Windows XP in a Nutshell, Second Edition

Windows XP in a Nutshell, Second Edition

Released January 2005
Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ISBN: 9780596009007

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Book description

Windows XP in a Nutshell, Second Edition documents everything there is to know about the world's most widely used operating system. Updated to include information on Service Pack 2 (SP2), this compact guide is the ultimate resource for IT professionals and Windows XP power users everywhere. Written in O'Reilly's time-tested in a Nutshell format, Windows XP in a Nutshell, Second Edition cuts through the hype and delivers practical details in a no-nonsense manner. At the heart of the book is an invaluable 200-plus-page section titled Windows XP Application and Tools. In it, readers will find:

  • A list of available commands and utilities, including Start Menu accessories, command prompt tools, and hidden system administration utilities

  • A Task and Setting Index for quick access to hundreds of XP settings

  • A complete reference to XP's command prompt, including advanced commands and scripting features

    • Windows XP in a Nutshell, Second Edition also includes a primer on files, folders, and windows; control panels and built-in applications; how to set up a PC for Internet use; and the standard Windows rituals of troubleshooting, installation, and upgrading. And, of course, this greatly expanded second edition also includes all the need-to-know details about the security technologies featured in SP 2, so you can better defend yourself against viruses, worms, and hackers. Readers even receive guidelines and instructions for installing SP2 on their PC, or across a network of computers. With its wealth of tips, careful instruction, and expert advice, this must-have desktop reference is dedicated to making your time at the computer safer, easier, and more fun.

    Table of contents

    1. Windows XP in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition
      1. Preface
        1. Considerations and Scope
        2. Organization of the Book
          1. Part I
          2. Part II
          3. Part III
          4. Part IV
        3. Conventions Used in This Book
          1. Path Notation
          2. Command-Line Syntax
        4. We’d Like to Hear from You
        5. Safari Enabled
        6. Windows XP Resource Links
        7. Using Code Examples
        8. Acknowledgments
      2. I. The Big Picture
        1. 1. The Lay of the Land
          1. The Big Picture
          2. What’s New in Windows XP
            1. What’s New for Users of Windows 9x/Me
            2. What’s New for Users of Windows 2000
            3. What’s New, Regardless of Your Previous OS
          3. Windows XP Home and Professional Editions
          4. Windows Update
          5. Windows Service Packs
        2. 2. Using Windows XP
          1. The Desktop
          2. Point-and-Click Operations
            1. Default Behavior
            2. Alternate Behavior
          3. Starting Up Applications
          4. Styles and Consequences of Styles
          5. Windows and Menus
          6. Keyboard Accelerators
          7. Common Controls
          8. Files, Folders, and Disks
            1. Disk Names
            2. Pathnames
            3. Paths to Network Resources
            4. Short Names and Long Names
            5. File Types and Extensions
            6. Views Through Folder Windows
            7. Keyboard Accelerators in Folder Windows
            8. Advanced Drag-Drop Techniques
          9. The Command Line
          10. Online Help
          11. Shutting Down
      3. II. Alphabetical Reference
        1. 3. The User Interface
          1. Address Bar
          2. Buttons
          3. Checkboxes
          4. Clipboard
          5. Combo Boxes
          6. Context Menus
          7. Control Menus
          8. Desktop
          9. Details
          10. Dialog Boxes
          11. Drop-Down Listboxes
          12. File Open/Save Dialogs
          13. Icons
          14. Input Fields
          15. Labels
          16. Listboxes
          17. Log Off
          18. Menus
          19. My Computer
          20. My Network Places
          21. Notification Area
          22. Progress Indicators
          23. Properties
          24. Radio Buttons
          25. Recycle Bin
          26. Run
          27. Scroll Bars
          28. Send To
          29. Shortcuts
          30. Shut Down
          31. Start Menu
          32. Status Bar
          33. System Tray
          34. Tabbed Dialogs
          35. Taskbar
          36. Text Boxes
          37. Title Bars
          38. Toolbars
          39. Tray
          40. Trees
          41. Turn Off Computer
          42. Windows
        2. 4. Windows XP Applications and Tools
          1. Using the Command Prompt
          2. Alphabetical Reference to Windows Components
            1. Accessibility Options
            2. Accessibility Wizard
            3. Activate Windows
            4. Active Connections Utility
            5. Add Hardware Wizard
            6. Add or Remove Programs
            7. Address Book
            8. Administrative Tools
            9. At
            10. Attrib
            11. Backup
            12. Bluetooth Devices
            13. Boot Configuration Manager
            14. Cabinet (CAB) Maker
            15. Calculator
            16. Character Map
            17. Chat
            18. Chkdsk
            19. Chkntfs
            20. Clipbook Viewer
            21. Command Prompt
            22. Component Services
            23. Computer Management
            24. Connection Manager Profile Installer
            25. Control Panel
            26. Create Shared Folder
            27. Date and Time Properties
            28. DDE Share
            29. Device Manager
            30. DirectX Management Tool
            31. Disk Cleanup
            32. Disk Defragmenter
            33. DiskPart
            34. Display Properties
            35. Dr. Watson
            36. Driver Verifier Manager
            37. DriverQuery
            38. Event Viewer
            39. Explorer
            40. FAT to NTFS Conversion Utility
            41. Fax Console
            42. Fax Cover Page Editor
            43. File Compare (comp)
            44. File Compare (fc)
            45. File Expansion Utility
            46. File and Settings Transfer Wizard
            47. Finger
            48. Folder Options
            49. Font Viewer
            50. Fonts Folder
            51. ForceDOS
            52. Format
            53. FreeCell
            54. FTP
            55. Game Controllers
            56. Group Policy Editor
            57. Group Policy Refresh Utility
            58. Hearts
            59. Help and Support Center
            60. HyperTerminal
            61. IExpress
            62. Internet Backgammon
            63. Internet Checkers
            64. Internet Explorer
            65. Internet Hearts
            66. Internet Reversi
            67. Internet Options
            68. Internet Spades
            69. Java Command-Line Loader
            70. Keyboard Properties
            71. Label
            72. Local Security Policy
            73. Logoff
            74. Microsoft Chat
            75. Microsoft Magnifier
            76. Microsoft Management Console
            77. Microsoft NetMeeting
            78. Minesweeper
            79. Mouse Properties
            80. Msg
            81. MSN Explorer
            82. MSN Gaming Zone
            83. My Computer
            84. My Network Places
            85. Narrator
            86. Net
            87. Netstat
            88. Network Connections
            89. Network Setup Wizard
            90. New Connection Wizard
            91. Notepad
            92. NSLookup
            93. NTFS Compression Utility
            94. NTFS Encryption Utility
            95. Object Packager
            96. ODBC Data Source Administrator
            97. On-Screen Keyboard
            98. OpenFiles
            99. Outlook Express
            100. Paint
            101. Pentium Bug Checker
            102. Performance Log Manager
            103. Performance Logs and Alerts
            104. Phone and Modem Options
            105. Phone Dialer
            106. Pinball
            107. Ping
            108. Power Options
            109. Printers and Faxes
            110. Private Character Editor
            111. Product Activation
            112. Program Manager
            113. Query Process
            114. Regional and Language Options
            115. Recycle Bin
            116. Registry Console Utility
            117. Registry Editor
            118. Remote Assistance
            119. Remote Copy
            120. Remote Desktop Connection
            121. Route
            122. Rundll32
            123. Run As
            124. Scanners and Cameras
            125. Scheduled Tasks
            126. Scheduled Tasks Console
            127. Security Center
            128. Security Template Utility
            129. Send a Fax
            130. Services
            131. Shutdown
            132. Signature Verification Tool
            133. Solitaire
            134. Sound Recorder
            135. Sounds and Audio Devices
            136. Speech Properties
            137. Spider Solitaire
            138. SQL Server Client Network Utility
            139. Start Menu
            140. Subst
            141. Synchronization Manager
            142. System Properties
            143. System Configuration Editor
            144. System Configuration Utility
            145. System Information
            146. System Restore
            147. Task Manager
            148. Taskbar and Start Menu Properties
            149. Taskkill
            150. Tasklist
            151. Telnet
            152. Telnet Administrator
            153. Tracert
            154. User Accounts
            155. Utility Manager
            156. Volume Control
            157. Windows Explorer
            158. Windows File Checker
            159. Windows Help System
            160. Windows IP Configuration
            161. Windows Media Player
            162. Windows Messenger
            163. Windows Movie Maker
            164. Windows Picture and Fax Viewer
            165. Windows Script Host
            166. Windows Update
            167. WordPad
        3. 5. Task and Setting Index
          1. Accessibility
          2. Address Bar
          3. Administrative Tools
          4. Advanced Power Management (APM)
          5. Animation
          6. Applications
          7. Autocomplete
          8. Autodial
          9. Automatic Windows Update
          10. Background
          11. Bluetooth
          12. Br-Ca
          13. CD Drive
          14. Certificates
          15. Cl-Co
          16. Color Profiles
          17. Colors
          18. Com-Con
          19. Control Panel
          20. Cookies
          21. Country
          22. Cr-Da
          23. Desktop
          24. Devices
          25. Dialing
          26. Dig-Dis
          27. Display
          28. Do-Dr
          29. DVD
          30. Ef-Em
          31. Encrypted NTFS Files
          32. En-Ex
          33. Favorites
          34. Fax
          35. Files
          36. Firewall
          37. Folders
          38. Fonts
          39. FTP
          40. Go-Ha
          41. Hard Disk
          42. Hardware
          43. He-HT
          44. Icons
          45. Images
          46. Indexing
          47. Ins-Int
          48. Internet Connection Firewall
          49. Internet Explorer
          50. In-Jo
          51. Keyboard
          52. Language
          53. Li-Me
          54. Menus
          55. Message Box
          56. Modems
          57. Mouse
          58. My Computer
          59. My Documents
          60. My Music
          61. My Network Places
          62. My Pictures
          63. NetMeeting
          64. Network
          65. Network Connections
          66. Ne-OD
          67. Offline Files
          68. Ou-Pa
          69. Passwords
          70. Pa-Pr
          71. Printers
          72. Pr-Ru
          73. Scheduled Tasks
          74. Sc-Si
          75. Software
          76. Sounds
          77. Speech
          78. Start Menu
          79. Startup
          80. St-Sy
          81. System Restore
          82. Task
          83. Taskbar
          84. Taskbar Notification Area
          85. Tele-Teln
          86. Temporary Internet Files
          87. Terminal Server
          88. Text Cursor
          89. The-Thu
          90. Time
          91. Ti-To
          92. Tooltips
          93. Tr-Us
          94. Users
          95. Vid-Vir
          96. Voice
          97. Vo-We
          98. Windows
          99. Windows Explorer
          100. Windows Firewall
          101. Windows Security Center
          102. Wi...
        4. 6. The Command Prompt
          1. Using the Command Line
          2. Command Prompt Choices
          3. Wildcards, Pipes, and Redirection
            1. Examples
          4. Alphabetical Reference to DOS Commands
            1. cd or chdir
            2. cls
            3. copy
            4. date
            5. del or erase
            6. dir
            7. echo
            8. exit
            9. find
            10. md or mkdir
            11. more
            12. move
            13. path
            14. prompt
            15. rd or rmdir
            16. ren or rename
            17. set
            18. sort
            19. time
            20. type
            21. ver
            22. xcopy
          5. MS-DOS Batch Files
            1. Creating Batch Files
            2. Some Rules of the Road
            3. The “Why” and “When” of Using Batch Files
            4. Variables
            5. Additional Commands Used in Batch Files
              1. call
              2. choice
              3. errorlevel
              4. for
              5. goto
              6. if
              7. pause
              8. rem
              9. shift
      4. III. Advanced Topics
        1. 7. Networking
          1. Networking Terminology
            1. Planning Your Network
            2. Configuring Network Connections
              1. LAN or High-Speed Internet connection properties
              2. Dial-up/ Broadband connection properties
              3. Wireless connection properties
                1. Wireless Network Connection window
                2. Wireless connection icon
                3. Other connection actions
            3. Protocols and Services
          2. General Procedures
            1. Setting Up a LAN
              1. What to do if your connection doesn’t work
            2. Sharing Resources
              1. Mapping drives
              2. Administrative shares
              3. Permissions
              4. Sharing printers
            3. Connecting to the Internet
              1. DSL, cable, or other high-speed connection with a static IP address
              2. Notes
              3. DSL, cable, or other high-speed connection via PPPoE
              4. Notes
              5. Wireless connection via Wi-Fi (802.11x)
              6. Configure PCs using the Wireless Network Setup Wizard
              7. Connection provided by another computer or router via Internet Connection Sharing
              8. Notes
              9. Dial-up connection, including analog modems over standard phone lines
              10. Notes
            4. Sharing an Internet Connection
              1. Setting up Internet Connection Sharing
              2. Troubleshooting Internet Connection Sharing
              3. Alternatives to Internet Connection Sharing
            5. Implementing Network Security
              1. Using the Internet Connection Firewall
              2. Notes
              3. What’s new in Service Pack 2?
              4. Protecting your data with passwords and encryption
              5. Additional security tips
        2. 8. The Registry
          1. What’s in the Registry
          2. Adding and Deleting Registry Keys and Values
          3. Organization of the Registry
            1. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT (HKCR)
            2. HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKCU)
            3. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (HKLM)
            4. HKCU\Software and HKLM\SOFTWARE
            5. HKEY_USERS (HKU)
            6. HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG (HKCC)
          4. Hives
          5. Backing Up the Registry
          6. Exporting and Importing Registry Data with Patches
          7. Ten Cool Things You Can Do in Your Registry
        3. 9. The Windows Script Host
          1. What Is WSH?
          2. Additional Resources
          3. Executing Scripts
            1. Using wscript.exe
            2. Using cscript.exe
          4. Creating a Script
          5. VBScript
            1. Comments
            2. Continuation Character
            3. Variables
            4. Object Variables
            5. Conditional Statements
            6. Functions and Subroutines
            7. Variable Scope
            8. Loops
            9. Collections
            10. Error Handling
            11. Constants
          6. Object Model
            1. Conventions
          7. Wscript Object
            1. Echo Method
            2. CreateObject Method
            3. Arguments Collection
            4. Quit
          8. Shell Object
            1. ExpandEnvironmentVariables Method
            2. Run Method
            3. SpecialFolders Collection
          9. Registry Routines
            1. RegRead
            2. RegWrite
            3. RegDelete
          10. Shortcuts
          11. Popup
          12. Network Object
            1. EnumNetworkDrives
            2. MapNetworkDrive
            3. RemoveNetworkDrive
          13. Network Printer-Related Functions
            1. EnumPrinterConnections
            2. AddPrinterConnection
            3. SetDefaultPrinter
            4. RemovePrinterConnection
          14. FileSystem Object
            1. GetTempName Method
            2. FileExists/FolderExists Methods
            3. Drives Collection
            4. Folders Collection
            5. Copy/Move Methods
            6. Delete Method
            7. Files Collection
            8. Copy/Move Methods
            9. Delete Method
          15. TextStream Object
          16. Object Browser
          17. Database Example
          18. Messaging
      5. IV. Appendixes
        1. A. Installing Windows XP
          1. Installation on a New (Clean) System
            1. Upgrade from a Previous Version of Windows
            2. Installation from DOS (or a Windows 9x/Me Boot Disk)
            3. Setting Up a Dual-Boot System
            4. Re-Installation over an Existing Windows XP Install
            5. Potential Problems During Setup
            6. The Windows Recovery Console
        2. B. Migrating to Windows XP
          1. Before Upgrading to Windows XP
            1. After Upgrading to Windows XP
        3. C. Keyboard Shortcuts
          1. Keyboard Accelerators Listed by Key
          2. Keyboard Accelerators Listed by Function
        4. D. Power Toys and TweakUI
          1. Inside TweakUI
        5. E. Keyboard Equivalents for Symbols and International Characters
        6. F. Common Filename Extensions
        7. G. Services
        8. H. Service Packs
          1. Before You Install
          2. Getting Service Packs
          3. Installing a Service Pack
            1. If Something Goes Wrong
          4. Key Features in Service Pack 1
            1. Set Program Access and Defaults
          5. Key Features in Service Pack 2
            1. Windows Security Center
            2. Automatic Updates
            3. Windows Firewall
            4. Internet Explorer
            5. Outlook Express
            6. Wireless Networking
            7. Bluetooth Support
      6. Index
      7. Colophon

    Product information

    • Title: Windows XP in a Nutshell, Second Edition
    • Author(s):
    • Release date: January 2005
    • Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
    • ISBN: 9780596009007