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65348c01.fm Page 18 Monday, October 22, 2007 9:37 PM 18 Chapter Installing Windows Vista EXERCISE 1.1 (continued) 16 This prompt is for time and date information, as shown here Enter the appropriate information, and click Next 17 The last informational prompt asks what kind of network your computer is connected to, as shown here This will determine how aggressive the default settings of Windows Firewall should be Pick Home, Work, or Public Location as appropriate, and click Next 65348c01.fm Page 19 Monday, October 22, 2007 9:37 PM Selecting an Appropriate Installation Method EXERCISE 1.1 (continued) 18 Once finished, you will click Start in the Thank You window Windows Vista will now complete Setup by checking your computer’s performance and generating a performance index, as shown here It will determine the capabilities of your computer to support features such as the Aero-enhanced graphical interface 19 Next you will be prompted to log on to your computer using the account you just set up, as shown here Enter your logon credentials, and click the button with the arrow or press Enter 19 65348c01.fm Page 20 Monday, October 22, 2007 9:37 PM 20 Chapter Installing Windows Vista EXERCISE 1.1 (continued) 20 When you see the desktop, the desktop setup will complete, and you will be prompted with the Welcome Center, as shown here Windows Vista has now been successfully installed Migrating Data and Settings You can gain the typical benefits of an in-place upgrade by maintaining the data and settings of a user but laying a new image onto their computer The user’s data and settings, often referred to as user state data, usually consists of accounts, data folders, program settings, desktop attributes, Internet favorites, and e-mail settings This kind of migration typically has two methods: side-by-side and wipe-and-load A sideby-side migration involves collecting data from an old computer, storing the data temporarily, and restoring the data and settings to a new Windows Vista computer Wipe-and-load allows you to save the user state data to a temporary location, upgrade the existing computer to Windows Vista using a clean install method, and then restore the user state data to the new operating system One of the tools available to ease the effort of transferring user state data is Windows Easy Transfer This tool is included on the Windows Vista disk and can move user accounts, certain program settings, Internet Explorer settings and favorites, data folders and files, and e-mail 65348c01.fm Page 21 Monday, October 22, 2007 9:37 PM Selecting an Appropriate Installation Method 21 settings from certain e-mail clients such as Outlook Express or Outlook You can transfer the data using a network folder, over the network between computers, on a CD or DVD, on a USB flash disk, or via an Easy Transfer Cable Windows Easy Transfer cannot be automated or scripted and must be run in the context of the user, so it is appropriate for use only in individual or small office situations The Easy Transfer Cable looks like a standard USB cable, but the specific part is required when used with Windows Easy Transfer You cannot use a standard USB cable Working with Windows Easy Transfer Users need their data! If you don’t transition your user data properly, you will certainly hear about it Luckily, tools are available to make the transition from an old system to a new Windows Vista system a seamless one Two tools are available to transfer user state data: Windows Easy Transfer, which is designed for one-at-a-time transfers, and the User State Migration Tool (USMT), which is designed for business automation of the user state data transfer process Windows Easy Transfer, our concentration for consumers, has a wizard interface that guides a user through the transfer of settings Intended for interactive use, this tool is not automatic It doesn’t come with the investment of time and resources that USMT does, either The decision of which tool to use is yours, but the general rule of thumb is if you have a quick deployment of Windows Vista or only need to get a few users’ data moved, Windows Easy Transfer is the preferred method If you are doing an automated deployment with a vast number of users to migrate, the USMT is the best fit Windows Easy Transfer provides you with a method to move documents, settings, and other user data from an existing computer to another computer You have the option to select from a multitude of settings to transfer and thus customize your new Windows Vista computer in the same way as your old computer Although Windows Easy Transfer will not always grab everything, it’s likely it will transfer everything that matters to a user This is a great way to transition to a new computer or run on a clean installation while keeping personalized settings and files If a user needs everything as it was after Windows Vista is installed, including existing programs on existing hardware, you should investigate the possibility of an in-place upgrade The settings that can be transferred cover quite a bit of territory When you transfer files, you can get all user profiles and their folders such as Documents, the Pictures folder, and Shared Documents Some of the files types transferred include doc, mdb, xl*, pst, and a whole slew of others Computer settings customizations such as custom wallpaper, dial-up connections, and Start menu options will also be brought over On top of that, a long list of specific applications will retain their settings Although Windows Easy Transfer can transfer these application settings, it does not transfer the application itself These are the settings Windows Easy Transfer can migrate: Everything in the Documents or My Documents folder Everything in the Pictures or My Pictures folder 65348c01.fm Page 22 Monday, October 22, 2007 9:37 PM 22 Chapter Installing Windows Vista Everything in Shared Documents Outlook Express e-mail and settings Outlook e-mail and settings Windows Mail and some third party e-mail and settings Program settings for many popular programs User accounts and related settings Internet settings, favorites, and cookies Pictures and video (found by extension such as jpg or.bmp) Additional folders specified during setup of transfer These are the settings Easy Transfer will not migrate: Hardware settings Drivers Passwords Applications and programs Synchronization files and settings DLL files Executable files There are three ways to transfer files The first method for moving data is to use an Easy Transfer Cable This cable is a specific type and is designed to use the USB interface on the old and new computer It is simple and fast It can be used with Windows 2000 (files, not settings), Windows XP, and Windows Vista This method is to be used in a side-by-side transfer If you intend to wipe the existing computer and load it with Windows Vista, you cannot use this method Although the Easy Transfer Cable looks like a standard USB cable, it is not You cannot use a standard USB cable with the Easy Transfer Cable option Make sure you purchase the correct cable before using this option The second method to transfer data is over a network This method has both computers connected to the same network at the same time This method is appropriate in a side-by-side transfer, but cannot be used in a wipe and load scenario If you intend to save the transfer data to a network share, then you can perform a wipe and load using the network option The speed of the network will determine the time it takes to complete a transfer The third option is to use some form of external storage You can use writable CDs or DVDs The capacities for CDs are up to 700MB and DVDs up to 8.5GB, with the proper drive You can span the transfer data across multiple discs You can also use a USB flash drive or external hard drive to store the data Just remember that the interface used by the device must exist on both machines A flash drive can be appropriate for small transfers, whereas an external hard drive can hold large amounts of data This option is appropriate for both side-by-side transfers as well as wipe and load scenarios 65348c01.fm Page 23 Monday, October 22, 2007 9:37 PM Selecting an Appropriate Installation Method 23 Windows Easy Transfer has specific compatibilities with other operating systems You can use the application to transfer the full data and settings listed when running from Windows XP or Windows Vista You can run the application on Windows 2000, but you will not transfer any custom configuration or program settings, only files If the source computer runs Windows XP Starter edition, you cannot use Windows Easy Transfer When you start Windows Easy Transfer (Start All Programs Accessories System Tools Windows Easy Transfer), you will be greeted with an opening screen, shown in Figure 1.5 The next screen, shown in Figure 1.6, allows you to start a new transfer or elect to continue a previous transfer Selecting Start a New Transfer will go to the next screen, where you will decide the direction of the transfer, either to this computer or from this computer, as shown in Figure 1.7 After you select that this is the new computer in this example, the next screen will ask what method you will use to transfer the data Selecting Easy Transfer Cable will start the process of connecting the two computers via the cable If you select More Options, the next screen, shown in Figure 1.8, will ask you whether Windows Easy Transfer is installed on the old computer If the old computer is running Windows Vista, it already has the application installed If not, you will need to install it Clicking No, I Need to Install It Now will give you several options to transfer the program You can move the installation files to your old computer via USB flash drive, burn a CD, save the files to an external hard disk or network share, or simply use the Windows Vista installation disc After you have selected a method of transfer and it has taken you through the process of transferring those files, you will be asked if you want to use the network to transfer settings or use removable media If you use the network option to transfer the data, you will be prompted to create a key to provide security when starting your transfer, as shown in Figure 1.9 FIGURE 1.5 Windows Transfer Wizard: Welcome screen 65348c01.fm Page 24 Monday, October 22, 2007 9:37 PM 24 Chapter Installing Windows Vista FIGURE 1.6 Windows Transfer Wizard: new or existing transfer screen FIGURE 1.7 Windows Easy Transfer: transfer method screen 65348c01.fm Page 25 Monday, October 22, 2007 9:37 PM Selecting an Appropriate Installation Method FIGURE 1.8 Windows Easy Transfer: transferring installation files FIGURE 1.9 Windows Easy Transfer: creating a key 25 65348c01.fm Page 26 Monday, October 22, 2007 9:37 PM 26 Chapter Installing Windows Vista At this point, you will start the transfer from the old computer after you installed Windows Easy Transfer In this example, the program is being installed from the Windows Vista installation disc onto a Windows XP computer When the Windows Vista Install Windows screen opens after the disc is inserted, select the link Transfer Files and Settings from Another Computer, as shown in Figure 1.10, to start Windows Easy Transfer on the old computer In the example, we’re transferring directly using a network connection to the new computer You could also save the files to a network share Once the method of transfer questions are answered, you will be prompted to decide what you will transfer, as shown in Figure 1.11 You can an all-inclusive transfer by selecting All User Accounts, Files, and Settings; just transfer the currently logged-on user’s settings by selecting My User Account, Files, and Settings Only; or choose Advanced Options if you would like to specify the settings that will be transferred With the Advanced Options, shown in Figure 1.12, you can, for example, choose to leave out application settings, only transfer files saved in the Documents folders, or even specify that you want to include or exclude files from another folder or drive not listed Note that you can include additional file locations from the other selections, not just from Advanced Options Once ready, click Next or Transfer and the process will begin You may see one or more screens to, for example, map an old account to a new account name, but Windows Easy Transfer will ultimately take you to a screen like the one shown in Figure 1.13 FIGURE 1.10 Link to install Windows Easy Transfer on the old computer 65348c01.fm Page 27 Monday, October 22, 2007 9:37 PM Selecting an Appropriate Installation Method FIGURE 1.11 Windows Easy Transfer: select what to transfer FIGURE 1.12 Windows Easy Transfer: Advanced Options 27 65348.book Page 59 Monday, October 22, 2007 4:27 PM Understanding Windows Aero FIGURE 2.16 59 Windows Flip Windows Flip 3D Windows Flip 3D offers the same functionality as Windows Flip; you can quickly cycle through your running applications and pick one to make active The difference is in the appearance To use Windows Flip 3D you use the Windows Key+Tab rather than Alt+Tab Instead of a list of small thumbnails, you see all of your running application as larger images in a cascade effect on the screen, as shown in Figure 2.17 FIGURE 2.17 Windows Flip 3D 65348.book Page 60 Monday, October 22, 2007 4:27 PM 60 Chapter Customizing and Configuring Windows Vista Configuring Windows Aero To configure Aero, you will need to be familiar with several tools in Windows Vista Unfortunately, there is no single place to configure everything in Aero In this section, we will take you on a quick tour of the applets you will use to configure Aero: Display Theme Probably the most important setting when it comes to using Aero is the display theme This is basically the on/off switch for Aero If you chose to use the Windows Vista theme, you will be turning on Aero If you instead chose Windows Classic, you will be running the Basic interface To modify your display theme, use the Personalization applet in Control Panel Open Control Panel and select Appearance and Personalization Personalization Theme This opens the Theme Settings dialog box, as shown in Figure 2.18 In this dialog box, you can choose your desired theme If the Windows Vista theme is not in the list, the system is probably not capable of running Aero Color and Appearance The Window Color and Appearance applet allows you to choose your color theme, color intensity, and transparency option To open this applet, open Control Panel and select Appearance and Personalization Personalization Window Color and Appearance The Window Color and Appearance applet is shown in Figure 2.19 As you can see, you have a lot of control over the color, intensity, and even the hue, saturation, and brightness of the selected color The other option on this screen is Enable Transparency, which controls the transparency of windows and the Start menu and effectively controls Aero Glass FIGURE 2.18 The Theme Settings dialog box 65348.book Page 61 Monday, October 22, 2007 4:27 PM Understanding Windows Aero FIGURE 2.19 61 The Window Color and Appearance applet Performance Options Many of the options of Aero can also be configured via the Visual Effects tab of the Performance Options dialog box To get to these settings, open Control Panel and select System and Maintenance Performance Information and Tools Adjust Visual Effects This opens the Performance Options dialog box, as shown in Figure 2.20 The Visual Effects tab provides all the options for the visual experience in Windows Vista The more options you enable, the more resources will be required to run the effects You have four options when setting up the visual effects settings: Let Windows Choose What’s Best for My Computer: Tells Windows to set up the visual effect based on your hardware Adjust for Best Appearance: Enables all effects Adjust for Best Performance: Disables all effects Custom: Allows the user to decide which features to enable and disable A large portion of the changes to Windows Vista are in the graphical elements, and the Aero interface is the largest portion of the graphical changes Understanding the settings of Aero and where to go to modify them is crucial to your ability to support and troubleshoot Windows Vista 65348.book Page 62 Monday, October 22, 2007 4:27 PM 62 Chapter FIGURE 2.20 Customizing and Configuring Windows Vista The Performance Options dialog box Customizing and Configuring User Accounts User accounts have been a big part of recent versions of Windows, allowing users to collect their personal information and settings This enabled you to share a computer with other people and allowed everyone to have a personal user experience Users get their own documents, background, and Internet Explorer favorites, as well as other Windows-specific settings and third-party program customizations User accounts also provide a way to secure the computer by setting what permissions each account should have This has been a difficult concept to enforce with previous versions of Windows, because many day-to-day operations require that users install programs and access certain files Normally, this would require that a user log off their account and use a separate account with the required privileges This process proves to be too much of a hassle for most users, so they just set all accounts to have administrative access Now, anything that runs from the context of that user’s account has full access to the computer This has proven to be a costly problem 65348.book Page 63 Monday, October 22, 2007 4:27 PM Customizing and Configuring User Accounts 63 with viruses and malware running rampant and taking advantage of these open permissions to change system files and use the computer to infect other computers on the network Windows Vista introduces a better way to manage the necessity for administrator permissions and provide the security of a standard user with User Account Control (UAC) UAC provides an infrastructure to allow use of a standard user account and elevate permissions if administrative permissions are required This allows a user to prevent unwanted programs from gaining access to the system while giving a desired program the access necessary to install and access files Even full-fledged administrative accounts run in the context of a standard user until the administrative credentials are required UAC means user accounts are not only preferred but are required There are three types of user accounts in Windows Vista: an administrator account, a standard user account, and a guest account The standard account should be used most often for everyday tasks It will have limited access to sensitive areas of the computer The administrator account is used to change system settings and install software The guest account has limited permissions and is intended only for temporary access Since the guest account is used rarely, we won’t cover it in depth here In the following sections, we cover the administrator and standard accounts Understanding Administrator Accounts An administrator account rules the computer It has access to all the settings that can affect other users Administrators can change security settings, add and remove hardware, and modify any file on the computer An administrator also has the access to add, change, and delete user accounts An administrator account is so essential to the operating system that when you installed Windows Vista, the first account you were required to create was an administrator account Most people are not familiar with an administrator account because, in many cases, all accounts were given administrator access to the system To make UAC work, you must define an administrator account as separate from a day-to-day standard user account To see your accounts, you can open the Computer Management MMC snap-in Click Start; then right-click Computer and select Manage You will need administrative rights since this applet can modify computer settings Expand Local Users and Group and click the Users folder, as shown in Figure 2.21 Here you will see the Administrator account This account is created by default to manage the computer The built-in administrator account is disabled by default in Windows Vista on new installations for security purposes If, during an in-place upgrade, Windows Vista determines that the built-in administrator account is the only administrator account active, it will be left as active Other user accounts can be assigned to the Administrators user group and have administrator rights as well The first account created during a clean installation is added to the administrators group You can view all the user accounts that have administrative rights by clicking on the Groups folder on the left and viewing the properties of the Administrators group, as shown in Figure 2.22 You can add existing users to the group from this window, or you can add the user to a group from the user account Properties window 65348.book Page 64 Monday, October 22, 2007 4:27 PM 64 Chapter Customizing and Configuring Windows Vista FIGURE 2.21 Local user accounts FIGURE 2.22 Administrators group Properties 65348.book Page 65 Monday, October 22, 2007 4:27 PM Customizing and Configuring User Accounts 65 When a standard user attempts to access or perform an action that requires administrator rights, such as installing an application, they can enter administrator credentials in a prompt This allows for something known as over the over-the-shoulder (OTS) credentials Simply put, an administrator who is literally watching over the shoulder of a user can enter their username and password at the elevation prompt and the action the user was performing will complete using the administrator’s credentials This elevation saves time as the standard user can remain logged on during the operation Figure 2.23 shows the UAC message a standard user will receive when the option to elevate is enabled If you don’t want your standard users to receive a prompt for credentials, you can simply deny the elevation request All UAC dialog boxes take over the entire session Once a dialog box comes up, the rest of the screen is blacked out and the user is forced to respond to the UAC prompt in order to continue The other component of UAC is the Admin Approval mode, whereby administrators are prompted to approve any action they take that requires administrative rights Similar to the credential elevation prompt, the Admin Approval prompt takes over the entire screen when you are prompted Figure 2.24 shows the prompt an administrator will receive in order to confirm the action The Admin Approval mode is on by default when you install Windows Vista This mode prevents administrators from making potentially hazardous changes by accident FIGURE 2.23 UAC administrator credentials prompt 65348.book Page 66 Monday, October 22, 2007 4:27 PM 66 Chapter FIGURE 2.24 Customizing and Configuring Windows Vista The UAC Admin Approval mode prompt Permissions of Administrator Accounts An administrator account can perform certain tasks that a standard user does not have the rights to perform The following list has some examples of actions an administrator account can take that a standard user cannot: Access the Windows Firewall Control Panel Add, modify, or delete files in the Program Files and Windows folders Add, modify, or remove user accounts Browse to other user directories Configure Automatic Updates Configure Remote Desktop settings Install a device driver Install ActiveX controls Install Windows updates Install, modify, and uninstall applications Modify settings in the Security Policy Editor Restore system files from backup Set up and modify parental controls Set up automated tasks The Power Users group is not available by default on Windows Vista Its intent was to provide more access to perform system tasks, but UAC now can provide that functionality better You can still use the Power Users group for backward compatibility by creating a security template to allow the Power Users group access to system files and registry settings similar to Windows XP For the most part, you should have no reason to use the Power Users group again 65348.book Page 67 Monday, October 22, 2007 4:27 PM Customizing and Configuring User Accounts 67 Understanding Standard User Accounts A standard user account provides enough permission for day-to-day computing tasks while protecting the computer from unwanted or unexpected changes You should create a separate standard account for each user in order to provide them with a personalized computing experience and separate personal data When using UAC, all users, regardless of type, will run as standard users If you access a function that will affect other users or computer settings, you will be prompted for administrator permissions by providing a password for an administrator account To help standard users know what they can and cannot change, the Windows Vista GUI has been enhanced with a new shield icon that is displayed next to functions or features that require administrative rights We mentioned earlier that standard users can change the computer’s time zone, but they are still not permitted to change the system time Take a look at Figure 2.25, which shows the Date and Time dialog box FIGURE 2.25 The Data and Time dialog box showing the administrator rights shield As you can see in Figure 2.25, the Change Date and Time button has a small shield icon on its left This is the shield icon that tells the user that administrator rights are required to perform the function Conversely, there is no shield on the Change Time Zone button, which is now a feature that a standard user can modify What happens when a user attempts to access an administrative feature will depend on the settings that have been configured for UAC 65348.book Page 68 Monday, October 22, 2007 4:27 PM 68 Chapter Customizing and Configuring Windows Vista Permissions of Standard User Accounts The standard user account permissions have not changed much from Windows XP You are limited in the things you can and, for the most part, are limited to changing your own data and account settings Here is a list of some common tasks a standard user can perform: Automatically defragment the hard drive by the service, not user initiated Burn to CD or DVD media Change accessibility settings Change power options Change the time zone Change the user’s password Configure the display Connect to a computer with Remote Desktop Make a LAN connection, wired or wireless Modify the user’s background Play a CD or DVD Restore files from backup Set up a mobile device for synchronization Set up and connect a Bluetooth device Choosing Settings to Optimize Performance A user may tell you their computer isn’t performing, but you should recognize that, usually, there is a specific reason why the computer is performing poorly It possible there are too many startup programs when the computer boots, causing unneeded wait time You could have a runaway service that is eating up CPU cycles You might need an update to the operating system Perhaps the computer just needs a boost from a new caching system All of these options are available to the savvy technician Learn about these tools of the trade, and save the day for your users Using the System Configuration Tool to Add and Remove Startup Items The System Configuration tool (MSConfig) is a tool that allows you to diagnose and troubleshoot problem that affect Windows startup It also helps you find programs that are loading that may be unnecessary or that are dragging down performance You can even track down 65348.book Page 69 Monday, October 22, 2007 4:27 PM Choosing Settings to Optimize Performance 69 unruly startup programs from an in-place upgrade You can start MSConfig by clicking Start Run, typing msconfig, and clicking OK The System Configuration utility has several tabs that provide different functions The first tab is the General tab, as shown in Figure 2.26: The Normal Startup radio button is the default setting and shows that Windows Vista is starting without any troubleshooting modes enabled It will run with setting from the other tabs for one reboot and then return those settings to their previous state The Diagnostic Startup mode will start Windows Vista with only basic services and drivers and ignore any other startup programs If Windows Vista fails to start with this mode, there may be a problem with the basic Windows Vista files or drivers possibly being corrupted The Selective Startup mode starts Windows Vista with basic services and drivers plus the other programs you have selected on the other tabs This can help you narrow down a problem to a specific service or startup program FIGURE 2.26 MSConfig: the General tab The Boot tab (Figure 2.27) shows options used to troubleshoot problems during boot into Windows Vista Here you can click the Safe Boot check box to enable the options for safe boot: The Minimal option under Safe Boot boots Windows Vista to a graphical interface but only runs critical services and drivers Networking services are disabled The Alternate Shell option under Safe Boot bypasses the graphical interface and instead boots to a command prompt In this mode, networking and the graphical interface are not loaded The Active Directory Repair option under Safe Boot boots Windows Vista to the graphical interface in Safe Mode; it runs only critical services but adds Active Directory The Network option under Safe Boot boots Windows Vista to the graphical interface in Safe Mode; it runs only critical services but adds networking services 65348.book Page 70 Monday, October 22, 2007 4:27 PM 70 Chapter Customizing and Configuring Windows Vista There are additional options to the right of the Safe Boot area that provide additional troubleshooting These options not require a Safe Boot mode to be enabled: The No GUI Boot option disables the Windows Vista splash screen during boot The Boot Log option enables writing to the log file ntbtlog.txt This contains all information about the boot process and is stored in %SystemRoot% The Base Video option enables the graphical interface but only in a basic VGA mode This is useful when troubleshooting display driver problems since the driver loaded is the generic VGA driver The OS Boot Information option shows the names of the drivers as they are being loaded The Make All Boot Settings Permanent option sets any changes made as permanent and does not allow rollback of those changes by switching back to Normal mode on the General tab The Services tab (Figure 2.28) shows the services that start during boot and indicates if they are running or stopped Here, you can enable or disable service startup at the next boot when Normal Startup is selected on the General tab If you are in Selective Startup mode on the General tab, you have to reenable the services manually There is an option called Hide All Microsoft Services so the list will show only third-party applications This is useful if you are troubleshooting a third-party program There are also two buttons, Enable All and Disable All Using Disable All will disable all but a few Microsoft services required to start the operating system Take care when disabling services, since they can cause instability to the overall operating system, especially if they are essential to boot FIGURE 2.27 MSConfig: the Boot tab 65348.book Page 71 Monday, October 22, 2007 4:27 PM Choosing Settings to Optimize Performance FIGURE 2.28 71 MSConfig: the Services tab The Startup tab (Figure 2.29) shows the programs that run at boot It lists the program name, the name of the publisher, the path to the executable run, and the registry key or shortcut that calls the program to run at startup To prevent a program from running at the next boot, uncheck the box next to the program This will disable the program at next boot only if Normal Startup is selected on the General tab If Selective Boot is selected on the General tab, the program will be prevented from running at boot until you manually change the setting Many third-party programs install small utilities that can bog down startup time This section is most useful to find those programs and identify their usefulness and impact on boot time Be aware that if you disable a program that your applications are dependent on, it may have an impact on performance or overall stability FIGURE 2.29 MSConfig: the Startup tab 65348.book Page 72 Monday, October 22, 2007 4:27 PM 72 Chapter Customizing and Configuring Windows Vista The Tools tab (Figure 2.30) is a quick shortcut to other tools you can use to troubleshoot problems with the system Some particularly noteworthy options are Event Viewer, where you can see if errors are occurring; Performance Monitor, where you can see the performance impact of programs; and Disable UAC, which will turn off User Account Control FIGURE 2.30 MSConfig: the Tools tab Enabling and Disabling Services Services, introduced with Windows NT, are programs that run regardless of who is logged on and what the status of the user is Services are often programs that need to run in the background at all times Some examples may be your antivirus scanner, Windows Firewall, or core Windows functions like SuperFetch You may need to start, stop, or otherwise modify the properties of a service to troubleshoot an issue To see and work with services in Windows Vista, you need to open the Services MMC snapin One way is to open Computer Management Click Start, then right-click Computer and select Manage In the Computer Management window, expand Service and Applications on the left side and then click Services Alternatively, you could click Start Run, type services.msc, and press Enter You will see a list of several columns with information related to the services, as shown in Figure 2.31 The first column is the service name; next is the description The Status column shows whether the service is started The Startup Type column shows Automatic, which means the service will start when Windows Vista starts; Automatic (Delayed Start), which starts the service after other automatic services; or Manual, meaning it must be started manually or disabled so that it cannot be accidentally started without modifying the properties of the service Log On As shows what account the service uses to run Usually, this will be built-in accounts such as Local System or Network Service, but it is possible to run a service using a regular user account In addition to the columns, if you are on the Extended tab you will see information and options to the left of the services list when you click a service, such as a link to start and stop the service, and possibly a description of the service To the right is the More Actions menu, containing context menus that will provide similar functions 65348.book Page 73 Monday, October 22, 2007 4:27 PM Choosing Settings to Optimize Performance FIGURE 2.31 73 Services To start, stop, or modify a service, you can simply right-click the service You will see the various options to start and stop a service with the options not available grayed out You will also have the option to click Properties When you open the service’s Properties you will have several options, as shown in Figure 2.32 On the General tab you will see the service name, display name, description, path to the executable, and service status You can change the startup type, stop or start the service, and set start parameters The Log On tab allows you to set an account the service can run as You can allow the service to interact with the desktop, which is discouraged since data not intended for the user can be displayed on the user’s desktop The Recovery tab allows you to set behavior if a service fails For example, you can try to restart the service every minutes The Dependencies tab will show what the service is dependent on to run This is important if you start a service that is dependent on another service because it may fail if it’s not started When stopping a service, all services dependent on it will be stopped as well You don’t have to use the MMC snap-in to manage services You can also start and stop services from the command line Table 2.2 lists the commands Just add the name of the service to the end of these commands (not the display name) For example, to start the COM Host service, type net start comhost See Figure 2.33 for this example You must be running the command prompt as an administrator to use these commands ... crucial to your ability to support and troubleshoot Windows Vista 65348.book Page 62 Monday, October 22 , 20 07 4 :27 PM 62 Chapter FIGURE 2. 20 Customizing and Configuring Windows Vista The Performance... the Windows Sidebar Properties dialog box, shown in Figure 2. 2 65348.book Page 45 Monday, October 22 , 20 07 4 :27 PM Using the Sidebar and Gadgets FIGURE 2. 1 The Windows Vista Sidebar FIGURE 2. 2... Customizing and Configuring Windows Vista FIGURE 2. 21 Local user accounts FIGURE 2. 22 Administrators group Properties 65348.book Page 65 Monday, October 22 , 20 07 4 :27 PM Customizing and Configuring