Microsoft Press Windows Vista Administrator's Pocket Consultant ebook

by MS

  Using Welcome Center and Activating Windows

  By default, when you log on, the operating system displays the Welcome Center window. If you don't want the Welcome Center window to be displayed the next time you start the computer, clear the Run At Startup check box. You can start Welcome Center as necessary later on by following these steps:

  Click Start and then click Control Panel.

  In Control Panel, click the System And Maintenance category heading link.

  Click Welcome Center.

  Welcome Center, shown in Figure 1-1, provides quick access to common configuration tasks, such as setting up devices, transferring files and settings, managing user accounts, and viewing computer information. Click Show All Items to display all the available options, which include the following tasks:

  Add New Users When you click this option and then click Add User Accounts in the View Pane, you can configure user accounts for each person who will log on to the computer locally. You can manage account settings and parental controls for accounts, as discussed in Chapter 6, "Managing User Access and Security." This option isn't available when you log on to a domain.

  Personalize Windows When you click this option and then click the like-named option in the View Pane, you can use the Personalization console to control the appearance and sound effects used by Windows Vista. You can manage settings for the display, visual appearance, desktop background, screen saver, sound effects, mouse pointers, and themes, as discussed in Chapter 4, "Customizing the Desktop and the Interface."

  Register Windows Online Register your copy of Windows Vista online. When you choose this option and then click the like-named option in the View Pane, Welcome Center launches Microsoft Windows Internet Explorer 7 and accesses the Microsoft Web site so you can register the copy of Windows Vista. Because registration is different from product activation, you will still need to activate the copy of Windows Vista.

  View Computer Details Displays the default view for the Welcome Center, which provides an overview of the system configuration. Use the More Details link to access the System console and view additional information about the computer.

  Transfer Files And Settings Click this option and then select Start Windows Easy Transfer to run the Windows Easy Transfer wizard, which can be used to migrate user and application settings from an old computer to a computer running Windows Vista. For the transfer, you can use removable media, external hard drives, network folders, or a Windows Easy Transfer cable that connects to both computers. To transfer settings, the old computer must be running Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Vista.

  Figure 1-1: The Welcome Center window.

  Although volume-licensed versions of Windows Vista might not require activation or product keys, retail versions of Windows Vista require both activation and product keys. In the Welcome Center, the Activation Status entry specifies whether you have activated the operating system. If Windows Vista has not been activated, you can activate the operating system by clicking More Details to access the System console and then selecting Click Here To Activate Windows Now under Windows Activation.

  Unlike earlier versions of Windows, the product key provided during installation can be changed as necessary to stay in compliance with your licensing plan. To change the product key, follow these steps:

  In Welcome Center, click More Details. This opens the System window.

  In the System window, under Windows Activation, click Change Product Key.

  In the Windows Activation window, shown in Figure 1-2, type the product key and then click Next.

  Figure 1-2: Changing the product key.

  Running Windows Vista in Workgroups and Domains

  Computers running Windows Vista can be members of a workgroup or a domain. A workgroup is a loose association of computers in which each computer is managed separately. A domain is a collection of computers that you can manage collectively by means of domain controllers, which are servers running Windows that manage access to the network, to the directory database, and to shared resources.

  Some aspects of Windows Vista are different depending on whether a computer is a member of a workgroup or a domain. The sections that follow discuss these differences as they pertain to user account controls, logon, fast user switching, and password management.

  Understanding User Account Control in Windows Vista

  In a workgroup, a computer running Windows Vista has only local machine accounts. In a domain, a computer running Windows Vista has both local machine accounts and domain accounts. Windows Vista has two primary types of local user accounts:

  Standard Standard user accounts can use most software and can change system settings that do not affect other users or the security of the computer.

  Administrator Administrator user accounts have complete access to the computer and can make any desired changes.

  Windows Vista introduces User Account Control (UAC) as a way to enhance computer security by ensuring that there is true separation of standard user and administrator user accounts. Because of the UAC feature in Windows Vista, all applications run using either standard user or administrator user privileges. Whether you log on as a standard user or as an administrator user, you see a security prompt by default whenever you run an application that requires administrator privileges. The way the security prompt works depends on Group Policy settings (as discussed in Chapter 6) and whether you are logged on with a standard user account or an administrator user account.

  When you are logged on using a standard user account, you are asked to provide a password for an administrator account as shown in Figure 1-3. In a workgroup, each local computer administrator account is listed by name. To proceed, you must click an account, type the account's password, and then click Submit.

  Figure 1-3: Prompting for administrator privileges.

  In a domain, administrator accounts for users who have logged on to the computer are listed. These accounts can be either domain administrator accounts or local computer administrator accounts. To proceed, you must click an account, type the account's password, and then click Submit.

  In a domain, you also have the option of choosing an administrator account other than those listed. To do this, click Use Another Account, type the account name, and then type the account's password. If the account is in the default domain, you don't have to specify the domain name. If the account is in another domain, you must specify the domain and the account name using the format domainusername, such as cpandlwilliams.

  When you are logged on using an administrator user account, you are asked to confirm that you want to continue, as shown in Figure 1-4. You can click Continue to allow the task to be performed or Cancel to stop the task from being performed. Clicking Details shows the full path to the program being executed.

  Figure 1-4: Prompting for confirmation to continue.

  An important related change has to do with elevation of privileges. Elevation allows a standard user application to run with administrator privileges. You can run applications with elevated privileges by following these steps:

  Right-click the application's shortcut on the menu or on the desktop and then select Run As Administrator.

  When you see the UAC elevation prompt, proceed as you normally would to allow the application to run with administrator privileges.

  Note

  You must run the Command Prompt window with elevated privileges to perform administration at the command line. If you do not do this, you will see an error when you try to run an administrator utility or perform a task that requires administrator privilege.

  Logging on to Windows Vista

  In a workgroup, Windows Vista displays a Log On screen at startup. All standard user and administrator accounts that you've created on the computer are listed on the Log On screen. To log on, you click the account name. If the account is password protected, you must click the account name, type the account password, and then click the arrow button.

  In a domain, Windows Vista
displays a blank startup screen after initializing the operating system. You must press Ctrl+Alt+Del to display the Log On screen. By default, the last account to log on to the computer is listed in computerusername or domainusername format. To log on to this account, you type the account password and then click the arrow button. To log on to a different account, click the Switch User button, press Ctrl+Alt+Del, and then click Other User. The logon information you must provide depends on what type of account you are using.

  If the account is in the default domain, type the user name and password and then click the arrow button.

  If the account is in another domain, you must specify the domain and the account name using the format domainusername, such as cpandlwilliams.

  If you want to log on to the local machine, type .username where username is the name of the local account, such as .williams.

  Using Fast User Switching with Windows Vista

  Windows Vista supports fast user switching in both domain and workgroup configurations. When a user is already logged on to a computer running Windows Vista, you can use fast user switching to allow another user to log on without requiring the current user to log off.

  To switch users, press Ctrl+Alt+Del and then click the Switch User button. In a workgroup, the Log On screen is displayed as at startup. In a domain, a screen appears with the message "Press Ctrl+Alt+Del To Log On," and you must press Ctrl+Alt+Del again to display the Log On screen.

  Managing User Account Passwords with Windows Vista

  Unlike earlier versions of Windows, Windows Vista provides fast and easy ways to manage user account passwords. You can easily perform the following tasks:

  Change the current user's password

  Change the password for another domain or local computer account

  Create a password reset disk

  Reset a user's password

  These tasks are discussed in the sections that follow.

  Changing the Current User's Password You can change the current user's password by completing the following steps:

  Press Ctrl+Alt+Del and then click the Change A Password option.

  Note

  In a domain, the current user's domain account name is listed in domainusername format. In a workgroup, the current user's local account name is listed.

  Type the current password for the account in the Old Password text box.

  Type and confirm the new password for the account in the New Password and the Confirm Password text boxes.

  Click the arrow button to confirm the change.

  Changing Other Account Passwords You can change the password for a domain or local account other than the current user's account by completing these steps:

  Press Ctrl+Alt+Del and then click the Change A Password option.

  Click in the User Name text box and then type the name of the account.

  Note

  For a domain account, specify the domain and the account name using the format domainusername, such as cpandlwilliams. For a local computer account, type .username where username is the name of the local account, such as .williams.

  Type the current password for the account in the Old Password text box.

  Type and confirm the new password for the account in the New Password and the Confirm Password text boxes.

  Click the arrow button to confirm the change.

  Creating and Using a Password Reset Disk Passwords for domain users and local users are managed in different ways. In domains, passwords for domain user accounts are managed by administrators. Administrators can reset forgotten passwords using the Active Directory Users And Computers console.

  In workgroups, passwords for local machine accounts can be reset using a password reset disk. You can create a password reset disk for the current user by completing these steps:

  Press Ctrl+Alt+Del and then click the Change A Password option.

  Click Create A Password Reset Disk to start the Forgotten Password wizard.

  In the Forgotten Password wizard, read the introductory message and then click Next.

  Insert a blank, formatted disk into drive A and then click Next.

  Type the password for the current account in the text box provided and then click Next.

  After the wizard creates the password reset disk, remove the disk and then click Finish.

  Be sure to store the password reset disk in a secure location, because any user with access to the disk can use it to gain access to the user's data. If a user is unable to log in because he or she has forgotten the password, you can use the password reset disk to create a new password and log in to the account using this password.

  Resetting a User's Password You can reset a password by following these steps:

  On the Log On screen, click the arrow button without entering a password and then click OK. The Reset Password option should be displayed. If the user has already entered the wrong password, the Reset Password option might already be displayed.

  Click Reset Password. This starts the Reset Password wizard.

  In the Reset Password wizard, read the introductory message and then click Next.

  Insert the password disk into drive A and then click Next.

  Follow the prompts to complete the password reset process.

  Turning Off and Shutting Down Computers Running Windows Vista

  By default, when you turn off a computer running Windows Vista, the computer enters the sleep state rather than turning off completely. When entering the sleep state, the operating system automatically saves all work, turns off the display, and puts the computer in sleep mode. Sleep mode is a low-power consumption mode in which the state of the computer is maintained in the computer's memory, and the computer's fans and hard disks turn off.

  You can cause most computers to enter the sleep state by clicking the Start button and then clicking the Power button on the Start menu. To wake the computer from the sleep state, you can press the power button on the computer's case or press any key on the keyboard. Because Windows Vista saves the computer state before entering sleep mode, you don't need to exit programs before you do this. Because the computer uses very little energy in the sleep state, you don't have to worry about wasting energy.

  Tip

  Sleep mode works in a slightly different way with mobile computers. You can turn off and turn on mobile computers by closing or opening the lid. When you close the lid, the laptop enters the sleep state. When you open the lid, the laptop wakes up from the sleep state. If, while in the sleep state, the mobile computer's battery runs low on power, the state of the computer is saved to the hard disk and then the computer shuts down completely. This final state is similar to the hibernate state used in Windows XP. To learn more about mobile computers and power options, see Chapter 7, "Managing Laptops and Traveling Users."

  There are instances in which a computer can't use the sleep state. The system hardware, state, and configuration can affect the way the Power button works. Some computer hardware doesn't support the sleep state. In this case, the computer can't use the sleep state, and turning off the computer turns it off completely. This is also the case when the computer has updates installed that require a restart or you've installed programs that require a restart. Additionally, if an administrator has reconfigured the power options on the computer and set the Power button to the Shut Down action, the computer can't use the sleep state, and turning off the computer turns it off completely.

  To help you determine at a glance how the Power button works, Windows Vista displays two different views for the Power button. If Windows Vista shows an amber Power button, depicting a shield with a line through the top of it, the computer will turn off and enter the low-power sleep state when you click the Power button. If Windows Vista shows a red Power button, depicting a shield with a line through the middle of it, the computer will shut down and completely turn off when you click the Power button.

  Caution

  When working with computers in the sleep state, it is important
to keep in mind that the computer is still drawing power. You should never install hardware inside the computer or connect devices to the computer when it is in the sleep state. To avoid possible confusion regarding the sleep state and the power-down state, be sure to unplug a computer running Windows Vista before installing or connecting devices. The only exceptions are external devices that use universal serial bus (USB) or IEEE 1394 (FireWire) ports. You can connect USB and FireWire devices without shutting down the computer.

  Navigating Architecture Changes in Windows Vista

  Windows Vista is very different from its predecessors. These differences present a special challenge when you are planning to deploy and use Windows Vista in the enterprise, especially if you want to maximize your return on investment (ROI) and reduce your total cost of ownership (TCO). To help you get the most from Windows Vista, the sections that follow examine the operating system and its key features.

  Understanding Modularization and Windows Imaging

  Windows Vista features a revolutionary architecture that is both language-independent and hardware-independent. Windows Vista achieves language-independence from its new modular component design and hardware-independence from its new imaging format. In a modular component design, each component is designed as a smaller, independent unit that performs a particular task or function. Thanks to modularization, every component of the operating system, from device drivers to language packs and service packs, can be created as a module that can be selectively swapped in or out to customize the operating system environment.

  When you update Windows Vista by adding or removing features, applying hotfixes, or installing service packs, you are simply modifying the set of modules available. And because these modules are independent, you can make these changes without impacting the system as a whole. Because language packs are separate modules as well, you can easily implement different language configurations and don't need separate installations for each language.