Chapter 10: Configuring Windows XP Professional

1
Chapter 10 Configuring Windows XP Professional

• By the Objectives

2
Chapter Overview

• Configuring and Troubleshooting the Display
• Configuring Power Management
• Configuring Operating System Settings
• Configuring and Troubleshooting the Desktop
  Environment
• Managing Windows Components

3
Introduction to Configuring Windows XP
Professional

• Microsoft Windows XP Professional stores
  configuration information in two locations the
  registry and the Active Directory service.
• Modifications to the registry or Active Directory
  change the configuration of the Windows XP
  Professional environment.
• You use the following tools to modify the
  registry or Active Directory
• Microsoft Management Console (MMC)
• Control Panel
• Registry Editor

4
Lesson 1 Objectives

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

5
Configuring Display and Desktop Properties
6
Display Adapter Advanced Options

• General tab
• Adapter tab
• Monitor tab
• Troubleshoot tab
• Color Management tab

7
Using Multiple Displays

• Multiple displays can extend the desktop across a
  maximum of 10 monitors.
• Multiple displays require Peripheral Component
  Interconnect (PCI) or Accelerated Graphics Port
  (AGP) devices.
• Hardware requirements for primary and secondary
  displays differ.
• Some display adapters are built into the
  motherboard.

8
Configuring Multiple Displays

• Turn off the computer.
• Install multiple PCI or AGP video adapters.
• Plug an additional monitor into each PCI or AGP
  video adapter.
• Power on the computer.
• Windows XP Professional detects the new adapters
  and installs the appropriate device drivers.
• Configure each of the multiple displays.

9
Troubleshooting Common Problems with Multiple
Displays

• You cannot see any output on the secondary
  display.
• The Extend My Windows Desktop Onto This Monitor
  check box is unavailable.
• An application fails to display on the secondary
  display.

10
Lesson Two Objective

• Use Control Panel to configure Power Options

11
Configuring Power Options
12
Selecting a Power Scheme

• Home/Office Desk
• Portable/Laptop
• Presentation
• Always On
• Minimal Power Management
• Max Battery

13
Configuring Advanced Power Options
14
Enabling Hibernation
15
Configuring Advanced Power Management

• Advanced Power Management (APM) helps reduce the
  power consumption of your system.
• If the APM tab is not available, either
• The computer is compliant with Advanced
  Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI)
• The computer does not have an APM basic
  input/output system (BIOS) installed

16
Configuring an Uninterruptible Power Supply

• An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a device
  connected between a computer or another piece of
  electronic equipment and a power source. The UPS
• Ensures that the electrical flow to the computer
  is not interrupted because of a blackout
• Protects the computer against potentially
  damaging events such as power surges and
  brownouts
• Different UPS models offer different levels of
  protection.
• Click the UPS tab in the Power Options Properties
  dialog box to configure your UPS.

17
Lesson Three Objectives

• 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

18
Configuring Performance Options
19
Configuring Visual Effects
20
Configuring Advanced Performance Options
21
Configuring Virtual Memory
22
Enhancing Performance with Virtual Memory

• Create a paging file for each hard disk.
• Move the paging file off the drive that contains
  the Windows XP Professional systemroot folder.
• Increase the initial size of the paging file.

23
Introduction to User Profiles

• User profiles store settings for your Desktop and
  other information related to your user account.
• There are two types of user profiles
• Local profile, which is created the first time a
  user logs on to a computer
• Roaming profile, which sets up the same desktop
  environment no matter what computer the user logs
  on to
• The User Profiles dialog box lets you change the
  type of profile, delete profiles, or copy
  existing profiles.

24
Configuring Startup and Recovery Settings
25
Introduction to Environment Variables

• Environment variables define the system and user
  environment information.
• Environment variables provide information that
  Windows XP Professional uses to control various
  applications.

26
How Windows XP Professional Sets Environment
Variables

• Windows XP Professional searches the AUTOEXEC.BAT
  file, if it exists, and sets any environment
  variables.
• System environment variables are set next.
• These variables override any conflicting
  variables from the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
• User environment variables are set last.
• These variables override any conflicting
  variables that have already been set.

27
Configuring Error Reporting
28
Configuring System Restore

• System Restore lets you track and reverse harmful
  changes made to your system.
• System Restore is turned on by default.
• To turn off System Restore
• In the System Properties dialog box, click the
  System Restore tab.
• Select the Turn Off System Restore On All Drives
  check box.
• To configure a single drive or the disk space
  usage for System Restore, in the System Restore
  tab, click Settings.

29
Configuring Automatic Updates

• Automatic Updates (AU) is a proactive service
  that allows users with administrative privileges
  to automatically download and install critical
  operating system updates.
• AU uses the following Notification Settings
  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 bandwidth throttling technology.
• Go to the Windows Update Page at
  www.microsoft.com to manually install any
  available update.

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Configuring Remote Access

• The Remote Access feature lets you invite a
  remote assistant to help you over the Internet.
• Use the Remote Assistance section of the Remote
  tab to configure remote access.
• Select the Allow Remote Assistance Invitations To
  Be Sent From This Computer check box to invite a
  remote assistant to help you.
• Click the Advanced button to configure Remote
  Assistance.
• Select or clear the Allow This Computer To Be
  Controlled Remotely check box.
• Set the Maximum Amount Of Time Invitations Can
  Remain Open option.

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Configuring Remote Access (Cont.)

• Use the Remote Desktop section of the Remote tab
  to enable remote access to your computer.
• Select the Allow Users To Connect Remotely To
  This Computer check box to allow a remote
  assistant to connect to your computer.
• The Select Remote Users button lets you give
  users access to the computer.
• Members of the Administrators group already have
  remote access.

32
Joining a Domain or Workgroup

• The Computer Name tab of the System Properties
  dialog box provides two methods for joining a
  computer to a workgroup or a domain.
• Click the Network ID button to launch the Network
  ID Wizard.
• Click the Change button.
• Joining a computer to a domain requires one of
  the following
• A computer account created for your computer in
  the domain
• 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

33
Lesson Four Objectives

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

34
Regional And Language Options Dialog Box
35
Configuring Multiple Languages
36
Advanced Tab
37
Configuring and Troubleshooting Accessibility
Options
38
StickyKeys Settings
39
FilterKeys Settings
40
ToggleKeys Settings
41
Configuring Sound Options
42
Configuring Display Options
43
Configuring Mouse Options
44
Configuring General Tab Options
45
Lesson Five Objectives

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

46
Installing and Removing Windows Components

• In Control Panel, click Add Or Remove Programs.
• In the Add Or Remove Programs window, click
  Add/Remove Windows Components.
• Windows XP Professional starts the Windows
  Components Wizard.
• To add a component, select the component you want
  to add and follow the wizards instructions for
  installing it.
• To remove a component, on the Windows Component
  page, clear the check box for the component you
  want to remove and follow the wizards
  instructions.

47
Chapter Summary

• The Desktop Items dialog box lets you 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 can extend your display across a maximum of
  10 monitors if you use PCI or AGP video adapters.

48
Chapter Summary (Cont.)

• 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.
• The hibernation feature saves the current system
  state to your hard disk and then shuts down your
  computer. When you restart the computer, it
  returns to its previous state.
• The Advanced tab of the System Properties dialog
  box lets you configure performance options, user
  profiles, startup and recovery settings,
  environment variables, and error reporting.

49
Chapter Summary (Cont.)

• The System Restore feature lets you track and
  reverse harmful changes made to your system.
• AU lets users with administrative privileges
  automatically download and install critical
  operating system updates.
• The Remote Assistance feature lets you invite a
  remote assistant to help you over the Internet.
• To join your computer to a domain or a workgroup,
  use the Computer Name tab of the System
  Properties dialog box.

50
Chapter Summary (Cont.)

• Click Date, Time, Language, And Regional Options
  in Control Panel to configure Windows XP
  Professional for multiple languages and multiple
  locales.
• Click the Accessibility Options icon in Control
  Panel to configure accessibility options.
• Use the Add Or Remove Programs tool in Control
  Panel to
• Add and remove applications from CD-ROM, floppy
  disk, or network shares
• Add and remove Windows components, such as
  Internet Information Services (IIS)