Microsoft Press Windows Vista Administrator's Pocket Consultant ebook

by MS

  Changing the Taskbar Size and Position

  By default, the taskbar appears at the bottom of the screen and is sized so that one row of options is visible. As long as the taskbar position isn't locked, you can dock it to any edge of the Windows desktop and resize it as necessary. To move the taskbar, simply click it and drag it to a different edge of the desktop. You won't see the taskbar move as you drag, but when you release the mouse button, the taskbar appears in the new location. To resize the taskbar, move the mouse pointer over the taskbar edge and then drag it up or down.

  Auto Hiding, Locking, and Controlling Taskbar Visibility

  When you want to control the visibility of the taskbar, you have several options. You can enable the Auto Hide feature to hide the taskbar from view when it is not in use. You can lock the taskbar so that it can't be resized or repositioned. You can also make the taskbar appear on top of other windows when you point to it. Once the taskbar is positioned and sized the way a user wants it, you should enable all three of these options. In this way, the taskbar has a fixed location so users don't have to hunt for it, and the taskbar isn't hidden behind other windows so it is visible when it is pointed to.

  To enable these options, follow these steps:

  Right-click the taskbar and then select Properties.

  Select the Taskbar tab in the Taskbar And Start Menu Properties dialog box.

  Select Lock The Taskbar, Auto-Hide The Taskbar, and Keep The Taskbar On Top Of Other Windows.

  Click OK.

  Tip

  Locking the taskbar is one of the most useful taskbar options. If you lock the taskbar once it is optimized, users will have fewer problems caused by accidentally altering taskbar options. Locking the taskbar doesn't prevent users from changing the taskbar on purpose. If users really want to change the taskbar, all they need to do is right-click the taskbar, select Properties, and then clear Lock The Taskbar.

  Grouping Similar Taskbar Items

  The option of grouping taskbar items is designed to remove some of the clutter from the taskbar by grouping related items into a menu. Grouping similar items also makes it possible to use the flip and 3D flip views discussed in Chapter 2, "Managing Windows Vista Systems." You can enable or disable grouping of similar items on the taskbar by completing these steps:

  Right-click the taskbar and then select Properties.

  Select the Taskbar tab in the Taskbar And Start Menu Properties dialog box if it isn't already selected.

  Select Group Similar Taskbar Buttons.

  Click OK.

  Controlling Programs in the Notification Area

  The notification area or system tray is the area on the far right side of the taskbar that shows the system clock and applications that were loaded automatically by the operating system at startup and are running in the background. When you point to icons in the notification area, a ScreenTip provides information on the running application. To control an application in this area, right-click the application icon to display a menu of available options. Each application has a different menu of options, most of which provide quick access to routine tasks.

  You can optimize the notification area for users in several ways. One way is to add or remove startup programs. Another is to set properties of the notification area that control whether system icons, such as the clock, volume, and network, are displayed and whether application icons are displayed or hidden.

  Adding or Removing Startup Programs

  Administrator-installed or user-installed applications that run in the background can be managed through the Startup folder. Startup programs that are to be made available only to the currently logged on user are placed in the Startup folder that is located within the profile data for that user (%UserProfile%AppDataRoamingMicrosoft WindowsStart Menu), and startup programs that are to be available to any user that logs on to the computer are placed in the Startup folder for all users (%SystemDrive%ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsStart Menu).

  To add or remove startup programs for all users, follow these steps:

  Right-click Start and then select Explore All Users. This opens Windows Explorer with the %SystemDrive%ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsStart Menu folder selected.

  In the left pane, click the Programs folder under Start Menu and then click Startup.

  You can now add or remove startup programs for all users. To add startup programs, create a shortcut to the program that you want to run. To remove a startup program, delete its shortcut from the Startup folder.

  To add or remove startup programs for a specific user, follow these steps:

  Log on as the user whose startup applications you want to manage. Right-click Start and then select Explore. This opens Windows Explorer with the %User Profile%AppDataRoamingMicrosoftWindowsStart Menu folder selected.

  In the left pane, click the Programs folder under Start Menu and then click Startup.

  You can now add or remove startup programs for this user. To add startup programs, create a shortcut to the program that you want to run. To remove a startup program, delete its shortcut from the Startup folder.

  Note

  Technically, you don't need to log on as the user to manage that user's startup applications—it's just easier if you do. If you can't log on as the user, access the Users folder on the system drive and work your way down through the user's profile data folders. These are listed by account name.

  Controlling Icon Display in the Notification Area

  The notification area displays both application and system icons. Icons for applications appear in the notification area for several reasons. Some programs, such as Windows Update, are managed by Windows itself and appear periodically when there are pending notifications. For example, Windows Update runs periodically to check for updates to the operating system. When an update is detected, the user can be notified and given the opportunity to apply the update. Other types of programs are configured to run in the background at startup, such as an antivirus program. You can typically enable or disable the display of icons through setup options in the related applications, but Windows Vista provides a common interface for controlling icon display in the notification area. You can specify whether and how icons are displayed on a per application basis.

  To control the display of application icons in the notification area, follow these steps:

  Right-click in the notification area of the taskbar and then select Properties. This displays the Taskbar And Start Menu Properties dialog box with the Notification Area tab selected, as shown in Figure 4-4.

  Figure 4-4: Configure application and system icons for the notification area using the options provided.

  If you want all icons to be displayed, clear the Hide Inactive Icons check box and then click OK. Skip the remaining steps.

  If you want to customize the appearance of icons, select the Hide Inactive Icons check box and then click Customize. This displays the Customize Icons dialog box, shown in Figure 4-5.

  Figure 4-5: Specify the notification behavior for background applications in the Customize Icons dialog box.

  You can now optimize the notification behavior for current items displayed in the notification area as well as items that were displayed in the past but aren't currently active. The Name column shows the name of the application. The Behavior column shows the currently selected notification behavior. Each entry in the Behavior column can be clicked to display a selection menu with the following options:

  q Hide When Inactive Displays only when active

  q Hide Never displays

  q Show Always displays

  When you are finished updating the notification entries, click OK twice.

  Note

  You can directly access the Customize Notifications dialog box when the Hide Inactive Icons option is selected in the Taskbar And Start Menu Properties dialog box. Right-click the notification area and then select Customize Notifications.

  System icons are displayed by default in the notification area. On de
sktops, the clock, network, and volume icons are displayed by default. On laptops, the clock, network, volume, and power icons are displayed by default. To control the display of system icons in the notification area, follow these steps:

  Right-click in the notification area of the taskbar and then select Properties. This displays the Taskbar And Start Menu Properties dialog box with the Notification Area tab selected, as shown previously in Figure 4-4.

  If you don't want an icon to be displayed, clear the related icon under System Icons.

  Click OK.

  Optimizing Toolbars

  Several toolbars are available for the taskbar. The toolbar that most users are familiar with is the Quick Launch toolbar, which provides quick access to commonly used programs and the Windows desktop. The taskbar can display other toolbars that come with Windows Vista, and users can create their own toolbars as well.

  Displaying Toolbars

  Toolbars available for the taskbar include:

  Address Provides an Address box into which you can type Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) and other addresses that you want to access, either on the Web, on the local network, or on the local computer. When full file paths are specified, the default application for the file is launched automatically to display the specified file.

  Links Provides access to the Links folder on the Favorites menu of Microsoft Windows Internet Explorer 7 for Windows Vista. To add links to files, Web pages, or other resources, drag shortcuts onto the Links toolbar. To remove links, right-click the link and select Delete. When prompted, confirm the action by clicking Yes.

  Desktop Provides access to all the shortcuts on the local desktop so that you don't have to minimize Windows or click Show Desktop on the Quick Launch toolbar to access them.

  Quick Launch Provides quick access to commonly used applications. By default, this is the only toolbar displayed on the taskbar.

  To display or hide individual toolbars, follow these steps:

  Right-click the taskbar to display the shortcut menu.

  Point to Toolbars and then select the toolbar name in the list provided. This toggles the toolbar on and off.

  Tip

  By default, a name label is displayed for all toolbars except Quick Launch. You can turn off the name label by right-clicking the toolbar and then choosing Show Title to deselect that command. If the taskbar is locked, you must first unlock it by selecting Lock The Taskbar on the shortcut menu.

  Customizing the Quick Launch Toolbar

  The Quick Launch toolbar is displayed to the right of the Start button on the taskbar. By default, this toolbar includes buttons that provide quick access to the Windows Desktop and the default Web browser. If your organization has custom applications or a preferred suite of applications, you can add buttons for these applications on the Quick Launch toolbar. If an application that has an icon on the Quick Launch toolbar is no longer used, you can remove the button to prevent users from accidentally starting the application.

  To add a button to the Quick Launch toolbar, follow these steps:

  Use the Start menu to find the item that you want to add to the Quick Launch toolbar.

  Right-click the item and then select Add To Quick Launch.

  To remove a button from the Quick Launch toolbar, follow these steps:

  Right-click the button on the toolbar and then select Delete.

  When prompted to confirm the action, click Yes.

  Restoring the Show Desktop Button

  The most useful button on the Quick Launch toolbar is Show Desktop. The first time you click this button, the operating system brings the Windows desktop to the foreground in front of all open windows. The second time you click this button, the operating system restores the original view, sending the desktop to the background. Users often start deleting buttons and accidentally delete the Show Desktop button–one of the most common problems encountered with the Quick Launch toolbar. Users might not tell you that they've removed this button accidentally (indeed, they might not even know that they did it), and they might get frustrated when they can't get to the desktop quickly. Fixing this problem is easy, but it requires a few steps.

  As with other aspects of the menu system, the Quick Launch toolbar options have a representation in the file system. You'll find Quick Launch options in the %UserProfile%AppDataRoamingMicrosoftWindowsInternet ExplorerQuick Launch folder. Although the original Show Desktop button was created using a shortcut, you can re-create it using a Windows command file called SHOW DESKTOP.SCF.

  Note

  AppData is a hidden folder. To view this folder, you'll need to select the advanced folder option Show Hidden Files And Folders. In Windows Explorer, select Folder Options from the Organize menu and then select the View tab. On the View tab, select Show Hidden Files And Folders and then click OK.

  To restore the button to the toolbar, you have several options. You can copy SHOW DESKTOP.SCF from another user's profile data, or you can recreate the file. To recreate the file, follow these steps:

  Start Microsoft Notepad and then add the following lines of text:

  [Shell]

  Command=2

  IconFile=explorer.exe,3

  [Taskbar]

  Command=ToggleDesktop

  From the File menu, select Save As and then save the file in the %UserProfile% AppDataRoamingMicrosoftWindowsInternet ExplorerQuick Launch folder. Use the file name SHOW DESKTOP.SCF.

  Note

  If you don't know the actual value for the %UserProfile% environment variable, open a command prompt and type set userprofile. The command prompt then displays the variable value, such as C:UsersWilliams.

  Creating Personal Toolbars

  You can create personal toolbars for users as well. Personal toolbars are based on existing folders, and their buttons are based on the folder contents. The most common toolbars you might create are ones that point to shared folders on the network. For example, if all users have access to a CorpData shared folder in which corporate information is stored, and a UserData folder in which personal information is stored, you could add toolbars to the taskbar that point to these resources. When users want to access one of the folders, they can simply click the corresponding toolbar button.

  You can create personal toolbars by completing these steps:

  Right-click the taskbar to display the shortcut menu. Point to Toolbars and then click New Toolbar. This displays the New Toolbar dialog box.

  Use the Choose A Folder list box to select the folder you want to make into a toolbar.

  When you click OK, the folder is displayed as a new toolbar on the taskbar. If you add shortcuts to the toolbar view, the shortcuts are added to the folder. Similarly, if you delete items from the toolbar view, the items are removed from the folder.

  Note

  When it comes to personal toolbars, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that most users find them valuable. The bad news is that if a user decides to close the toolbar, it must be recreated before it can be viewed on the taskbar again.

  Working with Desktop Themes

  Desktop themes are combinations of backgrounds plus sets of sounds, icons, and other elements that help personalize the desktop and the operating environment. Administrators tend to hate themes; users tend to love them. In this section, you'll learn how to apply themes, how to tailor individual theme options, and how to delete themes.

  Applying and Removing Themes

  Several types of themes are available. Some themes are installed with the operating system. To apply a theme, follow these steps:

  Right-click an open area of the desktop and then select Personalize. This opens the Personalization console in Control Panel, as shown in Figure 4-6.

  Figure 4-6: Use the Personalization console to access dialog boxes for configuring themes, display settings, and more.

  Click Theme to display the Theme Settings dialog box, shown in Figure 4-7.

  Figure 4-7: In the Theme Settings dialog box, select which theme
to use.

  Use the Theme list to select the theme you want to use. If you want to use a saved theme, select Browse and then use the Open Theme dialog box to select the .theme file that contains the saved theme.

  The Sample pane provides an overview of the theme's appearance. If the theme appears as you expected, click OK. Otherwise, select a different theme and then click OK.

  To restore the original desktop theme, follow these steps:

  Right-click an open area of the desktop and then select Personalize.

  Click Theme to display the Theme Settings dialog box.

  Select Windows Vista as the theme and then click OK.

  Tip

  Since the display of themes is controlled by the Themes service, you can stop this service if you need to quickly turn off themes without changing the themes configuration, such as when you are troubleshooting or trying to resolve an issue. To stop the Themes service, type the following command at an elevated command prompt: net stop themes. To restart the Themes service, type the following command at an elevated command prompt: net start themes.

  Tailoring and Saving Themes

  When you apply a theme to the Windows desktop, many different system settings can be affected. Typically, users might like a theme but dislike a specific aspect of it, such as the sounds. To fix this, you can change the system setting the user doesn't like and then save the updated theme so that he or she can restore it in the future.

  The primary settings that themes affect are as follows:

  Screen savers To change the screen saver, right-click an open area of the desktop and then select Personalize. In the Personalization console, click Screen Saver. In the Screen Saver Settings dialog box, select a screen saver and then click OK. Select None to remove the screen saver.

  Sounds To change sounds, right-click the desktop and then select Personalize. In the Personalization console, click Sounds. In the Sound dialog box, use the Sound Scheme list box to select a different set of program event sounds. To restore the default, select Windows Default. To turn off program event sounds, select No Sounds.