution	Displays the current screen resolution settings for the monitor attached to the video adapter listed under Display. This option allows you to set the resolution for the display adapter. As you increase the number of pixels, you display more information on the screen, but you decrease the size of the information.
Troubleshoot	Opens the Video Display Troubleshooter to aid you in diagnosing display problems.
Advanced	Opens the Properties dialog box for the display adapter, as described next.

To open the Properties dialog box for the display adapter, click Advanced. Table 10.3 describes the display adapter options.

Table 10.3  Display Adapter Advanced Options

Tab	Option	Description
General	Display	Provides small, large, or other display font option. The other option lets you choose any custom font size you want.
	Compatibility	Determines the action that the Windows XP operating systems shouldtake when you make changes to display settings. After you change the color settings, you must choose one of the following options: Restart The Computer Before Applying The New Display Settings Apply The New Display Settings Without Restarting Ask Me Before Applying The New Display Settings
Adapter	Adapter Type	Provides the manufacturer and model number of the installed adapter. Clicking Properties displays the Properties dialog box for your adapter.The General tab of the Properties dialog box provides additional information, including device status, resource settings,and any conflicting devices. The Driver tab of the Properties dialog box provides details about the driver and allows you to update the driver, roll back to the previously installed driver, and uninstall the driver. The Resources tab of the Properties dialog box indicates resources, such as areas of memory being used by the adapter.
	Adapter Information	Provides additional information about the display adapter, such as video chip type, digital-to-analog converter (DAC) type, memory size, and basic input/output system (BIOS).
	List All Modes	Displays all compatible modes for your display adapter and lets you select resolution, color depth, and refresh frequency in one step.
Monitor	Monitor Type	Provides the manufacturer and model number of the monitor currently installed. The Properties button provides additional information and gives access to the Video Display Trouble-shooter to help resolve problems with this device.
	Monitor Settings	Configures the refresh rate frequency. This option applies only to high-resolution drivers. Do not select a refresh rate and screen resolution combination that is unsupported by the monitor. If you are unsure, refer to your monitor documentation or selectthe lowest refresh rate option.
Troubleshoot	Hardware Acceleration	Lets you progressively decrease your display hardware’s acceleration features to help you isolate and eliminate display problems. Lets you select whether to use write combining, which improves video performance by speeding up the display of information to your screen. Increased speed can lead to screen corruption, however. If you experience trouble with your display, try clearing the Enable Write Combining check box.
Color Management		Chooses the color profile for your monitor.

Using Multiple Displays

Click to view graphic

Figure 10.4  Multiple displays

If one of the display adapters is built into the motherboard, note these additional considerations:

• The motherboard adapter always becomes the secondary adapter. It must be multiple-display compatible.
• You must set up Windows XP Professional before installing another adapter. Windows XP Professional Setup disables the motherboard adapter if it detects another adapter. Some systems completely disable the onboard adapter on detecting an add-in adapter. If you are unable to override this detection in the BIOS, you cannot use the motherboard adapter with multiple displays.

Typically, the system BIOS selects the primary display based on PCI slot order. However, on some computers, the BIOS allows the user to select the primary display device.

You cannot stop the primary display. This is an important consideration for laptop computers with docking stations. For example, some docking stations contain a display adapter; these often disable, or turn off, a laptop’s built-in display. Multiple display support does not function on these configurations unless you attach multiple adapters to the docking station.

Configuring Multiple Displays

To install multiple monitors, complete the following steps:

1. Turn off your computer and insert one or more additional PCI or AGP video adapters into available slots on your computer.
2. Plug an additional monitor into each PCI or AGP video adapter that you installed.
3. Turn on your computer and allow Windows XP Professional to detect the new adapters and install the appropriate device drivers.
4. In Control Panel, click Appearance And Themes, and then click Display.
5. In the Settings tab, click the monitor icon that represents the monitor you want to use in addition to your primary monitor.
6. Select the Extend My Windows Desktop Onto This Monitor check box and then click OK.

To configure your display in a multiple-display environment, complete the following steps:

1. In Control Panel, click Appearance And Themes, and then click Display.
2. In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Settings tab.
3. Click the monitor icon for the primary display device.
4. Select the display adapter for the primary display, and then select the color depth and resolution.
5. Click the monitor icon for the secondary display device.
6. Select the display adapter for the secondary display, and then select the Extend My Windows Desktop Onto This Monitor check box.
7. Select the color depth and resolution for the secondary display.
8. Repeat steps 5 through 7 for each additional display.

Windows XP Professional uses the virtual desktop concept to determine the relationship of each display. The virtual desktop uses coordinates to track the position of each individual display desktop.

The coordinates of the top-left corner of the primary display always remain 0, 0. Windows XP Professional sets secondary display coordinates so that all the displays adjoin each other on the virtual desktop. This allows the system to maintain the illusion of a single, large desktop where users can cross from one monitor to another without losing track of the mouse.

To change the display positions on the virtual desktop, in the Settings tab click Identify and drag the display representations to the desired position. The positions of the icons dictate the coordinates and the relative positions of the displays to one another.

Troubleshooting Multiple Displays

Table 10.4  Troubleshooting Tips for Multiple Displays

Problem	Solution
You cannot see any output on the secondary displays.	Activate the device in the Display Properties dialog box. Confirm that you chose the correct video driver. Restart the computer to confirm that the secondary display initialized. If not, check the status of the video adapter inDevice Manager. Switch the order of the adapters in the slots. (The primary adapter must qualify as a secondary adapter.)
The Extend My Windows Desktop Onto This Monitor check box is unavailable.	Select the secondary display rather than the primary one in the Display Properties dialog box. Confirm that the secondary display adapter is supported. Confirm that Windows XP Professional can detect the secondary display.
An application fails to display on the secondary display.	Run the application on the primary display. Run the application in full-screen mode (Microsoft MS-DOS) or maximized (Microsoft Windows). Disable the secondary display to determine whether the problem is specific to multiple-display support.

Lesson Review

1. You can enable ________________________________ to restrict access to Display options.
2. Which of the following items does the Desktop Items dialog box allow you to choose to include or exclude an icon on your desktop? (Choose all answers that are correct.)

1. My Documents
2. Control Panel
3. My Network Places
4. Recycle Bin

3. Windows XP Professional supports extension of your display across a maximum of ______________ monitors.
4. You must use __________________________ or ______________________ video adapters when configuring multiple displays.
5. If one of the display adapters is built into the motherboard, the motherboard adapter always becomes the _____________ (primary/secondary) adapter.

Lesson Summary

• The Desktop Items dialog box allows you to choose to include or exclude an icon for My Documents, My Computer, My Network Places, and the Recycle Bin on your desktop.
• By default, the Desktop Cleanup Wizard runs every 60 days and removes any icons from the desktop that have not been used in the last 60 days.
• You must use Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) or Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) video adapters when configuring multiple displays.
• Windows XP Professional supports the extension of your display across a maximum of 10 monitors....

Read a Sample Chapter

Chapter 10.
Configuring Windows XP Professional

• About This Chapter
• Before You Begin
• Lesson 1: Configuring and Troubleshooting the Display
• Configuring Display and Desktop Properties
• Using Multiple Displays
• Configuring Multiple Displays
• Troubleshooting Multiple Displays
• Lesson Review
• Lesson Summary
• Lesson 2: Configuring Power Management
• Configuring Power Options
• Selecting a Power Scheme
• Configuring Advanced Power Options
• Enabling Hibernate Mode
• Configuring Advanced Power Management
• Configuring an Uninterruptible Power Supply
• Practice: Configuring Power Options
• Lesson Review
• Lesson Summary
• Lesson 3: Configuring Operating System Settings
• Configuring Performance Options
• Configuring User Profiles
• Configuring Startup and Recovery Settings
• Configuring Environment Variables
• Configuring Error Reporting
• Configuring System Restore
• Configuring Automatic Updates
• Configuring Remote Access to Your Computer
• Joining a Domain or Workgroup
• Practice: Using Control Panel to Change Operating System Settings
• Lesson Review
• Lesson Summary
• Lesson 4: Configuring and Troubleshooting the Desktop Environment
• Configuring Multiple Languages and Multiple Locations
• Practice: Using Control Panel to Configure Multiple Languages
• Configuring and Troubleshooting Accessibility Options
• Configuring Sound Options
• Configuring Display Options
• Configuring Mouse Options
• Configuring General Tab Options
• Lesson Review
• Lesson Summary
• Lesson 5: Managing Windows Components
• Installing and Removing Windows Components
• Managing Internet Information Services
• Lesson Review
• Lesson Summary

Chapter 10  Configuring Windows XP Professional

About This Chapter

• Microsoft Management Console (MMC)
• Control Panel
• Registry Editor

Before You Begin

• A computer that meets the minimum hardware requirements listed in the preface, "About This Book"
• Installed the Windows XP Professional software on the computer

Lesson 1: Configuring and Troubleshooting the Display

• Use Control Panel to configure, manage, and troubleshoot the display
• Use Control Panel to manage which icons appear on the desktop

Estimated lesson time:  30 minutes

Configuring Display and Desktop Properties

Figure 10.1  Screen Saver tab of the Display Properties dialog box (Image unavailable)

Table 10.1  Display Properties Dialog Box Tabs

Tab	Description
Themes	Allows you to chose a theme. A theme is a background, plus a set of sounds, icons, and other elements to help you personalize your computer.
Desktop	Allows you to choose a background and color for your desktop. The Customize Desktop button allows you to add or remove some Windows program icons and determine what icons represent those programs. You can also include Web content on your Desktop (see Figure 10.2).
Screen Saver	Allows you to choose a screen saver. A screen saver is a moving picture or pattern that appears on your screen after the keyboard or mouse has not been used for a specific period of time that you configure. The default is 15 minutes. Screen savers prevent damage to monitors by preventing an image from becoming burned into the monitor. You can use your own picture as a screen saver by uploading it from a digital camera or scanner, copying it from the Internet, or copying it from an e-mail attachment. You can also click Power to adjust monitor power settings and save energy. See Lesson 2, "Configuring Power Management."
Appearance	Allows you to configure the windows and buttons style, the color scheme, and font size. Click Effects to configure the following options: Use The Following Transition Effect For Menus And Tooltips Use The Following Method To Smooth Edges For Screen Fonts Use Large Icons Show Shadows Under Menus Show Windows Contents While Dragging Hide Underlined Letters For Keyboard Navigation Until I Press The Alt Key If you select Windows Classic as your theme, you can click Advanced to customize the look of windows, menus, fonts, and icons.
Settings	Allows you to configure display options including the number of colors, video resolution, font size, and refresh frequency, as shown in Figure 10.3 and explained in Table 10.2.

Figure 10.2  Desktop Items dialog box (Image unavailable)

To access the Desktop Items dialog box, on the Desktop tab, click Customize Desktop. The Desktop Items dialog box allows you to choose to include or exclude an icon for My Documents, My Computer, My Network Places, and the Recycle Bin on your Desktop, as well as to customize the icons used to represent these items. You can also configure the frequency with which the Desktop Cleanup Wizard is run from this dialog box. The default setting for running the Desktop Cleanup Wizard is every 60 days. Click Clean Desktop Now to run the Desktop Cleanup Wizard immediately. The Desktop Cleanup Wizard removes icons from the desktop that have not been used in the last 60 days, but it does not remove any programs from your computer.

To include Web content on your Desktop, in the Desktop Items dialog box, click the Web tab. Any Web page listed in the Web Pages text box can be included on your Desktop by selecting it. Click New to add a Web page and click Delete to remove a Web page from the list. Click Properties to view the Properties dialog box for the Web page. The Properties dialog box allows you to make the Web page available offline, synchronize immediately or schedule the synchronization of this offline Web page with the content on the Internet, and specify whether you want Internet Explorer to download more than just the top-level page of this Web site.

Figure 10.3  Settings tab of the Display Properties dialog box (Image unavailable)

Table 10.2 describes the options available in the Settings tab for configuring the display settings.

Table 10.2  Settings Tab Options for Configuring the Display

Option	Description
Color Quality	Displays the current color settings for the monitor attached to the video adapter listed under Display. This option allows you to change the color quality for the display adapter.
Screen Resolution	Displays the current screen resolution settings for the monitor attached to the video adapter listed under Display. This option allows you to set the resolution for the display adapter. As you increase the number of pixels, you display more information on the screen, but you decrease the size of the information.
Troubleshoot	Opens the Video Display Troubleshooter to aid you in diagnosing display problems.
Advanced	Opens the Properties dialog box for the display adapter, as described next.

To open the Properties dialog box for the display adapter, click Advanced. Table 10.3 describes the display adapter options.

Table 10.3  Display Adapter Advanced Options

Tab	Option	Description
General	Display	Provides small, large, or other display font option. The other option lets you choose any custom font size you want.
	Compatibility	Determines the action that the Windows XP operating systems shouldtake when you make changes to display settings. After you change the color settings, you must choose one of the following options: Restart The Computer Before Applying The New Display Settings Apply The New Display Settings Without Restarting Ask Me Before Applying The New Display Settings
Adapter	Adapter Type	Provides the manufacturer and model number of the installed adapter. Clicking Properties displays the Properties dialog box for your adapter.The General tab of the Properties dialog box provides additional information, including device status, resource settings,and any conflicting devices. The Driver tab of the Properties dialog box provides details about the driver and allows you to update the driver, roll back to the previously installed driver, and uninstall the driver. The Resources tab of the Properties dialog box indicates resources, such as areas of memory being used by the adapter.
	Adapter Information	Provides additional information about the display adapter, such as video chip type, digital-to-analog converter (DAC) type, memory size, and basic input/output system (BIOS).
	List All Modes	Displays all compatible modes for your display adapter and lets you select resolution, color depth, and refresh frequency in one step.
Monitor	Monitor Type	Provides the manufacturer and model number of the monitor currently installed. The Properties button provides additional information and gives access to the Video Display Trouble-shooter to help resolve problems with this device.
	Monitor Settings	Configures the refresh rate frequency. This option applies only to high-resolution drivers. Do not select a refresh rate and screen resolution combination that is unsupported by the monitor. If you are unsure, refer to your monitor documentation or selectthe lowest refresh rate option.
Troubleshoot	Hardware Acceleration	Lets you progressively decrease your display hardware's acceleration features to help you isolate and eliminate display problems. Lets you select whether to use write combining, which improves video performance by speeding up the display of information to your screen. Increased speed can lead to screen corruption, however. If you experience trouble with your display, try clearing the Enable Write Combining check box.
Color Management		Chooses the color profile for your monitor.

Using Multiple Displays

Figure 10.4  Multiple displays (Image unavailable)

If one of the display adapters is built into the motherboard, note these additional considerations:

• The motherboard adapter always becomes the secondary adapter. It must be multiple-display compatible.
• You must set up Windows XP Professional before installing another adapter. Windows XP Professional Setup disables the motherboard adapter if it detects another adapter. Some systems completely disable the onboard adapter on detecting an add-in adapter. If you are unable to override this detection in the BIOS, you cannot use the motherboard adapter with multiple displays.

Typically, the system BIOS selects the primary display based on PCI slot order. However, on some computers, the BIOS allows the user to select the primary display device.

You cannot stop the primary display. This is an important consideration for laptop computers with docking stations. For example, some docking stations contain a display adapter; these often disable, or turn off, a laptop's built-in display. Multiple display support does not function on these configurations unless you attach multiple adapters to the docking station.

Configuring Multiple Displays

To install multiple monitors, complete the following steps:

1. Turn off your computer and insert one or more additional PCI or AGP video adapters into available slots on your computer.
2. Plug an additional monitor into each PCI or AGP video adapter that you installed.
3. Turn on your computer and allow Windows XP Professional to detect the new adapters and install the appropriate device drivers.
4. In Control Panel, click Appearance And Themes, and then click Display.
5. In the Settings tab, click the monitor icon that represents the monitor you want to use in addition to your primary monitor.
6. Select the Extend My Windows Desktop Onto This Monitor check box and then click OK.

To configure your display in a multiple-display environment, complete the following steps:

1. In Control Panel, click Appearance And Themes, and then click Display.
2. In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Settings tab.
3. Click the monitor icon for the primary display device.
4. Select the display adapter for the primary display, and then select the color depth and resolution.
5. Click the monitor icon for the secondary display device.
6. Select the display adapter for the secondary display, and then select the Extend My Windows Desktop Onto This Monitor check box.
7. Select the color depth and resolution for the secondary display.
8. Repeat steps 5 through 7 for each additional display.

Windows XP Professional uses the virtual desktop concept to determine the relationship of each display. The virtual desktop uses coordinates to track the position of each individual display desktop.

The coordinates of the top-left corner of the primary display always remain 0, 0. Windows XP Professional sets secondary display coordinates so that all the displays adjoin each other on the virtual desktop. This allows the system to maintain the illusion of a single, large desktop where users can cross from one monitor to another without losing track of the mouse.

To change the display positions on the virtual desktop, in the Settings tab click Identify and drag the display representations to the desired position. The positions of the icons dictate the coordinates and the relative positions of the displays to one another.

Troubleshooting Multiple Displays

Table 10.4  Troubleshooting Tips for Multiple Displays

Problem	Solution
You cannot see any output on the secondary displays.	Activate the device in the Display Properties dialog box. Confirm that you chose the correct video driver. Restart the computer to confirm that the secondary display initialized. If not, check the status of the video adapter inDevice Manager. Switch the order of the adapters in the slots. (The primary adapter must qualify as a secondary adapter.)
The Extend My Windows Desktop Onto This Monitor check box is unavailable.	Select the secondary display rather than the primary one in the Display Properties dialog box. Confirm that the secondary display adapter is supported. Confirm that Windows XP Professional can detect the secondary display.
An application fails to display on the secondary display.	Run the application on the primary display. Run the application in full-screen mode (Microsoft MS-DOS) or maximized (Microsoft Windows). Disable the secondary display to determine whether the problem is specific to multiple-display support.

Lesson Review

1. You can enable ________________________________ to restrict access to Display options.
2. Which of the following items does the Desktop Items dialog box allow you to choose to include or exclude an icon on your desktop? (Choose all answers that are correct.)
1. My Documents
2. Control Panel
3. My Network Places
4. Recycle Bin

3. Windows XP Professional supports extension of your display across a maximum of ______________ monitors.
4. You must use __________________________ or ______________________ video adapters when configuring multiple displays.
5. If one of the display adapters is built into the motherboard, the motherboard adapter always becomes the _____________ (primary/secondary) adapter.

Lesson Summary

• The Desktop Items dialog box allows you to choose to include or exclude an icon for My Documents, My Computer, My Network Places, and the Recycle Bin on your desktop.
• By default, the Desktop Cleanup Wizard runs every 60 days and removes any icons from the desktop that have not been used in the last 60 days.
• You must use Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) or Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) video adapters when configuring multiple displays.
• Windows XP Professional supports the extension of your display across a maximum of 10 monitors.

Lesson 2: Configuring Power Management

• Use Control Panel to configure Power Options

Estimated lesson time:  40 minutes

Configuring Power Options

Figure 10.5  Power Schemes tab of the Power Options Properties dialog box (Image unavailable)

Selecting a Power Scheme

• Home/Office Desk.  This power scheme is designed for a desktop computer. After 20 minutes of inactivity, the monitor is turned off, but the hard disks are never turned off.
• Portable/Laptop.  This power scheme is optimized for portable computers that will be running on batteries. After 15 minutes of inactivity the monitor is turned off, and after 30 minutes of inactivity the hard disks are turned off.
• Presentation.  This power scheme is designed for use with presentations for which the computer display is always to remain on. The monitor and the hard disks are never turned off.
• Always On.  This power scheme is designed for use with personal servers. After 20 minutes of inactivity, the monitor is turned off, but the hard disks are never turned off.
• Minimal Power Management.  This power scheme disables some power management features such as timed hibernation. After 15 minutes of inactivity, the monitor is turned off, but the hard disks are never turned off.
• Max Battery.  This power scheme is designed to conserve as much battery power as possible. After 15 minutes of inactivity, the monitor is turned off, but the hard disks are never turned off.

To select a power scheme, you can perform the following steps:

1. Ensure that you are logged on with a user account that is a member of the Administrators group.
2. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Performance And Maintenance.
3. Click Power Options.

Windows XP Professional displays the Power Options Properties dialog box with the Power Schemes tab active.

4. Click the arrow at the end of the Power Schemes box to display the pull-down menu listing the available power schemes. Click the power scheme you want to use.
5. Click OK to close the Power Options Properties dialog box.

If none of these power schemes is appropriate for your computer environment, you can modify one of the built-in power schemes or configure a new power scheme. To modify a power scheme or to create a new power scheme, perform the following steps:

1. Ensure that you are logged on with a user account that is a member of the Administrators group.
2. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Performance And Maintenance.
3. Click Power Options.

Windows XP Professional displays the Power Options Properties dialog box with the Power Schemes tab active.

4. Click the arrow at the end of the Power Schemes box to display the pull-down menu listing the available power schemes. Click the power scheme you want to use.
5. In the Settings For Power_Scheme_Name Power Scheme text box, modify the amount of inactive time before the monitor or hard drives are turned off.
6. Do one of the following:
• Click OK to modify the existing power scheme and close the Power Options Properties dialog box.
• Click Save As to create a new power scheme.

Configuring Advanced Power Options

Enabling Hibernate Mode

Configuring Advanced Power Management

If your computer does not have an APM BIOS installed, Windows XP Professional does not install APM, so there will not be an APM tab in the Power Options Properties dialog box. However, your computer can still function as an ACPI computer if it has an ACPI-based BIOS, which takes over system configuration and power management from the Plug and Play BIOS.

Configuring an Uninterruptible Power Supply

If you want to configure a custom simple-signaling UPS, in the Select Manufacturer list box select Generic. In the Select Model list box, click Generic and then click Next. You can configure the conditions that trigger the UPS device to send a signal in the UPS Interface Configuration dialog box (see Figure 10.6). These conditions include power failures, a low battery, and the UPS shutting down. You should select Positive if your UPS sends a signal with positive polarity when the power fails and the UPS is running on battery. Select Negative if your UPS sends a signal with negative polarity.

Figure 10.6  UPS Interface Configuration dialog box (Image unavailable)

After you have configured the UPS service for your computer, you should test the configuration to ensure that your computer is protected from power failures. Disconnect the main power supply to simulate a power failure. During your test the computer and the devices connected to the computer should remain operational. You should let the test run long enough for the UPS battery to reach a low level so that you can verify that an orderly shutdown occurs.

Practice: Configuring Power Options

To configure Power Options

1. Ensure that you are logged on as Fred or with a user account that is a member of the Administrators group.
2. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Performance And Maintenance.
3. Click Power Options.

Windows XP Professional displays the Power Options Properties dialog box with the Power Schemes tab active.

4. In the Power Schemes list, select Portable/Laptop.
5. In the Turn Off Monitor box, select After 10 Minutes.
6. In the Turn Off Hard Disks box, select After 20 Minutes.
7. Click Save As, and then in the Save Scheme text box, type Airplane.
8. Click OK.

You have just created a new power scheme. If you click the arrow at the end of the Power Scheme box, Airplane is now included in the list of available power schemes. If you want to use this power scheme, click Apply.

9. Click the Advanced tab and select the Always Show Icon In The Taskbar check box.
10. Click the Hibernate tab.
11. If the Enable Hibernate Support check box is not selected, select it and then click Apply.
12. Click the APM tab.
13. If the Enable Advanced Power Management Support check box is not selected, select it and then click Apply.
14. To apply these changes you would click OK; click Cancel.

Windows XP Professional closes the Power Options Properties dialog box.

15. Close all open windows.

Lesson Review

1. What is a power scheme and why would you use one?
2. Which of the following statements about Windows XP Professional power schemes are true? (Choose all answers that are correct.)
1. Windows XP Professional ships with six built-in power schemes.
2. Windows XP Professional allows you to create your own power schemes.
3. Windows XP Professional allows you to modify existing power schemes, but you cannot create new ones.
4. Windows XP Professional does not ship with any built-in power schemes.

3. A _____________________________ is a device that connects between a computer and a power source to ensure that the electrical flow to the computer is not abruptly stopped because of a blackout.
4. What does hibernate mode do?
5. ______________________ means that you can remove or exchange devices such as floppy drives, DVD/CD drives, and hard drives without shutting down your system or restarting your system. Windows XP Professional automatically detects and configures these devices.

Lesson Summary

• Power Options allows you to configure Windows XP Professional to turn off the power to your monitor and your hard disk or put the computer in hibernate mode.
• To configure Power Options, in Control Panel, click Performance And Maintenance and then click Power Options.
• The advanced power management options allow you to add an icon for quick access to Power Management to the taskbar and choose to be prompted for your Windows password when your computer comes out of standby mode.
• When your computer hibernates, it saves the current system state to your hard disk, and then your computer shuts down. When you start the computer after it has been hibernating, it returns to its previous state.
• ACPI automatically enables Advanced Power Management Support and removes the APM tab.
• A UPS is a device that ensures that the electrical flow to a computer is not interrupted because of power loss.

Lesson 3: Configuring Operating System Settings

• Configure the system's performance options
• Create, modify, and manage user profiles
• Configure the system's startup and recovery settings
• Configure the system's environment variables
• Configure the system's error reporting
• Configure the system's tracking and reversal of harmful changes
• Configure the system's Automatic Update feature
• Configure remote computers' access to your computer
• Join a domain or workgroup

Estimated lesson time:  70 minutes

Configuring Performance Options

Figure 10.7  The Advanced tab of the System Properties dialog box (Image unavailable)

In the Advanced tab, in the Performance box, click Settings to display the Performance Options dialog box. There are two tabs on the Performance Options dialog box: the Visual Effects tab and the Advanced tab.

Visual Effects

The Visual Effects tab of the Performance Options dialog box is shown in Figure 10.8. There are a number of options that you can select to manually control the visual effects on your computer. Windows XP Professional provides four options to help you control the visual effects: Let Windows Choose What's Best For My Computer, Adjust For Best Appearance, Adjust For Best Performance, and Custom. If you want to manually indicate which visual effects to apply, select Custom.

Figure 10.8  The Visual Effects tab of the Performance Options dialog box (Image unavailable)

Advanced Performance Options

The Advanced tab of the Performance Options dialog box is shown in Figure 10.9. The options in this dialog box allow you to adjust the application response, which is the priority of foreground programs versus background programs, and virtual memory.

Figure 10.9  The Advanced tab of the Performance Options dialog box (Image unavailable)

Processor Scheduling

Windows XP Professional uses the Processor Scheduling settings to distribute microprocessor resources between running programs. Selecting Programs assigns more resources to the foreground program (the active program that is responding to user input). Windows XP Professional assigns more resources to the foreground program by allocating short, variable time slices, or quanta, to running programs. A time slice, or quantum, is a brief period of time during which a particular task is given control of the microprocessor. When you select Background Services, Windows assigns an equal number of resources to all programs by assigning long, fixed quanta instead.

Memory Usage

Windows XP Professional uses the Memory Usage settings to distribute memory resources between running programs. Select Programs if your computer is being used primarily as a workstation. With the Programs option, your programs will work faster and your system cache will be the default size for Windows XP Professional. Select System Cache if you are using your computer as a server or if the programs you are running require a large system cache.

Virtual Memory

For virtual memory, Windows XP Professional uses a process called demand paging to exchange data between random access memory (RAM) and paging files. When you install Windows XP Professional, Setup creates a virtual-memory paging file, PAGEFILE.SYS, on the partition where you installed Windows XP Professional. The default or recommended paging file size for Windows XP Professional is equal to 1.5 times the total amount of RAM. For best results, never set the value of the paging file size to less than the recommended amount. Typically, you can leave the size of the paging file set to the default value. In some circumstances, such as when you run a large number of applications simultaneously, you might find it advantageous to use a larger paging file or multiple paging files.

To configure the paging file, in the Performance Options dialog box, click Change. The Virtual Memory dialog box (see Figure 10.10) identifies the drives on which the paging files reside and allows you to modify the paging file size for the selected drive.

Figure 10.10  The Virtual Memory dialog box (Image unavailable)

Paging files never decrease below the value found in the Initial Size text box that was set during installation. Unused space in the paging file remains available to the internal Windows XP Professional Virtual Memory Manager (VMM). As needed, a paging file grows from its initial size to the maximum configured size, which is listed in the Maximum Size text box. When the paging file reaches the maximum size, system performance might degrade if you place additional demands on the system by running more applications.

When you restart a computer running Windows XP Professional, the system resizes all paging files to the initial size.

Enhancing Performance

You can enhance system performance in several ways. First, if your computer has multiple hard disks, create a paging file for each disk. Distributing information across multiple paging files improves performance because the hard disk controller can read from and write to multiple hard disks simultaneously. When attempting to write to the paging file, VMM tries to write the page data to the paging file on the disk that is the least busy.

Second, you can enhance performance by moving the paging file off the drive that contains the Windows XP Professional %systemroot% folder (by default, the Windows folder). This avoids competition between the various reading and writing requests. If you place a paging file on the Windows XP Professional system partition to facilitate the recovery feature, which is discussed in the section entitled "Recovery" later in this chapter, you can still increase performance by creating multiple paging files. Because the VMM alternates write operations between paging files, the paging file on the boot partition is accessed less frequently.

Third, you can enhance system performance by setting the initial size of the paging file to the value displayed in the Virtual Memory dialog box's Maximum Size box. This eliminates the time required to enlarge the file from the initial size to the maximum size.

Configuring User Profiles

Figure 10.11  The User Profiles dialog box (Image unavailable)

The User Profiles dialog box lists the profiles stored on the computer you are sitting at. You can perform the following tasks:

• Change Type.  Allows you to change the type of profile. There are two types of profiles:
• Local profile.  Windows XP Professional creates a user profile the first time that a user logs on at a computer. After the user logs on for the first time, Windows XP Professional stores the local profile on that computer.
• Roaming profile.  A roaming user profile is especially helpful in a domain environment because it follows the user around, setting up the same desktop environment for the user no matter which computer the user logs on to in the domain.

---

NOTE:
A read-only roaming user profile is called a mandatory user profile. When the user logs off, Windows XP Professional does not save any changes made to the desktop environment during the session, so the next time the user logs on the profile is exactly the same as the last time the user logged on. See Chapter 3, "Setting Up and Managing User Accounts," for information about creating a mandatory user profile.

---

• Delete.  Allows you to delete user profiles.
• Copy To.  Allows you to create user profiles by copying an existing user profile and assigning it to another user.

The Copy Profile To text box allows you to specify a path for the location to which the user profile is to be copied. You can click Browse to locate the appropriate path. The Permitted To Use box allows you to specify the user or users who can use the user profile.

Configuring Startup and Recovery Settings

Figure 10.12  The Startup And Recovery dialog box (Image unavailable)

System Startup

When you first turn on the computer, the system displays the Please Select The Operating System To Start screen, which lists the available operating systems. By default, the system chooses one of the operating systems and displays a countdown timer. If you do not choose another operating system, the system starts the preselected operating system when the countdown timer reaches zero or when you press Enter. Modify the options under System Startup to determine which operating system is preselected, how long the countdown timer runs, and whether to display the boot menu. You are also given the option of modifying the BOOT.INI file manually, but you should allow Windows XP Professional to modify the file rather than attempting to do so manually.

System Recovery

The four recovery options that Windows XP Professional provides to assist users in the event of a system failure are described in Table 10.5.

Table 10.5  Recovery Options

Option	Additional information
Write An Event To The System Log	Select this check box to have Windows XP Professional write an event to the system log when a system stops unexpectedly.
Send An Administrative Alert	Select this check box to have Windows XP Professional send an administrative alert to administrators when the system stops unexpectedly.
Automatically Restart	Select this check box to have Windows XP Professional reboot whenever the system stops unexpectedly.
Write Debugging Information	The first option allows you to specify what information Windows XP Professional should write to the dump file, MEMORY.DMP. The following four choices are available: None.  Nothing is written to the dump file. Small Memory Dump.  The minimum amount of usefulinformation will be dumped. This option requires a paging file of at least 2 MB on the boot volume of your computer. A new dump file will be created every time the system stops unexpectedly. The small dump directory stores a history of these dumps and can be set. By default the small dump directory is %Systemroot%\Minidump. Kernel Memory Dump.  Only kernel memory is written to the dump file. Depending on the amount of RAM on your computer, you must have from 50 MB to 800 MB available in the paging fileon the boot volume. Complete Memory Dump.  Records the entire contents of system memory when the system stops unexpectedly. You must have a paging file on the boot volume large enough to hold all the RAM on your system plus 1 MB. There are also two additional options: Dump File.  Specifies the name and location of the dump file. By default it is %Systemroot%\MEMORY.DMP Overwrite Any Existing File.  By default, if you choose Complete Memory Dump or Kernel Memory Dump, Windows XP Professional always writes to the same dump file, MEMORY.DMP. Clear this check box to prevent Windows from overwriting MEMORY.DMP.

The following requirements must be met for the Write Debugging Information recovery option to work:

• A paging file must be on the system partition (the partition that contains the %systemroot% folder).
• The paging file must be at least 1 MB larger than the amount of physical RAM in your computer if you choose Complete Memory Dump.
• You must have enough disk space to write the file to the location you specify.

Configuring Environment Variables

In the Advanced tab of the System Properties dialog box, click Environment Variables to display the system and user environment variables that are currently in effect in the Environment Variables dialog box (see Figure 10.13).

Figure 10.13  The Environment Variables dialog box (Image unavailable)

System Environment Variables

System environment variables apply to the entire system. Consequently, these variables affect all system users. During installation, Setup configures the default system environment variables, including the path to the Windows XP Professional files. Only an administrator can add, modify, or remove a system environment variable.

User Environment Variables

The user environment variables differ for each user of a particular computer. The user environment variables include any user-defined settings (such as a desktop pattern) and any variables defined by applications (such as the path to the location of the application files). Users can add, modify, or remove their user environment variables in the System Properties dialog box.

How Windows XP Professional Sets Environment Variables

Windows XP Professional sets environment variables in the following order:

1. By default, Windows XP Professional searches the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, if it exists, and sets any environment variables.
2. Next the system environment variables are set. If any system environment variables conflict with environment variables set from the search of the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, the system environment variables override them.
3. Finally, the user environment variables are set. If any user environment variables conflict with environment variables set from the search of the AUTOEXEC.BAT file or from the system environment variables, the user environment variables override them.

For example, if you add the line SET TMP=C:\ in AUTOEXEC.BAT, and a TMP=X:\TEMP user variable is set, the user environment variable setting (X:\TEMP) overrides the prior setting C:\.

\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Configuring Error Reporting

If you do not want to turn off error checking, you can configure reporting to indicate which errors to report. Under Enable Error Reporting there are two check boxes selected by default. Clear the Windows Operating System check box if you do not want errors in the operating system to be reported. Clear the Programs check box if you do not want errors in any of the programs running on your system to be reported. If you want to specify the programs for which Windows XP Professional reports errors, click Select Programs.

Configuring System Restore

Figure 10.14  The System Restore tab of the System Properties dialog box (Image unavailable)

If you want to configure the status of System Restore on a drive, select the drive and then click Settings. The Settings dialog box for a drive allows you to turn off System Restore monitoring for the drive and to configure the amount of disk space reserved for System Restore. You cannot turn off System Restore on the drive on which Windows XP Professional is installed without turning off System Restore on all drives. System Restore monitors and restores only the partitions and drives that it is configured to monitor. It doesn't monitor partitions of drives that are redirected or excluded from System Restore monitoring. System Restore also doesn't monitor or restore the contents of redirected folders or any settings associated with roaming user profiles.

Configuring Automatic Updates

Figure 10.15  The Automatic Updates tab of the System Properties dialog box (Image unavailable)

Under Notification Settings, you can select one of the following three options:

• Download The Updates Automatically And Notify Me When They Are Ready To Be Installed.
• Notify Me Before Downloading Any Updates And Notify Me Again Before Installing Them On My Computer.
• Turn Off Automatic Updating. I Want To Update My Computer Manually.

AU uses the Windows Update control to scan the system and decide which updates apply to a particular computer. AU employs its innovative bandwidth-throttling technology, which uses only idle bandwidth for downloads so they do not interfere with or slow down other network activity, such as Internet browsing. Only one administrative user at a time can run the Automatic Updates feature.

If you choose not to install an update, Windows XP Professional deletes it from your computer. If you decide you want to install a previous update, in the Previous Updates box, click Restore Hidden Items. Any previous updates that are still applicable to your computer appear the next time Windows XP Professional notifies you that updates are available.

Configuring Remote Access to Your Computer

Figure 10.16  The Remote tab of the System Properties dialog box (Image unavailable)

Under Remote Assistance, you can configure your computer to allow or prevent remote assistance invitations to be sent from your computer. Click Advanced to display the Remote Assistance Settings dialog box. To allow the remote assistant full control of your computer, ensure that the default option, Allow This Computer To Be Controlled Remotely, is selected. To allow the assistant to view but not take control of your computer, clear the check box. You can also control the number of days, hours, or minutes before the invitation expires.

In the Remote tab of the System Properties dialog box, under Remote Desktop, you can configure your computer so that remote computers can make a connection to it. This allows you to leave an application running on your office computer, for example, and then connect to your computer from home. The Remote Desktop feature allows multiple users to have active sessions on a single computer.

You can also configure which users can have remote access to your computer. Click Select Remote Users to configure the users that can access your computer remotely in the Remote Desktop Users dialog box (see Figure 10.17). All users that are listed, as well as all users that are members of the Administrators group, have remote access. You can add other users to this list by clicking Add and supplying the complete user name when prompted.

Figure 10.17  The Remote Desktop Users dialog box (Image unavailable)

Joining a Domain or Workgroup

Figure 10.18  The Computer Name tab of the System Properties dialog box (Image unavailable)

The Computer Name tab shows you the full name of your computer an d the domain or workgroup to which it currently belongs. You can add a description for your computer in the Computer Description text box, and you can click Change to change your computer's name or to join a domain or workgroup. To join a domain, there must be a computer account created for your computer in the domain or you must have the name and password of a user account that is a member of the Domain Admins group so that you can create the computer account as you join the domain.

Practice: Using Control Panel to Change Operating System Settings

Run the OSSettings file in the Demos folder on the CD-ROM accompanying this book for a demonstration of changing system settings.

Exercise 1: Changing the Remote Assistance Access Permission

In this exercise, you change the access of a remote assistant from full control to being able to only view your computer. You also set the expiration time for the Remote Assistance invitation to six hours.

To decrease the Remote Assistance access permission

1. Log on as Fred or a user account that is a member of the Administrators group.
2. In Control Panel, click Performance And Maintenance.

Windows XP Professional displays the Performance And Maintenance window.

3. Click System.

Windows XP Professional displays the System Properties dialog box.

4. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Remote tab.
5. In the Remote tab, in the Remote Assistance box, click Advanced.

Windows XP Professional displays the Remote Assistance Settings dialog box.

6. Clear the Allow This Computer To Be Controlled Remotely check box.

Clearing this check box allows the remote assistant to view but not take control of your computer.

7. In the Invitations box, change the Set The Maximum Amount Of Time Invitations Can Remain Open to six hours.
8. Click OK.

You are returned to the System Properties dialog box with the Remote tab active. Leave the System Properties dialog box open for the next exercise.

Exercise 2: Changing the Paging File Size

In this exercise, you use the System Properties dialog box to change the size of the Windows XP Professional paging file.

To change the paging file size

1. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
2. In the Performance box, click Settings.

Windows XP Professional displays the Performance Options dialog box with the Visual Effects tab active.

3. Click the Advanced tab.

By default, both Processor Scheduling and Memory Usage are optimized for applications.

4. In the Virtual Memory box, click Change.

Windows XP Professional displays the Virtual Memory dialog box.

5. In the Drive list, click the drive that contains your paging file, if necessary.
6. In the Initial Size text box, increase the value by 10, and then click Set.

You have just increased the initial size of the paging file.

7. Click OK to close the Virtual Memory dialog box.
8. Click OK to close the Performance Options dialog box.

Leave the System Properties dialog box open for the next exercise.

Exercise 3: Adding a System Environment Variable

In this exercise, you use the System Properties dialog box to add a new system environment variable. You then test the new variable by using it at the command prompt.

To add a system environment variable

1. In the System Properties dialog box, in the Advanced tab, click Environment Variables.

Windows XP Professional displays the Environment Variables dialog box.

2. Under System Variables, click New.

Windows XP Professional displays the New System Variable dialog box.

3. In the Variable Name text box, type WinXPdir.
4. In the Variable Value text box, type the path to the folder containing the Windows XP Professional system files, for example, C:\Windows.

If you are not sure of the path to the Windows XP Professional system files, use Windows Explorer to locate the Windows directory.

5. Click OK.

You are returned to the Environment Variables dialog box.

6. Scroll through the System Environment Variables and verify that WinXPdir is listed.
7. Click OK to close the Environment Variables dialog box, and then click OK to close the System Properties dialog box.
8. Close the Performance And Maintenance window.

To test the new variable

1. From the Start menu, click Run.
2. In the Open text box, type cmd and then click OK.
3. At the command prompt, type set | more and then press Enter.

The list of current environment variables is displayed and WinXPdir is listed. (Note you might need to press Spacebar to scroll down to see WinXPdir listed.)

4. If necessary, type c: and then press Enter to switch to the drive on which you installed Windows XP Professional. (Adjust the drive letter if necessary.)
5. Type cd\ and then press Enter to switch to the root directory.
6. Type cd %WinXPdir% and then press Enter.

You should now be in the Windows directory.

7. Type exit and press Enter to close the command prompt.

Lesson Review

1. What performance options can you control with the tabs of the Performance Options dialog box?
2. Which of the following statements about the use of virtual memory in Windows XP Professional are correct? (Choose all answers that are correct.)
1. When you install Windows XP Professional, Setup creates a virtual memory paging file, PAGEFILE.SYS, on the partition where you installed Windows XP Professional.
2. In some environments, you might find it advantageous to use multiple paging files.
3. If the entire paging file is not in use, it can decrease below the initial size that was set during installation.
4. Unused space in the paging file remains unavailable to all programs, even the internal Windows XP Professional VMM.

3. When you first turn on the computer, the system displays a Please Select The Operating System To Start screen, which lists the available operating systems. What happens if a user does not select an operating system before the countdown timer reaches zero?
4. What requirements must be met for the Write Debugging Information recovery option to work?
5. What is the Windows XP Professional Remote Assistance feature?
6. To join a domain, you use the ____________________ tab of the _____________________ dialog box.

Lesson Summary

• The System program that you use to configure the operating system settings affects the operating system environment regardless of which user is logged on to the computer.
• The Advanced tab of the System Properties dialog box allows you to configure performance options, user profiles, startup and recovery settings, environment variables, and error reporting.
• Windows XP Professional creates a local user profile the first time that a user logs on at a computer and stores the local profile on that computer.
• A roaming user profile follows the user around, setting up the same desktop environment for the user no matter which computer the user logs on to in the domain.
• The System program also controls the startup and recovery settings for a computer.
• Windows XP Professional first searches the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, if it exists, and sets any environment variables. Next the system environment variables are set, and if there are any conflicts with the environment variables, the system environment variables override them. Finally the user environment variables are set; the user environment variables override all other environment variables.
• The Windows XP Professional System Restore feature allows you to track and reverse harmful changes made to your system.
• AU is a proactive service that allows users with administrative privileges to automatically download and install critical operating system updates such as security fixes and patches.
• The Remote Assistance feature allows you to invite another person, a remote assistant, to help you over the Internet.
• To join a domain or a workgroup, use the Computer Name tab of the System Properties dialog box.

Lesson 4: Configuring and Troubleshooting the Desktop Environment

• Configure and troubleshoot multiple languages
• Configure and troubleshoot accessibility options

Estimated lesson time:  40 minutes

Configuring Multiple Languages and Multiple Locations

The Regional Options tab allows you to configure standards and formats for each language. For example, you can configure the format for displaying numbers, currency, the time, and dates. If you have configured multiple locations, you can also choose your preferred location. In contrast to Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional adds support for the following locales: Galician, Gujarati, Kannada, Kyrgyz, Mongolian (Cyrillic), Punjabi, Divehi, Syriac, and Telugu.

To configure multiple languages in the Languages tab of the Regional And Languages Options dialog box, click Details. Windows XP Professional displays the Text Services And Input Languages dialog box. There are two check boxes available in the Text Services And Input Languages dialog box. The first is Install Files For Complex Script And Right-To-Left Languages. These files are required for Arabic, Armenian, Georgian, Hebrew, Indic, Thai, and Vietnamese languages. The second is Install Files For East Asian Languages. These files are required for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean languages. In the Text Services dialog box, click Add to access the Add Input Language dialog box (see Figure 10.20).

Figure 10.19  The Regional Options tab of the Regional And Language Options dialog box (Image unavailable)

Figure 10.20  The Text Services And Input Languages and Add Input Language dialog boxes (Image unavailable)

To configure additional languages, scroll through the list of languages and select the one you want to add. If you added at least one language to the one already installed on your computer, your computer is now supporting multiple languages.

If there are any problems with the way your multiple languages or locales are working, you might want to double-check your settings. You can also try uninstalling the multiple language support or multiple locale support. Make sure that everything is working correctly with only one language or locale, and then reconfigure and reinstall the multiple language or multiple locale support.

Practice: Using Control Panel to Configure Multiple Languages

Run the MultiLanguages file in the Demos folder on the CD-ROM accompanying this book for a demonstration of configuring multiple languages.

To configure multiple languages

1. Ensure that you are logged on as Fred or with a user account that is a member of the Administrators group.
2. In Control Panel, click the Date, Time, Language, And Regional Options icon.
3. Click Regional And Language Options.

Windows XP Professional displays the Regional And Language Options dialog box with the Regional Options tab active.

4. Click the Languages tab.
5. In the Text Services And Input Languages box, click Details.

Windows XP Professional displays the Text Services And Input Languages dialog box.

6. In the Installed Services box, click Add.

Windows XP Professional displays the Add Input Language dialog box.

7. Click the down-pointing arrow at the end of the Input Languages box to scroll through the listed languages, and select French (France).

The French Keyboard Layout/IME is selected automatically.

8. Click OK to close the Add Input Language dialog box.

Windows XP Professional displays the Text Services And Input Languages dialog box. Notice that there are now two Installed Services.

9. Click OK to close the Text Services And Input Languages dialog box.
10. Click OK to close the Regional And Language Options dialog box.
11. Close all open programs.

Configuring and Troubleshooting Accessibility Options

Configuring Keyboard Options

To configure keyboard options, in Control Panel, click Accessibility Options. In the Accessibility Options window, click Accessibility Options to display the Accessibility Options dialog box. The Keyboard tab of the Accessibility Options dialog box, shown in Figure 10.21, allows you to configure the keyboard options StickyKeys, FilterKeys, and ToggleKeys.

Figure 10.21  The Keyboard tab of the Accessibility Options dialog box (Image unavailable)

StickyKeys

Turning on StickyKeys allows you to press a multiple key combination, like CTRL+ALT+DELETE, one key at a time. This is useful for people who have difficulty pushing more than one key at a time. This is a check box selection, so it is either on or off. You can configure StickyKeys by clicking Settings to activate the Settings For StickyKeys dialog box (see Figure 10.22).

Figure 10.22  The Settings For StickyKeys dialog box (Image unavailable)

You can configure a shortcut key for StickyKeys. You can use the default shortcut key, pressing SHIFT five times, to turn on StickyKeys. This option is activated by default.

Two other options can also be configured for StickyKeys: Press Modifier Key Twice To Lock and Turn StickyKeys Off If Two Keys Are Pressed At Once. The modifier keys are CTRL, ALT, SHIFT, and the Windows Logo key. If you select the modifier key option, pressing one of the modifier keys twice will cause that key to remain active until you press it again. This is useful for people who have difficulty pressing key combinations. If you choose to use the second option, StickyKeys is disabled if two keys are pressed simultaneously.

Two Notification settings can be configured for StickyKeys: Make Sounds When Modifier Key Is Pressed and Show StickyKeys Status On Screen. The first notification setting causes a sound to be made when any of the modifier keys—CTRL, ALT, SHIFT, or the Windows Logo key—is pressed. The second notification setting causes a StickyKeys icon to be displayed in the taskbar when StickyKeys is turned on.

FilterKeys

The Keyboard tab also allows you to configure FilterKeys. Turning on FilterKeys causes the keyboard to ignore brief or repeated keystrokes. This option also allows you to configure the keyboard repeat rate, which is the rate at which a key continuously held down repeats the keystroke. This is a check box selection, so it is either on or off. You can configure FilterKeys by clicking Settings to activate the Settings For FilterKeys dialog box (see Figure 10.23).

Figure 10.23  The Settings For FilterKeys dialog box (Image unavailable)

You can configure a shortcut key for FilterKeys. You can use the default shortcut key, holding down the Right Shift key for eight seconds, to turn on FilterKeys. This setting is activated by default.

Two other Filter options can also be configured for FilterKeys: Ignore Repeated Keystrokes and Ignore Quick Keystrokes And Slow Down The Repeat Rate. Ignore Repeated Keystrokes is inactive by default, and Ignore Quick Keystrokes And Slow Down The Repeat Rate is active by default. Only one of these two filter options can be active at a time. Configure each of them by clicking Settings.

Two Notification settings can be configured for FilterKeys: Beep When Keys Pressed Or Accepted and Show FilterKey Status On Screen. The first notification setting causes a beep when you press a key and another beep when the keystroke is accepted. The second notification option causes a FilterKeys icon to be displayed in the taskbar when FilterKeys is turned on. These settings are check boxes, so one of the settings, both of the settings (the default), or neither of the settings can be selected.

ToggleKeys

You can also configure ToggleKeys in the Keyboard tab. Turning on ToggleKeys causes the computer to make a high-pitched sound each time the CAPS LOCK, NUM LOCK, or SCROLL LOCK keys are switched on. Turning on ToggleKeys also causes the computer to make a low-pitched sound each time these three keys are turned off.

You can configure a shortcut key for ToggleKeys by clicking Settings. You can use the shortcut key, holding down NUM LOCK for five seconds, to turn on ToggleKeys. This setting is activated by default.

Configuring Sound Options

Configuring Display Options

Configuring Mouse Options

Figure 10.24  The Settings For MouseKeys dialog box (Image unavailable)

MouseKeys uses a shortcut, LEFT ALT+LEFT SHIFT+NUM LOCK, which is enabled by default. You can also configure the pointer speed and acceleration speed. There is even a check box, Hold Down Ctrl To Speed Up And Shift To Slow Down, that allows you to temporarily speed up or slow down the mouse pointer speed when you are using MouseKeys. To speed up the mouse pointer movement, hold down Ctrl while you press the numeric keypad directional keys. To slow down the mouse pointer movement, hold down SHIFT while you press the numeric keypad directional keys.

Configuring General Tab Options

Figure 10.25  The General tab of the Accessibility Options dialog box (Image unavailable)

The General tab includes the Notification feature, which allows you to configure Windows XP Professional to give a warning message when a feature is activated and to make a sound when turning a feature on or off.

The General tab also allows you to activate the SerialKeys Devices feature, which configures Windows XP Professional to support an alternative input device (also called an augmentative communication device) to your computer's serial port.

The Administrative Options feature provides two check boxes, Apply All Settings To Logon Desktop and Apply All Settings To Defaults For New Users, that allow you to configure Windows XP Professional to apply all configured accessibility options to this user at logon and to apply all configured accessibility options to all new users.

Lesson Review

1. How can you configure Windows XP Professional to use multiple languages?
2. Turning on ________________________ allows you to press a multiple key combination, like CTRL+ALT+DELETE, one key at a time. (Choose all answers that are correct.)
1. FilterKeys
2. StickyKeys
3. ToggleKeys
4. MultiKeys

3. Turning on ________________________ causes the keyboard to ignore brief or repeated keystrokes. This option also allows you to configure the keyboard repeat rate, which is the rate at which a key continuously held down repeats the keystroke.
4. When using MouseKeys, to speed up the mouse pointer movement, hold down the ________ key while you press the numeric keypad directional keys. To slow down the mouse pointer movement, hold down the ________ key while you press the numeric keypad directional keys.
5. The ______________ tab in the Accessibility Options dialog box includes the Notification feature, which allows you to configure Windows XP Professional to give a warning message when a feature is activated and to make a sound when turning a feature on or off.

Lesson Summary

• In Control Panel, click Date, Time, Language, And Regional Options to configure Windows XP Professional for multiple languages and multiple locales.
• StickyKeys allows you to press a multiple key combination, like CTRL+ALT+DELETE, one key at a time.
• FilterKeys causes the keyboard to ignore brief or repeated keystrokes.
• ToggleKeys causes the computer to make a high-pitched sound each time the CAPS LOCK, NUM LOCK, or SCROLL LOCK keys are switched on.
• SoundSentry causes Windows XP Professional to generate visual warnings when your computer makes a sound.
• ShowSounds causes Windows XP Professional programs to display captions for the speech and sounds they make.
• The Display tab of the Accessibility Options dialog box provides a High Contrast check box that allows you to configure Windows XP Professional to use color and fonts designed for easy reading.
• MouseKeys allows you to configure Windows XP Professional to control the pointer with the numeric keypad on your keyboard.

Lesson 5: Managing Windows Components

• Add and remove Windows components
• Install Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS)

Estimated lesson time:  20 minutes

Installing and Removing Windows Components

Figure 10.26  Windows Components Wizard (Image unavailable)

Installing Windows Components

You can install Windows components that you did not select when you installed Windows XP Professional on your computer. The components you can install include Fax Services, Internet Information Services (IIS), Management and Monitoring Tools, Message Queuing, and additional Network Services. If you want to install one of the Windows components, select it and then click Next.

To install IIS, you would do the following:

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Add Or Remove Programs.
2. In the Add Or Remove Programs window, click Add/Remove Windows Components.

Windows XP Professional starts the Windows Components Wizard.

3. Select Internet Information Services (IIS).
4. Ensure that the checkbox to the left of Internet Information Services (IIS) is selected. Click Details.

The Windows Components Wizard displays the Internet Information Services page, which shows the components included when you install Internet Information Services. Table 10.6 lists these components.

Table 10.6  Components Included with Internet Information Services (IIS)

Component	Selected by default	Description
Common Files	Yes	Installs the required IIS program files
Documentation	Yes	Installs documentation about publishing site content, and Web and FTP Server Administration
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Service	No	Provides support to create FTP sites used to upload and download files
FrontPage 2000 Server Extensions	Yes	Enables authoring and administration of Web sites with Microsoft FrontPage and Microsoft Visual InterDev
Internet Information Services Snap-In	Yes	Installs the IIS Administrative interface into Microsoft Management Console
SMTP Service	Yes	Supports the transfer of electronic mail
World Wide Web Service	Yes	Uses the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to respond to Web client requests on a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) network

5. Click OK to close the Internet Information Services (IIS) page.
6. In the Windows Components page, click Next to continue with the installation of IIS.

The Windows Components Wizard displays the Configuring Components page while the appropriate files are copied and the components are configured. This might take a few minutes.

7. In the Completing The Windows Components Wizard page, click Finish.
8. Click Close to close the Add or Remove Programs tool.

Removing Windows Components

The Windows Components Wizard is also used to uninstall or remove Windows components from your computer. If you want to remove a Windows component, on the Windows Component page of the Windows Components Wizard, clear the check box for the component you want to remove and click Next. The Windows Components Wizard displays the Configuring Components page as the files are removed from your computer. When the component is removed, the Windows Components Wizard displays the Completing The Windows Components Wizard page; click Finish to close the wizard. Click Close to close the Add or Remove Programs tool and then close Control Panel.

Managing Internet Information Services

Use the Internet Information Services snap-in to manage IIS. The Internet Information Services snap-in helps you manage the content of and access to your Web and FTP sites. To access the Internet Information Services snap-in, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services. The Internet Information Services snap-in lets you handle all aspects of administration for IIS. For example, every Web and FTP site must have a home directory. When you install IIS, a default home directory is created. When you create a new Web site, you can use the Internet Information Services snap-in to change your home directory.

To change your home directory, in the Internet Information Services snap-in, right-click a Web or FTP site and then click Properties. In the site's Properties dialog box, click the Home directory tab. You can specify a directory on this computer, a shared directory located on another computer, or a redirection to a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), and then type the path in the Local Path text box. Click OK and you have changed your home directory.

If your Web site contains files that are located in directories other than your home directory (for example, on another computer), you must create virtual directories to include these files on your Web site. You use the Internet Information Services snap-in to create these virtual directories. In the snap-in select the Web or FTP site to which you want to add a directory. On the Action menu, point to New, and click Virtual Directory. This starts the Virtual Directory Creation Wizard, which will guide you through creating the new directory.

Lesson Review

1. How do you add Windows components to your Windows XP Professional installation?
2. What service does Internet Information Services (IIS) provide?
3. How many simultaneous client connections can you have using Internet Information Services for Windows XP Professional?
1. 8
2. 10
3. 20
4. 32

4. How do you administer Internet Information Services (IIS) for Windows XP Professional?

Lesson Summary

• You use the Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel to add and remove applications from CD-ROM, floppy disk, or network shares.
• You use the Add or Remove Programs tool to add or remove Windows components, such Internet Information Services (IIS).
• You click Add/Remove Windows Components in the Add or Remove Programs window to start the Windows Components Wizard.
• You use Internet Information Services (IIS) to publish information on the Internet or on your intranet.
• Internet Information Services for Windows XP Professional is designed for home or small business networks and only allows 10 simultaneous client connections.
• You use the Internet Information Services snap-in to manage IIS.