Book description
Windows XP can be a great tool, but it is all too easy to trip over Windows XP's annoying traits more often than you leverage its productivity. Windows XP power-users troll online resources, documentation, and the expertise (or lucky finds) of friends for valuable tips and tricks--a keyboard shortcut here, an undocumented double-click there--to eliminate annoyances, save time, and take control of their Windows XP. But what if there was an easier way?This new book presents literally hundreds of problems and solutions, amazing power tips, cool tricks, and clever workarounds in one clearly organized, easy to use, and portable resource. Truly insightful and amusing, Windows XP Power Hound gives Windows XP users practical hints for everything from the desktop to Office programs to the registry, and includes documented (but little-known) tips as well as previously undocumented tricks. Windows XP Power Hound moves far beyond mere productivity and explores what's possible with Windows XP--including cool things you probably never thought of doing.An understanding of Windows XP basics will get the job done. But discovering the most useful I didn't know that! tips and shortcuts will make using Windows XP a far richer and less frustrating experience. The practical, concise format of Windows XP Power Hound makes it easy to dip into for a quick tip from time to time; the warm, jargon-free tone makes it easy to read cover to cover.Anyone who wants to smooth out Windows XP's speed bumps and get some serious speed to accelerate through the bottlenecks will find that even a handful of these useful, to-the-point tips will make Windows XP Power Hound worth its weight in chocolate.
Publisher resources
Table of contents
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Windows XP Power Hound
- SPECIAL OFFER: Upgrade this ebook with O’Reilly
- The Missing Credits
- Introduction
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1. Getting Started
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1.1. Startup and Shutdown
- 1.1.1. Instant Startup
- 1.1.2. Instant Startup for Laptops
- 1.1.3. Nixing the Startup Screen
- 1.1.4. Changing the Startup Screen
- 1.1.5. Good Housekeeping for Speedier Startups
- 1.1.6. Killing the Error Messenger
- 1.1.7. Customizing Your Startup Process
- 1.1.8. Automating Reboots and Shutdowns
- 1.1.9. Speedier Shutdown Times
- 1.1.10. Other Software that Can Control Startups and Shutdowns
- 1.2. Controlling Your Monitor and Sounds
- 1.3. Individual Windows Tricks
- 1.4. User Accounts and Logons
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1.1. Startup and Shutdown
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2. The Desktop and Interface
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2.1. Desktop Makeover
- 2.1.1. The Easiest Way to Customize Your Desktop
- 2.1.2. Changing the Standard Desktop Icons
- 2.1.3. Cleaning Your Desktop Automatically
- 2.1.4. Adding a Run Icon to Your Desktop
- 2.1.5. Rearranging Your Desktop Icons
- 2.1.6. Slapping Your Favorite Web Page on Your Desktop
- 2.1.7. Special Effects for the Windows Desktop
- 2.2. The Start Menu
- 2.3. The Taskbar
- 2.4. The Control Panel
- 2.5. Icons and Themes
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2.1. Desktop Makeover
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3. Windows Explorer and Searching
- 3.1. The Windows Explorer Interface
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3.2. Working with Files and Folders
- 3.2.1. Instantly Jumping to a File or Folder
- 3.2.2. Copying and Moving Files Faster
- 3.2.3. Customizing the File Details Displayed in Explorer
- 3.2.4. Adding Images to Your Folders
- 3.2.5. Showing File Name Extensions
- 3.2.6. Renaming Groups of Files in One Fell Swoop
- 3.2.7. Displaying Hidden and System Files and Folders
- 3.2.8. Changing Where Windows Stores Documents
- 3.2.9. Making it Easier to Open Files
- 3.2.10. Setting the Program Used to Open a File Type
- 3.2.11. Displaying Cascading Folders on the Start Menu
- 3.3. Compressing Files and Folders
- 3.4. Searching Your Computer
- 4. Built-In Utilities
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5. Microsoft Office
- 5.1. General Office Advice
- 5.2. Microsoft Word
- 5.3. Excel
- 5.4. PowerPoint
- 5.5. Access
- 5.6. FrontPage
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6. The Internet
- 6.1. Internet Speed Tricks
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6.2. Pop-Ups and Cookies
- 6.2.1. Software that Stops Pop-Ups
- 6.2.2. Alternative Browsers that Stop Pop-Ups
- 6.2.3. Shooting the Windows Messenger
- 6.2.4. Crumbling Cookies
- 6.2.5. Custom Cookie Settings
- 6.2.6. Share Your Cookies
- 6.2.7. Examining and Deleting Cookies
- 6.2.8. Managing Cookies with Add-On Software
- 6.2.9. Keeping Advertisers Away from Your Cookies
- 6.3. Firewalls
- 6.4. Online Safety You May Not Have Considered
- 6.5. Evaluating and Troubleshooting
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6.6. Windows Messenger
- 6.6.1. Are You Using Windows Messenger or MSN Messenger?
- 6.6.2. Protecting Your Privacy in Windows Messenger
- 6.6.3. Split Your Personality with Windows Messenger
- 6.6.4. Yes, You Can Skin Messenger
- 6.6.5. Turning Off Messenger's Tabs
- 6.6.6. Save a Messaging Session to a Text File
- 6.6.7. Windows Messenger Add-Ons
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6.7. Other Instant Messengers
- 6.7.1. Downloading Other Instant Messengers
- 6.7.2. Turn Off the AIM Today Window
- 6.7.3. Stopping Online Harassment in AIM
- 6.7.4. Sending Text Messages with Yahoo! Messenger
- 6.7.5. Spicing up Yahoo! Messenger
- 6.7.6. ICQ on the Desktop
- 6.7.7. ICQ Shortcut Keys
- 6.7.8. Protecting Yourself Against Instant Messaging Dangers
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7. Web Browsers
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7.1. Smarter Surfing
- 7.1.1. Address Shortcuts
- 7.1.2. Getting the Big Picture
- 7.1.3. Making Web Fonts Easier to Read
- 7.1.4. Opening a New Web Page in Its Own Window
- 7.1.5. Keyboard Shortcuts
- 7.1.6. Filling Out Forms Faster
- 7.1.7. Revisiting History
- 7.1.8. Printing a Wide Web Page
- 7.1.9. Saving Web Pages on Your PC
- 7.1.10. Saving Web Pages with SurfSaver
- 7.1.11. Saving Frequently Updated Web Pages Automatically
- 7.2. Searching the Web from Internet Explorer
- 7.3. Managing Your Favorites
- 7.4. Cache Flow
- 7.5. Customizing Internet Explorer
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7.6. Alternative Browsers
- 7.6.1. Mozilla vs. Netscape
- 7.6.2. A Google Toolbar for Netscape, Mozilla, and Firefox
- 7.6.3. Speeding Up Netscape with Keyboard Shortcuts
- 7.6.4. Dressing Up Netscape with Themes
- 7.6.5. Filling in the Blanks with Netscape
- 7.6.6. Adding Firefox Features
- 7.6.7. Mozilla Firefox Shortcuts
- 7.6.8. Rewinding Your Opera Session
- 7.6.9. Waving the Opera Wand
- 7.6.10. Speeding Up Opera with Keyboard Shortcuts
- 7.6.11. Nota Bene Opera
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7.1. Smarter Surfing
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8. Email
- 8.1. Sending and Receiving Email
- 8.2. Sign-Offs
- 8.3. Slamming Spam
- 8.4. Organizing and Handling Mail
- 8.5. Getting Email to Play Nicely with Windows
- 8.6. Outlook-Only Tips
- 8.7. Just for Outlook Express
- 8.8. Beyond Outlook: Other Email Software
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9. Networking
- 9.1. Wireless Networking
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9.2. Home Networking
- 9.2.1. Desktop Shortcuts for Your Network Resources
- 9.2.2. Finding Another Computer on the Network
- 9.2.3. Stop Searching for Network Resources
- 9.2.4. Speeding Up My Network Places and Network Browsing
- 9.2.5. A Faster Path to Computers on Your Network
- 9.2.6. Coaxing Your Network Card to Run Its Fastest
- 9.2.7. Optimizing Your Router
- 9.2.8. Sharing Files on a Network
- 9.2.9. Chatting on Your Network with WinChat
- 9.3. Troubleshooting Network Problems
- 10. Hardware
- 11. System Speedups
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12. Security
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12.1. Securing Your System
- 12.1.1. Microsoft's Baseline Security Adviser
- 12.1.2. Windows Update
- 12.1.3. Manually Checking for Updates
- 12.1.4. Checking for Viruses
- 12.1.5. Stripping Personal Information from Your Documents
- 12.1.6. Preventing Word from Stealing Your Files
- 12.1.7. Hard-to-Crack Passwords
- 12.1.8. Safe Travels with a Laptop
- 12.2. Encryption for Windows XP Pro
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12.1. Securing Your System
- 13. Crash Recovery
- 14. Windows Media Player
- 15. The Registry
- A. Windows XP Keyboard Shortcuts
- Index
- About the Author
- Colophon
- SPECIAL OFFER: Upgrade this ebook with O’Reilly
Product information
- Title: Windows XP Power Hound
- Author(s):
- Release date: September 2004
- Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
- ISBN: 9780596552299
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