Module 4: Configuring the Desktop Environment potx

Contents Overview 1 Lesson: Configuring User Desktop Settings 2 Lesson: Customizing Menus and Folders 17 Practice: Customizing Menus and Folders 28 Lesson: Configuring System Settings 30 Lesson: Managing User Profiles 35 Lesson: Using Remote Assistance in Windows XP Professional 41 Lab A: Using Remote Assistance to Configure a Computer Running Windows XP Professional Computer 47 Module 4: Configuring the Desktop Environment Information in this document, including URL and other Internet Web site references, is subject to change without notice. Unless otherwise noted, the example companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places, and events depicted herein are fictitious, and no association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, place or event is intended or should be inferred. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. 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The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Module 4: Configuring the Desktop Environment iii Instructor Notes This module provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to configure and customize the desktop, configure system settings, manage local user profiles, and use Remote Assistance to provide help to users. After completing this module, students will be able to: ! Configure user desktop settings. ! Customize the desktop environment. ! Configure system settings. ! Manage local user profiles and understand how Group Policy settings can control desktop customization. ! Use Remote Assistance on their workstations to view and control user computers. To teach this module, you need the Microsoft® PowerPoint® file 2285A_04.ppt. It is recommended that you use PowerPoint 2002 or later to display the slides for this course. If you use PowerPoint Viewer or an earlier version of PowerPoint, some features of the slides may not appear correctly. To prepare for this module: ! Read all the materials for this module. ! Complete the practices and the lab. ! Read the materials listed under Additional readings for each topic. Document your suggested additional readings to share with the class. Presentation: 90 minutes Lab: 30 minutes Ob j ectives Required materials Important Preparation tasks iv Module 4: Configuring the Desktop Environment How to Teach This Module This section contains information that will help you to teach this module. For some topics in this module, references to additional information appear in notes at the end of the topic. Read the additional information in preparation for teaching the module. During class, make students aware of the additional information. Demonstrations, Pages, Practices, and Labs Explain to the students how the demonstrations, practices, and labs are designed for this course. A module includes two or more lessons. Most lessons include demonstration pages and a practice. The demonstration pages provide you with the steps to demonstrate a task. The students do not perform the tasks on these pages with the instructor. They will use these steps to perform the practice at the end of each lesson. After you have presented the contents of the topic and demonstrated the procedures for the lesson, explain that the practice gives students a chance for hands-on learning of all the tasks discussed in the lesson. There is a lab at the end of this module. The lab enables students to practice the tasks that are discussed and applied in the entire module. Using real-world scenarios, the lab gives students a set of instructions in a two- column format. The left column provides the task (for example: Create a group). The right column provides specific instructions that the students require to perform the task (for example: From Active Directory Users and Computers, double-click the domain node). An answer key for each lab exercise is located on the Student Materials compact disc, in case the students require step-by-step instructions to complete the lab. They can also refer to the practice pages in the module. Lesson: Configuring User Desktop Settings This section describes the instructional methods for teaching this lesson. Discuss the main components of the desktop and their functions. Students should be familiar with this information, so do not spend a lot of time on it. This is a simple demonstration that shows students how to modify the desktop environment. Advise students hat they will perform these tasks later in a practice. Describe the different desktop shortcuts and how to create them. Explain that although shortcuts help students to access resources easily, too many shortcuts on the desktop can be confusing, and actually reduce productivity. Discuss the Desktop Cleanup Wizard and why it is good practice to use it. Explain credentials, and explain that only program shortcuts can have additional credentials associated with them. Describe the different accessibility options and their functions. Emphasize that there are accessibility options and accessibility programs, and explain the differences between them. Demonstration pa g es Practices Labs Desktop Components Demonstration: Configuring the Desktop Displa y How to Create Desktop Shortcuts How to Configure Windows XP Professional Accessibilit y Options Module 4: Configuring the Desktop Environment v Demonstrate some of the accessibility options and programs. The Narrator program requires that you set up and enable a sound card and speakers. Make sure that you follow the steps closely and practice the demonstration a few times before you do it in class. Estimated time to complete this demonstration: 10 minutes. Explain the settings to configure regional options. You may also want to demonstrate them as you talk. You can add an extra input language and show students how to switch between the two languages by clicking the taskbar button. The information about Asian languages is included for completeness, but do not spend too much time on the subject. Explain that the most commonly used languages are included on the product CD, which is useful for users who compose documents in languages other than their native languages. In this practice, students configure their desktop background and settings. Make sure they read the scenario first to understand why they are performing these steps. Lesson: Customizing Menus and Folders This section describes the instructional methods for teaching this lesson. When you describe the Start menu, emphasize its different parts. Also, emphasize the use of pinned programs. It is important that students understand the difference between setting up Start menu items for all users and setting up Start menu items for individual users. Demonstrate the procedures for customizing the Start menu. Show students how to add submenus and shortcuts, and how to modify the Startup folder. Students may be confused about whether the taskbar is the entire bar or the area that displays only the running programs. Ensure that students understand the different sections of the taskbar and the function each section performs or what each section indicates. When you discuss how to customize the taskbar, explain grouped icons. Additionally, discuss the additional toolbars that students can add to the taskbar, the functions of those toolbars, and how to customize them. Students must understand the basic concept of the My Documents folder and its uses. Review the example on the page to ensure that students grasp the concept. Present the information about customizing the My Documents folder and tell students that Group Policy can control the My Documents settings. Emphasize that the information in this section assumes that the folder is located on an NTFS partition. Demonstrate how to change the location of the My Documents folder and how to share it securely. Explain to students the advantages of relocating the My Documents folder to a network server (to optimize local disk space, centralize folders for backup, and so on). In this practice, students customize the Start menu and change the location of the My Documents folder to a server on the network. Demonstration: Using Accessibilit y Features What Are Regional Settings? Supporting Multiple Lan g ua g es Practice: Configuring User Desktop Settin g s What Is the Start Menu? Demo: Customizing the Start Menu What Are the Areas of the Taskbar? Ways to Customize the Taskbar What Is the My Documents Folder? Demonstration: Customizing the My Documents Folder Practice: Customizing Menus and Folders vi Module 4: Configuring the Desktop Environment Lesson: Configuring System Settings This section describes the instructional methods for teaching this lesson. Describe how to use environmental variables and how to modify them manually to change the default system behavior. Ensure that students understand the differences between user variables and system variables, and discuss when students would alter these variables. Explain the purposes of the system failure settings and their importance. Describe all the debugging choices and when students would use them. Open the System Properties sheet and show students the options, but do not save the settings because this might require you to restart the computer. Lesson: Managing User Profiles This section describes the instructional methods for teaching this lesson. You can present this lesson as a refresher, because students learned most of this information (from the server perspective) in Course 2274 and Course 2275. Ensure that students understand the difference between local and roaming profiles, and between changeable profiles and mandatory profiles. Explain that Group Policy settings, which are used to support organizational and network policies, always take precedence over a setting in a profile. Explain the benefits of using Group Policy to control desktop customization. In this practice, students will create local user profiles, and then copy one profile to another user. Ensure that students read the scenario first, and advise students to read the instructions to verify that the practice works as intended. Estimated time to complete this practice: 20 minutes. Lesson: Using Remote Assistance in Windows XP Professional This section describes the instructional methods for teaching this lesson. Ensure the students understand the purpose of Remote Assistance. After you discuss how to establish a session, demonstrate how to take control of a student computer. Explain the Remote Assistance process. If possible, establish a Remote Assistance session with another computer so that you can demonstrate the various tasks as you present the material. Ensure that students understand that the user requesting help and the support professional or other helper must interact in real time. Emphasize the necessity of enabling Remote Desktop if Internet Connection Firewall is used on the Internet connection. Describe the process of sending a file in the Remote Assistance console, and explain the best practice for informing the user that you are sending a file. Illustrate how this capability is useful in a support environment. Emphasize the best practices for maintaining security when students use Remote Assistance. How Environment Variables W ork S y stem Failure Settin g s T y pes of User Profiles How Group Policy Controls Desktop Customization Practice: Managing Local User Profiles What Is Remote Assistance? How to Establish a Remote Assistance Session How to Send and Receive Files Using Remote Assistance Best Practices W hen Using Remote Assistance Module 4: Configuring the Desktop Environment vii Lab A: Using Remote Assistance to Configure a Computer Running Windows XP Professional In this lab, students will send and accept Remote Assistance invitations. Students will then perform support tasks on their partner’s computer. Students work with partners in this lab, and it is important that they read the directions and wait for their partner when directed to do so. In the lab, students are provided with real-world scenarios in which they resolve problems and answer questions. Students are given a set of instructions in a two-column format. The left- column entry describes the task (for example, “Create an alert”) and the right- column entry provides specific instructions for the students to perform the task (for example, “In the performance logs and alerts pane, create an alert”). These steps are high-level instructions only, and are intended to guide students in discovering the answers. Students must complete all the practices before starting the lab. Remind students that they can review the lesson and practice pages in the module for assistance. The answer key for each lab is provided on the Student Materials compact disc. Estimated time to complete this lab: 30 minutes. Assessment Assessment questions for this module are located on the Student Materials compact disc. You can use them as pre-instruction tool to help students identify areas of difficulty, or you can use them as post-instruction tool to validate learning. Consider using assessment questions to reinforce learning at the end of the day. You can also use them at the beginning of the day as a review of the information that you taught on the previous day. Module 4: Configuring the Desktop Environment 1 Overview ***************************** ILLEGAL FOR NON-TRAINER USE****************************** As an IT support professional, you will help users to configure and customize their desktops. In this module, you will learn how to: ! Configure and customize user desktops. ! Use profiles to implement and enforce desktop customization policies. ! Use Remote Assistance to respond to remote requests for help. After completing this module, you will be able to: ! Configure user desktop settings. ! Customize the desktop environment. ! Configure system settings. ! Manage local user profiles and understand how Group Policy can control desktop customization. ! Use Remote Assistance to view and control user computers from your workstation. Introduction Ob j ectives 2 Module 4: Configuring the Desktop Environment Lesson: Configuring User Desktop Settings ***************************** ILLEGAL FOR NON-TRAINER USE****************************** When you configure user desktop settings, you change the appearance of the work area and the items that it contains. As a support person, you will be asked to set up the initial desktop to match the organization’s standards and the individual needs of your users. After completing this lesson, you will be able to: ! Explain the parts of a desktop. ! Configure the desktop appearance and desktop shortcuts to improve task efficiency. ! Configure Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional to support users with disabilities. ! Configure Windows XP Professional to match users’ regional standards. ! Configure Windows XP Professional to support multiple languages. ! Configure user desktop settings. Introduction Lesson ob j ectives [...]... for the screen resolution, and then click OK 4 Click Yes to accept the changed settings 16 Module 4: Configuring the Desktop Environment ! Change the desktop back to Windows XP settings 1 Right-click the desktop, and then click Properties 2 In the Theme list, click Windows XP 3 Click the Desktop tab, scroll the Background list, and then click Windows XP 4 Click OK to change the settings and close the. .. on the All Programs menu and drag it to the desktop Module 4: Configuring the Desktop Environment Organizing desktop shortcuts ! Desktops can become cluttered if you add too many shortcuts To avoid a cluttered desktop, place shortcuts on the taskbar rather than on the desktop ! Organize your desktop shortcuts in a logical manner to provide a clean, efficient desktop For example, you can organize them... desktop and click Properties 2 Click a theme from the Theme list 3 Click the Desktop tab 4 Click an image from the Background list 5 Click the Customize Desktop button 6 Select the My Network Places check box 7 Click OK 8 Click the Screen Saver tab 9 Click a screen saver from the Screen Saver list 10 Click OK 6 Module 4: Configuring the Desktop Environment How to Create Desktop Shortcuts *****************************ILLEGAL... the screen size 4 Move the pointer over some text, desktop icons, and dialog boxes 5 In the drop-down list, set the Magnification level to 5 6 Move the pointer over the desktop again to show the increased magnification level 7 In the Magnifier Settings window, click Exit Module 4: Configuring the Desktop Environment To use the StickyKeys accessibility option: 1 Click Start, and then click Control Panel... convenient links to the programs and files that you use most often Module 4: Configuring the Desktop Environment 5 Demonstration: Configuring the Desktop Display *****************************ILLEGAL FOR NON-TRAINER USE****************************** In Control Panel, use Display to control the appearance of a computer’s desktop Procedure To change the appearance of the desktop: 1 Right-click the desktop and... On the desktop, right-click the Internet Explorer icon, and then click Create Shortcut 5 Drag the new shortcut on the desktop to the Start menu until the menu opens, then drag the shortcut to the All Programs menu until that menu opens, and then drag the shortcut to just above the New Programs folder that you created earlier This creates a shortcut to Internet Explorer on the Programs menu for the. .. to help them change the desktop backgrounds and other settings on their computers Practice ! Change the desktop background 1 Log on to the nwtraders domain as ComputerNameUser (for example, VancouverUser) with a password of P@ssw0rd 2 Right-click the desktop, and then click Properties 3 On the Display Properties sheet, on the Desktop tab, ensure that the background selection is (None) 4 On the Display... require them When you customize the desktop environment, make access to resources as easy and efficient as possible Lesson objectives After completing this lesson, you will be able to: ! Customize the Start menu ! Customize the taskbar ! Describe the purpose of the My Documents folder ! Customize the location and settings of the My Documents folder ! Customize the desktop environment 18 Module 4: Configuring. .. sheet, click the Themes tab 5 In the list, click the Windows Classic theme, and then click Apply ! Change the desktop appearance and settings 1 On the Display Properties sheet, click the Appearance tab, under Windows and buttons, see that the Windows Classic style has been applied 2 In the Color scheme list, click Windows Classic, and then click Apply 3 Click the Settings tab, then use the slide bar... to change the keyboard layout for, and then click Add 4 In the Add Input Language dialog box, in the list, click a keyboard layout, and then click OK three times Module 4: Configuring the Desktop Environment 15 Practice: Configuring User Desktop Settings *****************************ILLEGAL FOR NON-TRAINER USE****************************** Objective In this practice, you will configure the desktop background . learning at the end of the day. You can also use them at the beginning of the day as a review of the information that you taught on the previous day. Module 4: Configuring the Desktop Environment. control the appearance of a computer’s desktop. To change the appearance of the desktop: 1. Right-click the desktop and click Properties. 2. Click a theme from the Theme list. 3. Click the Desktop. to the desktop. Creating desktop shortcuts Module 4: Configuring the Desktop Environment 7 ! Desktops can become cluttered if you add too many shortcuts. To avoid a cluttered desktop,