Windows 8 In Depth Book

Introduction

Chapter 1 Meet Windows 8

An Overview of Windows 8 7

Should I Get Windows 8? 11

Windows 8 Versions 13

Upgrading Windows 16

What’s New in Windows 8? 17

A Tale of Two Windows: The Start

Screen Versus the Desktop 17

Touch-a Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me! 17

Windows 8 Apps 18

Charmed, I’m Sure 19

Online User Accounts 20

File Explorer Ribbon 20

The Windows Store 20

Management Tools 21

Installation and Setup 22

Storage Spaces 22

Improved Web Browsing with Internet

Explorer 10 23

Faster Startup 23

Secure Boot 24

Integrated Cellular Data

Connections 24

Life Without the Start Menu 24

Chapter 2 Installing or Upgrading Windows 8

Windows 8 System Requirements 27

Processor Requirements 28

Memory Requirements 28

Storage Requirements 29

Graphics Requirements 30

Hardware Requirements for Various

Windows 8 Features 30

Preparing Your System: A Checklist 31

Check Your System Requirements 32

Back Up Your Files 32

Clean Up Your Hard Disk 32

Check and Defragment Your Hard Disk 32

Create a System Image Backup and a System Repair Disc 33

Installing Windows 8 34

Upgrading to Windows 8 37

Upgrading from Windows 7 37

Upgrading from Windows Vista 38

Upgrading from Windows XP 39

Running the Upgrade 40

Dual- (and Multi-) Booting Windows 8 41

Dual-Booting Windows 8 42

Multi-Booting with Three or More Operating Systems 42

Using Windows Boot Manager 43

Customizing the Boot Configuration Data 45

Using Windows Boot Manager to Modify the BCD 45

Using Startup and Recovery to Modify the BCD 46

Using the System Configuration Utility to Modify the BCD 47

Using BCDEDIT to Customize the Startup Options 49

Installing Windows 8 Components 54

Chapter 3 Your First Hour with Windows 8

The First Things to Do After Starting Windows 8 57

A Quick Tour of Windows 8’s Important Features 58

The Lock and Sign On Screens 58

The Start Screen 59

Windows 8—Style Apps (Don’t Call It Metro) 61

Charmed, I’m Sure 61

The Touch Tour 62

Important Keyboard Shortcuts 63

The Desktop, or Who Moved My Start Menu? 64

Windows Explorer Is Now Called File Explorer 64

Search Before You Look 66

Getting to the Management Tools 66

Setting Up User Accounts 68

Microsoft Versus Local Accounts 68

Create New Accounts 69

Change Account Settings 70

Before You Forget Your Password 72

Just One User? 73

Downloading Critical Updates 74

Personalizing Windows 8 74

Personalize Screen Settings 74

Tune Up the Taskbar 76

Important Adjustments and Tweaks 76

Transferring Information from Your Old Computer 77

Windows Easy Transfer 77

How the Heck Do I Shut This Thing Off? 81

More Than You Wanted to Know 82

After You Forget Your Password 82

Using a Password Reset Disk 84 Accessing the Real Administrator Account 84

Configuring a Default User Profile 85

If You’re Moving to Windows 8 from XP 86

Control Panel Wordiness 86

Where’s My Stuff? The User Profile Structure 86

Compatibility and Virtualization 88

User Account Control 90

The New Taskbar 91

Jumplists 92

Chapter 4 Using the Windows 8 Interface

Taking a Tour of the Windows 8 Interface 93

The App Bar 95

The Charms Menu 97

Navigating the Start Screen 98

Navigating the Start Screen with a Mouse 99

Navigating the Start Screen with a Keyboard 100

Navigating the Start Screen with a Touch Interface 102

Working with Running Apps 104

Snapping an App 104

Switching Between Running Apps 105

Shutting Down an App 107

Working with Notifications 107

Searching via the Start Screen 108

Customizing the Start Screen 110

Resizing a Tile 111

Moving a Tile 111

Creating an App Group 112

Turning Off a Live Tile 113

Pinning a Program to the Start Screen 114

Pinning a Website to the Start Screen 114

Displaying the Administrative Tools on the Start Screen 114

Adding Shutdown and Restart Tiles to the Start Screen 117

Customizing the Start Screen Background 118

Customizing the Lock Screen 119

Customizing the Lock Screen Background 120

Controlling the Apps Displayed on the Lock Screen 121

Disabling the Lock Screen 121

Bypassing the Start Screen 122

Booting Directly to the Desktop 122

Accessing Start Menu Items from the Taskbar 123

Pinning a Program to the Taskbar 123

Using Desktop Programs as the Defaults 125

Chapter 5 Windows 8 Apps and the Windows Store

The Windows 8 Apps 127

Calendar 129

Bing 130

Camera 130

Desktop 131

Finance 131

Internet Explorer 132

Mail 133

Maps 134

Messaging 136

Music 136

News 138

People 139

Photos 140

SkyDrive 140

Sports 141

Store 142

Travel 143

Video 144

Weather 145

Games 145

Installing Apps from the Windows Store 146

Uninstalling Windows 8 Apps 146

Sharing Windows 8 App Data 147

Chapter 6 Managing Files and Searching

Understanding File Types 149

File Types and File Extensions 149

File Types and the Registry 150

Navigating the Windows 8 Folder Windows 152

Folder Navigation 153

Instant Search 154

The Ribbon 154

The Navigation Pane 154

Basic File and Folder Chores: The Techniques Used by the Pros 155

Selecting Files with Check Boxes 155

Resolving File Transfer Conflicts 157

Expert Drag-and-Drop Techniques 158

Taking Advantage of the Send To Command 158

The Recycle Bin: Deleting and Recovering Files and Folders 159

File Maintenance Using the Open and Save As Dialog Boxes 161

Metadata and the File Explorer Property System 162

Desktop Searching 164

As-You-Type Searches with Instant Search 166

Using Advanced Query Syntax to Search Properties 167

Saving Searches 169

Grouping and Filtering with Metadata 169

Grouping Files 170

Filtering Files 171

Chapter 7 Devices and Printers

Windows Printing Primer 173

Installing and Configuring a Printer 175

Adding a New Printer 176

Installing a Local Printer 176

If the Printer Isn’t Found 177

What to Do If Your Printer Isn’t Listed 179

Changing a Printer’s Properties 181

Printing Preferences 181

Printer Properties 183

Print Server Properties 184

Removing a Printer 185

Printing from Your Applications 185

Printing Offline 187

Working with the Printer Queue 188

Deleting a File from the Queue 189

Canceling All Pending Print Jobs on a Given Printer 189

Pausing, Resuming, and Restarting the Printing Process 189

Advanced Printer Management 190

XPS Print Output 191

Faxing 191

Chapter 8 Accessories and Accessibility

A Boatload of Useful Tools 193

Gadgets Are Gone 194

Apps as Accessories 194

Desktop Accessories 195

Calculator 195

Character Map 196

Math Input Panel 197

Notepad 198

Paint 198

Snipping Tool 200

Steps Recorder 201

Sticky Notes 201

Sound Recorder 202

Windows Journal 202

WordPad 203

XPS Viewer 203

Accessibility Tools 204

Ease of Access Center (in Control Panel) 204

Ease of Access (in PC Settings) 205

Magnifier 206

Narrator 206

Chapter 9 Windows Media Player

Getting to Know Media Player 209

Navigating the Library 209

Customizing the Navigation Pane 211

Syncing Media Devices 212

Playing Media Files 213

Setting Media Player’s Playback Options 215

Copying Music from an Audio CD 216

Selecting a Location and Filename Structure 216

Choosing the Recording File Format 217

Specifying the Quality of the Recording 218

Copying Tracks from an Audio CD 219

Copying Tracks to a Recordable CD or Device 219

Creating a Playlist 220

Recording to a CD or Device 220

Streaming Your Media Library 220

Chapter 10 Windows Media Center

Windows 8 and Windows Media Center 223

Media Center Hardware Requirements 224

Connecting Your PC to Other Media Devices 226

Touring the Windows Media Center Interface 228

Some Useful Media Center Techniques 231

Rating Pictures via the Keyboard 231

Setting Up a Custom Slide Show 231

Setting Parental Controls 232

Media Center Keyboard Shortcuts 233

Archiving Recorded TV on Your Network 235

Chapter 11 Windows and Imaging Devices

Connecting Imaging Devices 239

Testing an Installed Scanner 240

Configuring Device Events 241

Accessing Media on a Memory Card 242

Importing Photos from a Digital Camera 243

Viewing Digital Camera Images 243

Importing Digital Camera Photos 244

Burning Photos to an Optical Disc 249

Selecting an Optical Disc Format 249

Burning a Mastered Disc 249

Closing a UDF Session 250

Burning a Live File System Disc 251

Sending Photos to a Printer 252

Chapter 12 Scanning and Faxing

Introducing Windows Fax and Scan 255

Installing Fax and Scanner

Hardware 256

Configuring the Fax Service 256

Creating a Customized Cover Page 258

Changing Fax Settings 259

Sending Faxes from Windows Fax and Scan 260

Monitoring Outgoing Faxes 263

Receiving Faxes 263

Printing Received Faxes

Automatically 264

Scanning Documents with Windows Fax and Scan 264

Editing Scan Profile Defaults 264

Creating a New Scan Profile 266

Scanning Images 266

Emailing and Faxing Scans 267

Chapter 13 More Windows 8 Media Tools

Controlling the Volume 269

Controlling the Overall System Volume 269

Controlling an Application’s Volume 270

Determining the Devices That Appear in the Volume Control 271

Balancing Your Headphones 271

Equalizing the Volume 273

Setting the Default Output Device 274

Assigning Sounds to Events 274

Recording Sounds with the Sound Recorder 275

Setting Up the Microphone 275

Recording a WMA File 276

Controlling Your Computer with Speech Recognition 276

Chapter 14 Getting Connected

Going Worldwide 279

Connection Technologies 280

Analog Modem 280

ISDN 280

DSL 280

Cable Modem 281

Satellite Service 282

Wireless and Cellular Service 282

Choosing a Technology 283

Choosing Equipment 284

Installing a Modem for Dial-Up Service 285

Configuring a Dial-Up Internet Connection 287

Creating a New Dial-Up Connection 287

Adjusting Dial-Up Connection Properties 288

Making and Ending a Dial-Up Connection 290

Hanging Up a Dial-Up Connection 292

Installing a Network Adapter for Broadband Service 293

Installing Filters for DSL Service 294

Configuring a High-Speed Connection 294

Configuring a PPPoE Broadband Connection 295

Setting Up Dynamic IP Addressing (DHCP) 296

Setting Up a Fixed IP Address 297

Changing the Default Connection 298

Managing Multiple Internet Connections 299

Chapter 15 Using Internet Explorer 10

Understanding Web Page Addresses 301

Tips and Techniques for Better Web Surfing 302

Taking Advantage of the Address Bar 304

Creating a Shortcut to a URL 305

Working with Tabs 306

Using the Handy History List 308

Searching the Web 310

The Favorites Folder: Sites to Remember 311

Adding a Shortcut to the Favorites Folder 311

Opening an Internet Shortcut from the Favorites Folder 312

Maintaining Favorites 312

Sharing Favorites with Other Browsers 313

Working with RSS Feeds 314

Subscribing to a Feed 315

Reading Feeds 316

Setting the Feed Update Schedule 316

Customizing Internet Explorer 317

Controlling the Web Page Cache 317

Setting Internet Explorer Options 318

Changing the Home Page 319

Configuring the Page History 320

Setting More General Options 320

Understanding Internet Explorer’s Advanced Options 321

Chapter 16 Windows 8 Internet Communications

Working with Email 331

Setting Up Mail Accounts 331

Specifying Basic Account Settings 332

Setting the Default Account 333

Specifying Advanced Account Settings 333

Handling Incoming Messages 335

Processing Messages 337

Setting Read Options 338

Sending Messages 340

Taking Control of Your Messages 340

Creating a Signature 341

Setting Send Options 342

Maintaining Mail 345

Filtering Incoming Messages 347

Finding a Message 349

Simple Searches 349

Advanced Searches 350

Setting Up Social Networks with the People App 351

Connecting to a Social Network 351

Editing a Connection’s Settings 353

Removing a Connection 354

Chapter 17 Troubleshooting an Internet Connection

It’s Great When It Works, But... 355

Troubleshooting Step by Step 355

Identifying Software Configuration Problems 359

Troubleshooting a Cable or DSL Modem Connection 360

Troubleshooting a LAN Connection 361

Identifying Network Hardware Problems 363

Troubleshooting Internet Problems with Windows TCP/IP Utilities 364

ipconfig 364

ping 365

tracert 367

Third-Party Utilities 368

WhatIsMyIP 368

Speed Check 368

Reverse tracert 369

Chapter 18 Creating a Windows Network

Creating or Joining a Network 371

Planning Your Network 371

Are You Being Served? 373

When to Hire a Professional 374

Choosing a Network and Cabling System 375

10/100BASE-T Ethernet 375

802.11n and 802.11g Wireless (Wi-Fi) Networking 377

Phoneline and Powerline Networking 378

1000Mbps Ethernet (Gigabit Ethernet) 381

Mixed Networking 381

Additional Networking Functions 382

Printing and Faxing 382

Providing Internet Connectivity 383

Providing Remote Access 383

Connecting to a Remote Network 383

Installing Network Adapters 384

Checking Existing Adapters 384

Installing Multiple Network Adapters 385

Installing Network Wiring 386

Cabling for Ethernet Networks 386

General Cabling Tips 387

Wiring with Patch Cables 388

Installing In-Wall Wiring 389

Connecting Just Two Computers 390

Connecting Multiple Switches 391

Installing a Wireless Network 392

Wireless Network Setup Choices 393

Setting Up a New Wireless Network 395

Getting Maximum Wireless Speed 400

Configuring a Peer-to-Peer Network 402

Configuring the TCP/IP Protocol 402

Enabling and Disabling Sharing 405

Setting Your Computer Identification 405

Configuring Windows Firewall 406

File and Printer Sharing Without a Router 407

Setting Up a Homegroup 407

Alternatives to Using a Homegroup 410

Wrapping Up 410

Joining a Windows Domain Network 412

Bridging Two Network Types 413

Chapter 19 Connecting Your Network to the Internet

Sharing an Internet Connection 415

Ways to Make the Connection 415

Managing IP Addresses 416

NAT and Internet Connection Sharing 418

Special Notes for Wireless Networking 420

Special Notes for Cable Service 420

Configuring Your LAN 421

Scheme A–Windows Internet Connection Sharing with a Dial-Up Connection 422

Scheme B–Windows Internet Connection Sharing with a Broadband Connection 422

Scheme C–Connection Sharing Router with a Broadband Connection 424

Using Universal Plug and Play 426

Scheme D–Cable Internet with Multiple Computers 426

Scheme E–Routed Service Using a Router 427

Making Services Available 428

Enabling Access with Internet Connection Sharing 429

Enabling Access with a Sharing Router 430

Chapter 20 Networking with Other Operating Systems

Mix and Match with Windows and Macs 433

Internetworking with Windows 7, Vista, and XP 435

Setting TCP/IP as the Default Network Protocol 436

Password Protection and Simple File Sharing 437

Using Windows Vista and XP with a Homegroup 439

Internetworking with UNIX and Linux 440

Samba 441

Samba Client Tools 441

Samba Server Tools 441

Internetworking with Macintosh 444

Compatibility Issues 444

Working with Mac OS X 446

Installing Optional Network Components 452

The Hosts File 454

Chapter 21 Using a Windows Network

Windows Was Made to Network 455

Using Shared Folders in Windows 8 456

Browsing Through a Homegroup 456

Browsing a Network’s Computers 458

Viewing a Computer or Shared Folder Directly Using Its UNC Path 459

Searching the Network 460

Searching for Files or Folders 460

Searching for Computers 461

Searching for Printers 461

Searching Active Directory 462

Security and File Sharing 463

File Permissions and Networking 463

Network Permissions 464

Using Printers on the Network 465

Using a Shared Printer 466

Using Printers over the Internet with IPP 467

Using UNIX and LPR Printers 468

Using Other Network-Connected Printers 469

Network Power User Topics 469

Backing Up Your Computer over the Network 469

Adding a Network Folder to a Library 470

Sharing and Using an Entire Drive 471

Understanding the Universal Naming Convention 471

Mapping Drive Letters 472

Mapping a Drive to a Subfolder 474

Sharing Resources 474

Sharing with a Homegroup 475

Sharing the Public Profile Folder 478

Sharing Your Own Folders in Place 479

Sharing Folders Independently 479

Sharing Printers 480

Setting Printer Permissions 481

Changing the Location of the Spool Directory 483

Printer Pooling 483

Managing Your Network 484

Monitoring Use of Your Shared Folders 484

Managing Network Resources Using the Command Line 484

Chapter 22 Troubleshooting Your Network

When Good Networks Go Bad 487

Getting Started 488

Troubleshooters and Diagnostic Tools 489

The Network and Sharing Center 489

Network 490

Network Troubleshooters 493

Windows Firewall 494

Event Viewer 495

Device Manager 497

Testing Network Cables 497

Checking Network Configuration 498

ipconfig 498

System 499

Network Connections 500

Testing Network Connectivity with ping 501

Diagnosing File and Printer Sharing Problems 502

Chapter 23 Windows Management Tools

Managing Windows 505

Controlling Windows 8 with Control Panel 505

Touring the Control Panel Window 506

Reviewing the Control Panel Icons 507

Understanding Control Panel Files 512

Easier Access to Control Panel 513

Policing Windows 8 with Group Policies 515

Understanding Group Policies 516

Local Group Policy Editor and Windows Versions 516

Launching the Local Group Policy Editor 517

Working with Group Policies 517

Group Policy Examples 523

Configuring the Microsoft Management Console 529

Reviewing the Windows 8 Snap-Ins 529

Launching the MMC 531

Adding a Snap-In 531

Saving a Console 533

Creating a Custom Taskpad View 534

Controlling Snap-Ins with Group

Policies 537

Controlling Services 538

Controlling Services with the Services Snap-In 538

Controlling Services at the Command Prompt 541

Controlling Services with a Script 541

Making Windows Shut Down Services Faster 545

Resetting a Broken Service 545

Monitoring Performance 547

Viewing Your Computer’s Performance Rating 547

Monitoring Performance with Task Manager 549

Using the Resource Monitor 553

Using the Performance Monitor 554

Chapter 24 Tweaking and Customizing Windows

Working with the PC Settings App 557

Changing Your User Account Picture 559

Changing a Password 561

Creating a Picture Password 563

Customizing Notifications 564

Customizing Search 566

Synchronizing Your Settings Between Devices 566

Customizing File Explorer 568

Customizing the Ribbon 569

Changing the View 570

Viewing More Properties 570

Turning On File Extensions 572

Exploring the View Options 574

Customizing the Taskbar for Easier Program and Document Launching 577

Improving Productivity by Setting

Taskbar Options 577

Pinning a Favorite Program to the Taskbar 579

Pinning a Destination to a Program’s Jump List 580

Using the Windows Key to Start Taskbar Programs 581

Taking Control of the Notification Area 581

Displaying Multiple Clocks for Different Time Zones 585

Displaying the Built-in Taskbar Toolbars 586

Setting Some Taskbar Toolbar Options 587

Creating New Taskbar Toolbars 587

Chapter 25 Managing Hard Disks and Storage Spaces

Dealing with Hard Disk Errors 589

Hard Drive Health States 591

Repairing a Drive Manually 592

Checking Free Disk Space 593

Deleting Unnecessary Files 595

Defragmenting Your Hard Disk 597

Running the Defragment and Optimize Drives Tool 598

Changing the Optimization Schedule 599

Changing Which Disks Get Defragmented 600

Working with Storage Spaces 601

Managing Your Disks 603

Assigning a Different Letter to a Disk Drive 603

Dividing Your Hard Drive into Two Volumes 605

Creating a Spanned Volume 607

Creating Mirrored Volumes 610

Creating a RAID 5 Volume 611

Working with Disk Files 614

Mounting an ISO File 614

Mounting a Virtual Hard Disk 616

Creating a Virtual Hard Disk 616

Chapter 26 Troubleshooting and Repairing Problems

Troubleshooting Strategies: Determining the Source of a Problem 620

Did You Get an Error Message? 620

Does an Error or Warning Appear in the Event Viewer Logs? 620

Does an Error Appear in System Information? 621

Did You Recently Edit the Registry? 621

Did You Recently Change Any Windows Settings? 622

Did Windows 8 “Spontaneously” Reboot? 622

Did You Recently Change Any Application Settings? 624

Did You Recently Install a New Program? 625

Did You Recently Install a New Device? 626

Did You Recently Apply an Update from Windows Update? 626

General Troubleshooting Tips 626

More Troubleshooting Tools 627

Running the Windows 8

Troubleshooters 627

Running the Memory Diagnostics Tool 628

Checking for Solutions to Problems 629

Troubleshooting Startup 631

Some Things to Try Before Anything Else 631

Disabling Startup Programs 632

Disabling Startup Services 633

A Startup Troubleshooting Procedure 634

Troubleshooting Device Problems 635

Troubleshooting with Device Manager 635

Troubleshooting Device Driver Problems 637

Rolling Back a Device Driver 638

Recovering from a Problem 638

Accessing the Recovery

Environment 638

Navigating the Recovery Environment 642

Booting Up in Safe Mode 644

Automatically Repairing Your PC 647

Recovering Using System Restore 648

Refreshing Your PC 649

Resetting Your PC 650

Restoring a System Image 651

Chapter 27 Managing Your Software

Configuring and Managing Windows Update 653

Configuring Automatic Updates 653

Setting the Automatic Maintenance Schedule 655

Checking for Updates 655

Selecting Updates to Install 656

Hiding and Restoring Updates 657

Working with Third-Party Software 657

Running Through a Pre-Installation Checklist 657

Installing Software 660

Opening the Programs and Features Window 661

Changing a Software Installation 662

Repairing a Software Installation 662

Uninstalling Software 662

Understanding Compatibility Mode 663

Chapter 28 Managing Your Hardware

Windows 8 and Hardware 667

Viewing Your Devices 668

Installing Devices 669

Installing Plug and Play Devices 669

Using Action Center to Complete a Device Install 670

Installing a Bluetooth Device 671

Running Windows 8 with Multiple Monitors 673

Extending the Screen to a Second Monitor 674

Duplicating the Screen on a Second Monitor 675

Using Only the Second Monitor 676

Multiple Monitors and the Windows 8 UI 676

Setting the Multi-Monitor Desktop Background 677

Configuring the Taskbar for Multiple Monitors 677

Moving Up to Three Monitors 678

Managing Your Hardware with Device Manager 680

Controlling the Device Display 680

Viewing Device Properties 681

Showing Nonpresent Devices in Device Manager 681

Working with Device Drivers 682

Tips for Downloading Device Drivers 682

Checking Windows Update for Drivers 683

Updating a Device Driver 685

Configuring Windows to Ignore Unsigned Device Drivers 685

Write a Complete List of Device Drivers to a Text File 688

Uninstalling a Device 690

Working with Device Security Policies 690

Chapter 29 Editing the Windows Registry

What Is the Registry? 691

How the Registry Is Organized 692

New Registry Features 694

Registry Virtualization 694

Registry Redirection and Reflection 696

Backing Up and Restoring the Registry 697

Backing Up the Registry 697

Restoring the Registry 699

Using Regedit 701

Viewing the Registry 701

Searching in the Registry 702

Editing Keys and Values 703

Editing Registry Entries for Another User 704

Editing Registry Entries for Another

Windows Installation 706

Editing Registry Security 707

Other Registry Tools 708

Registry Toolkit 708

Registrar Registry Manager 708

Tweak-8 708

Registry Privileges and Policies 708

Chapter 30 Command-Line and Automation Tools

Command-Line Tools 711

The Windows 8 Command Prompt Environment 712

Changing Directories 713

Saving Output 713

The Search Path 713

Running Commands with Elevated Privileges 714

Cutting and Pasting in the Com