Optimizing Windows 7 Pocket Consultant

Cover Page......Page 1
Copyright......Page 2
Contents Page......Page 3
How Is This Book Organized?......Page 9
Support & Feedback......Page 10
Stay in Touch......Page 11
Boosting Your Desktop IQ......Page 13
Optimizing Interface Performance......Page 14
Mastering Desktop Essentials......Page 16
Stretching the Desktop......Page 18
Making the Start Menu Work for You......Page 21
Customizing the Programs List......Page 22
Customizing the Important Folders and Tools List......Page 23
Putting the Taskbar Where You Want It......Page 24
Customizing Taskbar Appearance......Page 25
Pinning Programs to the Taskbar......Page 26
Using Flip Views and Jump Lists......Page 27
Customizing Basic Interfaces......Page 31
Personalizing Control Panel......Page 32
Fine-Tuning Control Prompts......Page 33
Creating an Alternate Control Panel View......Page 36
Optimizing Desktop Themes, Screen Savers, Backgrounds, and More......Page 37
Selecting and Tuning Themes......Page 38
Fine-Tuning Windows Aero Colors......Page 39
Customizing and Creating Your Own Desktop Backgrounds......Page 40
Choosing and Configuring Your Screen Saver......Page 43
Configuring and Creating Your System Sounds......Page 46
Customizing Your Mouse Pointers......Page 48
Saving Your Custom Themes and Creating Theme Packs......Page 49
Customizing Your Displays......Page 50
Customizing and Safeguarding Your User Account......Page 52
Changing and Creating Account Pictures......Page 53
Changing Your Account Type......Page 54
Creating, Storing, and Restoring Your Account Password......Page 55
Customizing Your Computer’s Firmware Interface......Page 57
Getting to Know Your Computer’s Firmware Interface......Page 58
Accessing and Setting Your Computer’s Firmware Interface......Page 59
Tracking and Configuring Power On and Resume......Page 62
Customizing Startup and Boot Configuration......Page 64
Fine-Tuning Startup and Recovery Settings......Page 65
Changing Your Computer’s Boot Configuration......Page 66
Performing an Advanced or Safe Mode Boot......Page 70
Customizing Boot Configuration with the BCD Editor......Page 72
Recovering from a Failed Resume......Page 75
Repairing a Computer to Enable Startup......Page 76
Exploring Your Computer in New Ways......Page 79
Address Bar Tips and Techniques......Page 80
Keyboard Tips and Techniques for Windows Explorer......Page 82
Fine-Tuning Folder Views......Page 84
Customizing Folder Options......Page 86
Windows Search Essentials......Page 90
Understanding Localized Searches......Page 91
Customizing Search Options......Page 92
Performing Advanced Searches with Filters......Page 94
Searching by Kind or Type of File......Page 97
Searching Using Date-Related Filters......Page 98
Searching Using Size-Related Filters......Page 101
Indexing Your Computer......Page 103
Including or Excluding Files by Type......Page 104
Resolving Indexing Problems......Page 106
Understanding and Tweaking User Account Control......Page 107
Understanding Autorun and Tweaking AutoPlay......Page 111
How Windows Installer and Program Compatibility Work......Page 113
How 64-Bit Software Works......Page 114
Installing and Running Your Software......Page 116
Making MS-DOS and 16-Bit Software Work......Page 118
Controlling Software Availability......Page 119
Resolving Compatibility Issues......Page 121
Choosing Default Programs......Page 124
Reconfiguring, Repairing, and Uninstalling Software......Page 127
Viewing and Managing Running Programs......Page 128
Tracking Relative Performance......Page 131
Understanding Your Computer’s Relative Performance Levels......Page 132
Improving Your Computer’s Relative Performance Levels......Page 135
Tracking Applications and Processes......Page 138
Tracking Performance and Resource Usage......Page 140
Event Logging and Viewing......Page 143
Digging into the Event Logs......Page 144
Resolving Performance Issues with the Logs......Page 145
Resolving Failures and Reliability Issues......Page 147
Checking for Problems That Are Affecting Performance......Page 148
Analyzing Reliability Issues That Are Affecting Performance......Page 150
Diagnosing and Resolving Problems with Troubleshooters......Page 153
Examining Resource Usage in Detail......Page 156
Logging Performance Data......Page 158
Choosing Counters to Monitor......Page 161
Identifying Performance Bottlenecks......Page 163
Selecting and Using Power Plans......Page 167
Creating and Optimizing Power Plans......Page 173
Resolving Power Problems That Are Affecting Performance......Page 174
Maintaining Performance with Updates......Page 176
Fine-Tuning Automatic Updates......Page 177
Resolving Update Problems......Page 178
Disabling Unnecessary Services and Features......Page 179
Fine-Tuning Virtual Memory......Page 180
Fine-Tuning Data Execution Prevention......Page 182
Enhancing Performance with ReadyBoost......Page 183
Cleaning Up Your Disk Drives......Page 185
Checking Your Disks for Errors......Page 186
Optimizing Disk Performance......Page 188
Firmware Interface Options......Page 191
Index......Page 197
About the Author......Page 207
Survey Page......Page 208