Chapter 4: Configuring the Windows Vista Desktop

Configuring The Windows Desktop Vista offers many options for configuring the Desktop These options include: –Customized taskbar and start menu –Creating shortcuts –Display properties –Configuring Windows Sidebar Multilanguage or Multilingual Support Accessibility Features –For users with special needs 2/10

Configuring Windows Aero Aero is the new fresh user interface of Windows Vista –Enables transparency (transparent glass) effects –Subtle animations –3D effects Enabling Windows Aero with less than 1GB or RAM and less than 128MB of video RAM could adversely affect the performance of your computer. 3/10

Configuring Windows Aero Windows Vista theme –To use Aero, you must select Vista Theme from Personalized Settings. Do this by going to Control Panel, Personalization, and then Themes Windows Aero color scheme –You must then select Aero Color Scheme and enable Transparency. Do this by going to Control Panel, Personalization, and then Window Color and Appearance 4/10

Customizing the Taskbar and Start Menu –Taskbar: Provides buttons for any programs, documents, or windows that are currently running on the computer –Start Menu: Provides a list of options and programs that can be run Users can customize the Taskbar and Start menu through the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box. The easiest way to access this dialog box is to right- click a blank area in the Taskbar and choose Properties from the pop-up menu. The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box has four tabs: Taskbar, Start Menu, Notification Area and Toolbars. 5/10

Customizing the Taskbar Taskbar Property Settings –Lock the taskbar Locks into the current Size and Position so it cannot be moved around the desktop Locked by default –Auto-hide the taskbar (off by default) To show the taskbar, click on the screen where it appears. –Keep the taskbar on top of other windows, even full screen applications. (enabled by default) 6/10

Customizing the Taskbar Taskbar Property Settings –Group similar taskbar buttons Groups the taskbar buttons for the same program together and will collapse them into a single button if the taskbar becomes to crowded. –Show Quick Launch An icon that gets you back to the Windows Desktop in a single click –Show window previews (thumbnails) Displays a thumbnail preview of a window when the mouse is hovered over it on the taskbar. 7/10

Customizing the Start Menu Custom Windows Vista theme or select Classic Start menu (The look of previous Windows versions) Add or remove items –Pin items to the Start Menu Customize options, such as how items are displayed, what items are displayed, and how many items are displayed in the Recently Accessed Items area. 8/10

Customizing the Notification Area Hide inactive icons –Can customized for each icon Hide when inactive Hide Show Display or hide system icons –Clock –Volume –Network –Power (for mobile computers) 9/10

Using Shortcuts Provides links to items accessible from your computer or network Created for convenience in folders, or the desktop Right-click the item, select Create Shortcut, move shortcut to new location if needed 10/10

Setting Display Settings Control Panel / Appearance and Personalization Window Color and Appearance –Allows you to fine-tune the color and style of your windows –Allows you to enable transparency if Windows Aero configured Desktop Background –Allows you to pick your Desktop background, which uses a picture or HTML document. –Allows you to configure the background color for your desktop Screen Saver –Lets you select a screen saver that will start after the system has been idle for a specified amount of time –Specify a password used to re-access the system after it has been idle –Adjust the power management settings. 11/10

Setting Display Settings Sounds –Lets you change which sounds are played based on the system actions taken Mouse Pointers –Allows you to customize the appearance of the mouse pointer Themes –Allows you to select the desktop theme to use, such as Windows Vista, for your computer –Changing the theme modifies many aspects of the desktop environment, including the appearance of menus, icons, background, screen savers, sounds and mouse pointers Display Settings –Allows you to adjust monitor resolution and refresh rate 12/10

Windows Sidebar New Feature of Vista Vertical bar that can be displayed on either side of the screen. Enable by: –Start>Computer>C:>Program Files>Windows Sidebar>Sidebar.exe Contains applications called gadgets –Quick, visual representations of information such as Weather Your Calendar Time 13/10

Windows Sidebar New Feature of Vista Configuring Windows Sidebar options –Which side of the screen to appear –Always be displayed on top of other windows –Whether to start when Windows starts 14/10

Multiple Languages and Regional Settings Multilingual Technology –Localized versions of Vista –Allows editing of documents and use of same computer by users of various languages. Depending on user profile. –Format options for Regions Numbers Currency Time Date 15/10

Configuring Accessibility Features Ease of Access Center: For users with special accessibility needs. Visual Needs –Magnifier –Narrator –High contrast color schemes 16/10

Configuring Accessibility Features Alternate Input Device –Speech recognition –On-screen keyboard –Sticky Keys Shift, Ctrl, Alt, or Windows keys to stick and not have to be held simultaneously –Filter Keys Ignores brief or repeated keystrokes and slows the repeat rate –Toggle Keys Makes a noise whenever you press the Caps Lock, Num Lock, or Scroll Lock 17/10

Configuring Accessibility Features Hearing needs –Uses Text of Visual alternatives to sound Sound Sentri will generate a visual warning whenever the computer makes a sound, and will display captions for speech and sound on your computer. 18/10