Based on an enhanced version of the Windows 2000 operating system, Windows XP is available in consumer and business editions: Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional. The features discussed are available in both editions, but the Professional version, designed for business environments, includes additional productivity, security, networking, and management features important in business environments.
For home users, Windows XP brings the significantly increased stability and security inherent in the Windows 2000/Windows NT® operating systems. It also provides better support for portable computers. Key new Windows XP features include:
An improved desktop and user interface
Files and Settings Transfer Wizard
Application program compatibility enhancements
System Restore
Fast User Switching*
Expanded home and small office networking functions*
A personal firewall for always-on Internet connections*
The Help and Support Center, introduced with Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me), replaces Windows Help from earlier operating systems. The Help and Support Center provides an integrated resource center for information and assistance in using, configuring, and troubleshooting your computer and installed hardware devices and software. For Windows XP, the Help and Support Center features expanded search capabilities, including full-text search and the capability to search across multiple remote sites in addition to files resident on the hard drive. You can use a single print command to print an entire chapter of help content.
To open Help and Support Center, click the Start button, and then click Help and Support. From the home page, you can conduct a search or select categories of information, leading to task and information topics covering the use of your computer. Click User and System Guides for information on using your Dell™ computer, including installed hardware devices and software.
Windows XP features a redesigned user interface with a new visual style, a less cluttered desktop, and built-in desktop cleanup features. Window layout has also been changed for Windows XP and, as in the Control Panel, emphasizes task presentation. The Start menu has been redesigned. The left half of the new Start menu includes the most frequently used icons. As you use your computer, the icons in this area are changed and rearranged depending on your computer usage patterns. If you wish to keep one of the icons permanently in its location, right-click the icon and click Pin to Start menu.
To access all the programs installed on the computer, click All Programs at the bottom of the Start menu. The right half of the new Start menu contains useful icons for accessing your files, configuring the computer, and finding information and assistance. The Dell Solution Center icon opens a portal to services and application programs installed on your Dell computer.
If you want, you may change the appearance of the Start menu, desktop and windows, or Control Panel layout to that of earlier Windows operating systems. These classic view options are independent of each other.
You can easily switch back and forth between the new Control Panel category view and the classic icon view by clicking Switch to Classic View or Switch to Category View in the upper left area of the Control Panel window. This can be handy if you want to take advantage of the new, task-oriented features of the Windows XP Control Panel, but you are accustomed to performing a particular task with the icon-oriented classic Control Panel.
To change the appearance of the Start menu to the classic view:
Right-click the empty area on the task bar.
Click Properties.
Click the Start Menu tab.
Select Classic Start Menu and click OK.
If you prefer the classic window and button appearance, perform the following steps:
Right-click anywhere on the main desktop screen and click Properties.
Click the Appearance tab.
From the Windows and buttons dropdown box, select Windows
Classic style.
To customize color, font, and other classic desktop options, click
Advanced.
When you have completed your appearance selections, click OK.
Another feature of Windows XP is the Desktop Cleanup Wizard. The wizard runs 7 days after you first start your computer and every 60 days after that. The Desktop Cleanup Wizard first opens a dialog box informing you that there are unused icons on the desktop and asking whether you want to run the wizard. If you elect to run the wizard, it places unused desktop icons in the folder C:\Desktop Icons.
The default for the Desktop Cleanup Wizard is on. To turn the wizard off:
Right-click anywhere on the main desktop screen and click Properties.
Select the Desktop tab and click Customize Desktop.
In the Desktop cleanup options make sure that the Run Desktop
Cleanup Wizard every 60 days box is not checked.
You can run the Desktop Cleanup Wizard anytime by following these steps:
Right-click anywhere on the main desktop screen and select
Properties.
Click the Desktop tab and click Customize Desktop.
Click Clean Desktop Now.
When the Desktop Cleanup Wizard welcome screen appears, click
Next>.
In the Shortcuts list, deselect any shortcuts you want to leave on the
desktop, and then click Next>.
Click Finish to remove the shortcuts and close the wizard.
The shortcuts are moved to the folder C:\Desktop Icons.
To access desktop icons removed by Windows XP, click the Start button, and then click Dell Solution Center.
The Windows taskbar is a row of buttons that typically displays across the bottom of the screen. The taskbar includes the Start menu button and a button for each open application. (The taskbar also includes the Quick Launch icons and the notification area.) Windows XP groups multiple instances of the same application on the taskbar. For example, if six instances of Internet Explorer are open, each displaying a button on the taskbar, Windows XP groups the buttons next to one another on the taskbar. If space becomes an issue on the taskbar, Windows XP consolidates all the Internet Explorer buttons into a single button. When clicked, that button expands to a menu of the six Internet Explorer active sessions.
Over time, software icons tend to proliferate in the notification area, the area in the bottom right corner of the Windows desktop. Windows XP detects when icons in the notification area are not being accessed and hides them. A caret, or chevron, button indicates that there are hidden icons that can be viewed by selecting the button. You can also configure the notification area manually by right-clicking the taskbar, selecting Properties, and then clicking Customize... in the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window. For example, you may choose to hide the antivirus program icon because it is rarely accessed, but display the audio volume icon because it is used frequently. The notification area cleanup feature is automatically enabled when the operating system is installed, but you may disable it by unchecking Hide inactive icons in the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window.
The Files and Settings Transfer Wizard is used to migrate personal files and settings from one computer to another (for instance, when upgrading to a new computer). Personal files include the documents, images, spreadsheets, presentations, and e-mail messages on your computer. User settings include display properties, window sizes, toolbar settings, dial-up connections, Internet bookmarks, and so forth on your computer. The Files and Settings Transfer Wizard is run on a source (old) computer to collect the data and is run again on the destination (new) computer to import the data. If the old computer is using an earlier operating system, the wizard can be launched either from the Windows XP CD or from a diskette created on the new Windows XP computer. You transfer the data to the new computer over a network or direct serial connection, or store it on a removable medium such as a floppy disk, Zip disk, or writable CD.
To use the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard:
On the new Windows XP computer, click the Start button, point to
All Programs—> Accessories—> System Tools, and click Files and
Settings Transfer Wizard.
On the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard welcome screen, click
Next>.
On the Which computer is this? screen, select New Computer, and
then click Next>.
The Do you have a Windows XP CD? screen appears.
The Files and Settings Transfer Wizard guides you through the steps necessary to transfer user settings, personal files, or both to the new computer. If a CD drive is not available, the wizard allows you to create a wizard diskette to run on your old computer.
NOTE: The time required
to collect and transfer
data depends on the
amount of data collected.
Times can vary from just
a few minutes to several
hours.
Although Windows XP is designed to be compatible with a wide range of application programs and hardware devices, some older programs and devices may not be usable. Check the Microsoft website at www.microsoft.com for application programs and hardware devices known to be compatible. When buying new software and devices, look for those that are labeled as ready for Windows XP. If you encounter problems using an application program designed for an earlier Windows operating system, Windows XP provides a compatibility mode feature (see "Program Compatibility Wizard"). If you are unsuccessful at installing application programs or hardware devices designed to operate on earlier Windows operating systems, contact the manufacturer of the product for information or updates for Windows XP.
Windows XP also includes a new technology that addresses the problems sometimes encountered on previous operating systems with Windows application programs that, when installed, replace current versions of certain Windows files with older versions. This situation can cause problems with the newer application programs, which rely on the replaced files. To eliminate this problem and improve operating system stability, Windows XP manages multiple versions of files and invokes the correct version required by a program.
NOTE: If you experience
problems with your
operating system or other
applications after
performing an
installation, you can use
System Restore to return
your computer to a
previous stable condition.
A program compatibility feature is provided in Windows XP that solves some issues that may be encountered when attempting to run older application programs. Using the Program Compatibility Wizard, you can configure a program to run in an environment closer to Windows 95, Windows 98/Me, Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 5, or Windows 2000.
To use the Program Compatibility Wizard:
Click the Start button, point to All Programs—> Accessories, and
click Program Compatibility Wizard.
When the welcome screen appears, click Next>.
Select how you want to locate the program to run with compatibility
settings: from a list, available on a CD, or manually located. Then click
Next>.
Select the type of operating system for which the program was
designed or on which it ran successfully, and then click Next>.
If necessary, as for some games, select display settings for the program.
Click Next>.
To test the compatibility settings for the program, click Next>.
After you have determined whether the program is running correctly, return to the Program Compatibility Wizard window.
Select Yes if the program ran correctly, No, try different compatibility
settings, or No, I am finished trying compatibility settings and click
Next>.
Select either Yes to send information about the settings you used and
whether they fixed the problem, or select No, and then click Next>.
The System Restore feature of Windows XP provides the capability to restore the operating system, in the event of a problem, to a previous state without losing personal data files (such as Word documents, drawings, or e-mail).
System Restore actively monitors system file changes and some application file changes to record or store previous versions before the changes occurred. System Restore maintains a rolling record of restore points; to limit the amount of space used, older restore points are purged to make room for newer ones.
In the event of a serious operating system problem, System Restore can be used from Safe Mode or Normal Mode to go back to a previous system state, restoring optimal system functionality.
NOTE: System Restore
does not revert user data
or document files, so
restoring does not cause
loss of work, mail, or
browsing history and
favorites.
NOTE: Dell recommends
that you make regular
backups of your data files.
System Restore does not
monitor changes to or
recover your data files. In
the event the original data
on the hard drive is
accidentally erased or
overwritten or becomes
inaccessible because of a
hard-drive malfunction,
backup files are required
to recover lost or
damaged data.
System Restore monitors a core set of system and application program files, recording and sometimes copying states of these files before changes are made. System Restore automatically creates restore points; no user intervention is required. In addition, you can create restore points manually, if desired.
Restore points are created to allow you to choose previous system states. Each restore point gathers the necessary information needed to restore to a precisely chosen system state. There are three types of restore points:
System (automatically created) restore points (scheduled by your computer)
Installation (event-triggered) restore points (when a program is installed)
By default, System Restore creates a restore point every day that the computer is running. If your computer is off for more than a day, a new restore point is created the next time you turn the computer on.
Event-triggered restore points are created before key changes are made to the system. System Restore automatically creates a restore point before the following events:
Application installations — System Restore creates a restore point before you install an application program designed for Windows XP. You may wish to create a manual restore point before attempting to install an older program.
AutoUpdate installation — When you choose to install the update, System Restore creates a restore point before the actual installation of the update begins.
Restore operation — The restore operation itself also creates a restore point for undo purposes.
Microsoft Backup Utility recovery — Before Microsoft Backup Utility (only available in Windows XP Professional) performs a backup recovery, System Restore creates a restore point.
Unsigned driver installation — The INF installer of Windows detects unsigned device-driver installations. Drivers that are signed (electronically certified by the device manufacturer) do not generate a restore point.
If you are logged on to the computer as computer administrator or as a user with administrator rights, you may create and name an on-demand restore point. (For information on types of user accounts, see "How to Add Users.") This is useful to create a checkpoint to return to before making a particularly risky change, before leaving a shared system to other users, or at a particular state you believe is optimal.
To create a restore point:
Click the Start button, point to All Programs—> Accessories—>
System Tools, and then click System Restore.
Select Create a restore point and click Next>.
Type a description of the restore point and click Create.
The date and time are automatically added to the description of the new restore point.
As the computer is used over time, restore points are collected in the archive without any management or intervention. If you encounter operating system problems, you can use the System Restore feature to select any of the restore points presented through the System Restore Wizard.
If problems occur after installing a device driver, you should first attempt to use Driver Rollback. If that is unsuccessful, then use System Restore.
To return your computer to a previous, stable condition:
Click the Start button, point to All Programs—> Accessories—>
System Tools, and then click System Restore.
Select Restore my computer to an earlier time and click Next>.
The Select a Restore Point screen appears. The calendar on the left indicates in bold the dates on which restore points were created.
Click a date, click a restore point for that date, and click Next>.
Click Next> to confirm the restore point selection and complete the
restore process.
After System Restore finishes collecting data, the computer automatically restarts and the Restoration Complete screen appears.
Click OK.
If you are not satisfied with the results of the restoration, you can repeat the preceding steps, using a different restore point, or you can undo the restoration.
To undo a restoration:
Click the Start button, point to All Programs—> Accessories—>
System Tools, and then click System Restore.
Select Undo my last restoration and click Next>.
Click Next> to confirm the restoration undo.
After System Restore finishes collecting data, the computer automatically restarts and the Undo Complete screen appears.
Windows XP device Driver Rollback can replace a device driver with the previously installed version. When you install a new device driver that causes system instability, use Driver Rollback to reinstall the previous drivers. In the event that Driver Rollback cannot reinstall your previous driver, you can use System Restore to return your operating system to its state before the new device driver installation.
To use Driver Rollback:
Click the Start button, and then right-click My Computer.
Click Properties.
Click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager.
In the Device Manager window, right-click the device for which the
new driver was installed, and then click Properties.
Click the Drivers tab, and then click Roll Back Driver.
NOTE: Fast User
Switching is the default
user screen for both Home
and Professional editions,
but it is disabled in
Windows XP Professional
when the computer is a
member of a computer
domain.
Microsoft Windows XP includes a new feature that provides multiuser access to a single computer. Fast User Switching, which is available in both the Home and Professional editions, allows users to access the computer with their specific settings, including the desktop and various applications, without requiring the previous user to log off. New users log on and switch from the original user's session to their own. New users can run their desktop and applications without interfering with the original user. When the original user returns, that user can switch back to the desktop and applications with the original settings. All of this is accomplished without the delay of each individual user logging off the computer.
During setup, the computer administrator creates all the accounts that will be used on the computer. (For information on types of accounts and adding new accounts, see "How to Add Users.") When the computer starts, the main user Welcome screen appears with all of the user names. From this screen you select an account and log into that session.
When a fast user switch occurs, the original user is not logged off the computer as previously happened on other Microsoft operating systems. On Windows XP, the user's logon remains active, but is replaced by the new user. Users can switch between login IDs as often as they want.
However, user applications active during a user switch remain active and running in the background while the new user is working; this can result in a slower computer until the process finishes. For example, if one user is downloading a large file from the Internet and another user logs on to the computer, the file download continues in the background until it is complete.
While most applications continue to run in the background during a fast user switch, multimedia applications do not. Because multimedia applications use resources that cannot easily be shared between different users on a single computer, those applications terminate during the user switch, allowing the new user to take full advantage of the multimedia capabilities.
Considerations when using Fast User Switching include:
Some older Windows games may not operate with a fast user switch.
Multimedia games may shut down on a fast user switch.
DVD software shuts down and requires a restart when the user comes back.
Computers with low memory configurations can experience problems. The computer uses memory to keep the first user's programs running in the background while the second user is logged on. On computers with limited memory, this can cause the entire computer to run slowly. Fast User Switching is off by default on computers with less than 128 megabytes (MB) of random-access memory (RAM).
Fast User Switching is unavailable if the computer has Windows XP Professional installed and is a member of a computer domain.
You must have a computer administrator account on the computer to turn off Fast User Switching. (For information on types of accounts, see "How to Add Users.")
To disable Fast User Switching:
Click the Start button, and click Control Panel.
In the Control Panel window, click User Accounts.
Under Pick a task, click Change the way users log on or off and do one
of the following:
Select the Use Fast User Switching to log off check box to enable Fast User Switching.
Deselect the Use Fast User Switching to log off check box to disable Fast User Switching.
Only a computer administrator or a user with administrator rights can create multiple user accounts. The individual who performs the initial operating system setup creates a computer administrator account and can add any number of users during the initial setup. All user accounts created during setup have administrator rights.
After initial operating system setup, the computer administrator or a user with administrator rights can create additional user accounts.
To add users, perform the following steps:
Click the Start button, and click Control Panel.
In the Control Panel window, click User Accounts.
In the User Accounts window under Pick a Task, click Create a new
account.
In the box under Name the new account, type the name of the new
user. Click Next>.
Under Pick an account type, click the bullet next to the type of
account you are going to create — Computer administrator, Standard,
or Limited.
Computer administrators can change all computer settings.
Standard account users (Windows XP Professional only) can install some programs and hardware.
Limited account users can change only a few settings such as their own passwords.
Click Create Account.
After the accounts are created, each shows up on the Fast User Switching Welcome screen.
The Network Setup Wizard includes a checklist and steps to guide you through the process of sharing resources, such as files, printers, or an Internet connection, between computers in a home or small office. In Windows XP, Microsoft has improved the online documentation and usability of operating-system tools for setting up a home or small office network. New features in the operating system include support for the Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) and a built-in firewall.
The Home Network Wizard first appeared in Windows Me. To make setting up a home or small office network easier, Microsoft developed an enhanced Network Setup Wizard for Windows XP. This version provides more complete online documentation and support for setting up a home or small office network. The new wizard automatically enables the personal firewall discussed later in this section (see "Internet Connection Firewall").
To use the wizard:
Click the Start button, point to All Programs—> Accessories—>
Communications, and click Network Setup Wizard.
When the welcome screen appears, click Next>.
Click checklist for creating a network.
The checklist leads you through the steps necessary to set up a home or small office network and provides extensive references for each step. When you have completed the necessary connections and preparations, return to the Network Setup Wizard.
Select the Internet connection method and click Next>.
Select the Internet connection and click Next>.
Type a description of the computer and a computer name, and then
click Next>.
Review the network settings and click Next> to finish the setup.
When the setup process is complete, click Finish to close the wizard.
Today's always-on cable modem and DSL Internet access connections offer unprecedented bandwidth to the home, but also leave the connected computer or home network vulnerable to hacker attacks. The nature of these attacks varies, but the goal is to gain access to individual computers attached to the Internet. With this access, a hacker can browse the hard drive and add or delete files, discover passwords and credit card numbers, and set the system up to launch attacks on other systems or websites. As a result, firewall protection from these attacks is increasingly required on computers. Recognizing this need, Microsoft provides an integrated firewall in Windows XP to provide immediate protection from outside access attempts. When enabled, the Internet Connection Firewall provides basic protection suitable for most home and small office users.
NOTE: Enabling the
Internet Connection
Firewall does not reduce
the need for virus-
checking software.
The firewall is automatically enabled when you run the Network Setup Wizard. When the firewall is enabled for a network connection, its icon appears with a red background in the Network Connections portion of the Control Panel. The Internet Connection Firewall can be applied to each Internet connection on the computer. The firewall also provides basic logging capabilities. Not all events that appear in the log are hacker attacks. Many different types of harmless events can appear in the log, such as routine checks by an Internet Service Provider to verify the presence of your computer (pings).
The firewall is configured using the Properties dialog box associated with each Internet connection in the Control Panel. The firewall can be enabled or disabled. Additional configuration options are available for more advanced users. These advanced options include the ability to open or close specific Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or User Datagram Protocol (UDP) ports or to enable port redirection. Port redirection allows access requests to a specific port on the firewall (such as port 80, the Web server port) to be automatically redirected to another computer on the local network. This capability allows a Web server on a home network to be protected by an edge firewall.
