Configure the Windows 7 Operating System

Windows 7 includes several utilities for managing various aspects of the operating system configuration. In the following sections, you will learn how to configure your operating system using Control Panel and the Registry Editor.

Let's start with Control Panel and the various utilities included within it.

Using Control Panel

Control Panel is a set of GUI utilities that allow you to configure Registry settings without using a Registry editor. The Registry is a data base used by the operating system to store configuration information.

Let's take a closer look at the utilities that are available through Control Panel:

Action Center The Action Center has two configurable sections: Security and Maintenance. The Security section allows you to configure four options:

• Virus Protection, which allows you to NN install and configure virus protection
• Windows Update, which allows you to update Windows 7
• Check For Solutions To Unreported Problems, which allows you to report and check for unreported problems
• Set Up Backup, which allows you to configure a backup

The Maintenance section allows you to set up a backup. Backups and Windows Update are explained later in this section.

Administrative Tools By clicking this icon, you can access multiple administrative tools that can help you configure and monitor the Windows 7 operating system. These tools include

• Computer Services
• Computer Management
• Data Sources (ODBC)
• Event Viewer
• iSCSI Initiator
• Local Security Policy
• Performance Monitor
• Print Management
• Services
• System Configuration
• Task Scheduler
• Windows Firewall with Advanced Security
• Windows Memory Diagnostics
• Windows PowerShell Modules

AutoPlay AutoPlay lets you configure media disks that will automatically start when inserted into the Media Player. Each of the media you use has different configuration settings, but the basic choices are as follows:

• Play Media Using The Windows Media Player
• Open The Folder To View Files Using Windows Explorer
• Take No Action
• Ask Me Every Time

Backup And Restore Backup And Restore allows you to install and configure your backup media. Backups allow a user to make a copy of all important data on their machine in the event of a hardware failure or disaster.

BitLocker Drive Encryption BitLocker Drive Encryption helps prevent unauthorized users from accessing files stored on the hard drives. The user is able to use the computer as normal but unauthorized users cannot read or use any of their files.

Color Management Color Management allows you to configure some of the video adapter settings. You can configure the Windows Color System Defaults, ICC Rendering Intent To WCS Gamut Mapping, and Display Calibration, as well as change the system defaults.

Credential Manager You use the Credential Manager to store credentials such as usernames and passwords. These usernames and passwords are stored in vaults so that you can easily log on to computers or websites.
There are three credential sections: Windows Credentials, Certificate-Based Credentials, and Generic Credentials. You can add credentials by clicking the Add Credentials link next to each of the three sections.

Date And Time Click the Date And Time icon to configure the local date and time for your Windows 7 machine. You also have the ability to synchronize your clock with the Internet.

Default Programs Click the Default Programs icon to choose the programs that Windows uses by default. For example, you can set Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) to be the default Internet browser.

Desktop Gadgets Click the Desktop Gadgets icon to set up various gadgets for your Windows 7 Desktop.

Device Manager Click the Device Manager icon to configure the devices on your Windows 7 machine. You can configure such devices as disk drives, display adapters, DVD/CD-ROM drives, monitors, and network adapters.

Devices And Printers Click the Devices And Printers icon to add or configure the devices on your machine and your printers.

Display Click the Display icon to configure your display properties. You can change the size of the text and other items on your screen. You also have the ability to change the resolution, calibrate colors, change display settings, adjust ClearType text, and change custom text size.

Ease Of Access Center The Ease Of Access Center enables you to set up your accessibility options.

Folder Options Click the Folder Options icon to configure how you can view the folders on your Windows 7 machine by default.
You can configure how you browse and navigate folders, which files and folders you can view, and how folders are searched.

Keyboard In Keyboard Properties, you configure how the keyboard will react when used. You can set the character repeat speed (how fast the keyboard will repeat what you are typing) and the cursor speed. You can also configure the keyboard drivers in this properties window.

Location And Other Sensors Sensors are either software or hardware devices that pick up information from the surrounding area for your computer. Windows 7 supports both hardware sensors, like motion detectors, and software sensors, like those that permit your computer to react to an incoming network packet. Windows 7 supports the following list of the sensors:

• GPS
• Accelerometer
• Proximity
• Light
• RFID (radio frequency identification)
• Compass
• Camera
• Microphone
• Temperature
• Moisture
• Motion detector
• Traffic
• Weather station

Mail Mail Properties allows you to set up your client-side mail. In the Mail Properties window, you can set up different user profiles (mailboxes) and specify connections to specific local mail servers or Internet mail servers.

Mouse The Mouse item gives you the ability to configure how the mouse will operate. You can configure the buttons, click speed, the ClickLock feature, pointer type, pointer options, center wheel, and hardware properties.

Network And Sharing Center The Network And Sharing Center allows you to configure your Windows 7 machine to connect to a local network or the Internet. You can configure TCP/IP, set up a new network, connect to a network, choose a HomeGroup, and configure the network adapter.

Notification Area The Notification Area is the area where icons and other notifications are displayed in the lower-right window (next to the time) of the Windows 7 taskbar. The Notification Area item in Control Panel allows you to configure which icons appear on the Taskbar and which notifications are shown.

Parental Controls Parental Controls allow you to manage how children can use a Windows 7 computer. With Parental Controls, you can set the hours that children can use the computer, the programs that they can access, and the type of games that they can play.
When children try to access an application or game that they are not allowed to use, a notification will let them know that the application or game is restricted. The child can click a link that will then ask for access to the application or game, and the parent can accept or decline the request.

Performance Information And Tools The Performance Information And Tools item gives you the ability to run a Windows Experience Index measurement. The Windows Experience Index measures the performance of the computer system.
The results will be issued as a base score. The higher the base score, the better your machine will perform. Performance Information And Tools also shows you how you can improve the performance of your machine.

Personalization Personalization allows you to set up your desktop environment.

Phone And Modem The Phone And Modem Properties window allows you to set up your local dialing properties and modem options. You can specify your dialing location, modem properties, and telephone providers.

Power Options Power plans allow a user to maximize their Windows 7 machine's performance and/or conserve energy. You have the ability to enter your own power restrictions to customize your machine. Power options are important settings when dealing with laptops. Because many users of laptops use batteries, power options allow you to get the most time from their batteries. There is more information about power management later in this tutorial.

Programs And Features Clicking the Programs And Features icon opens the old Add/Remove Programs item from Windows XP. Programs And Features allows you to uninstall, change, or repair programs and features.
Programs And Features also allows you to choose which Windows 7 features you want installed on your machine. Some of the features that you can enable are games, Indexing Services, Telnet Client, and Telnet Server.

Recovery The Recovery item allows a user or administrator to recover the Windows 7 system to a previously captured restore point. System Restore is one of the first recovery options when your Windows 7 system experiences problems.

Region And Language The Region And Language item allows you to configure your local regional settings.

RemoteApp And Desktop Connections Click the RemoteApp And Desktop Connections icon to access programs and desktops on your network. To connect to these resources (Remote Applications and Desktops), you must have the proper permissions to access these resources.
The RemoteApp and Desktop Connections item allows you to connect to either a remote computer or a virtual computer. To create a new connection, use the Set Up A New Connection Wizard included with the RemoteApp And Desktop Connections item.
Sound The Sound item allows you to configure your machine's audio. You can configure output (speakers and audio drivers) and you can configure your input devices (microphones).

Speech Recognition The Speech Recognition item allows you to configure your speech properties. Using Speech Recognition, you speak into the computer and that speech is displayed in text on the system. Many programs like Microsoft Office can type in the words as you speak them into the system. With Speech Recognition, you can complete the following items:

• Start Speech Recognition
• Set Up Microphone
• Take Speech Tutorials
• Train Your Computer To Better Understand You
• Open The Speech Reference Card

Sync Center The Sync Center allows you to configure synchronization between the Windows 7 machine and a network server. The Sync Center also enables you to see when the synchronization occurred, if the synchronization was successful, and if there were any errors.

System System is one of the most important features in Control Panel. It allows you to view which operating system the machine is using, check system resources (Processor, RAM), change the computer name/domain/workgroup, and activate Windows 7. By clicking the System icon you can also access the following items:

• Device Manager
• Remote Settings
• System Protection
• Advanced Settings

Taskbar And Start Menu The Taskbar And Start Menu item allows you to configure how the Taskbar, Start Menu, and toolbars will operate.

Troubleshooting The Troubleshooting item in Control Panel allows you to troubleshoot common Windows 7 problems. You can troubleshoot the following:

• Programs
• Hardware And Sound
• Network And Internet
• Appearance And Personalization
• System And Security

User Accounts The User Accounts item allows you to create and modify user accounts. By clicking User Accounts, you can do the following:

• Change user passwords
• Remove passwords
• Change the account picture
• Change the account name
• Change the account type
• Manage accounts
• Change User Account Control settings

Windows CardSpace Windows CardSpace is a new way for you to interact with websites and online services. Windows CardSpace allows you to replace the username and passwords that you currently use with online services. Using Windows CardSpace allows you to do the following:

• Review the identity of the site
• Manage your information by using information cards
• Review card information before you send it to a site
• Allow sites to request information from you

Windows Defender Windows Defender is a built-in Windows 7 spyware protector. It is included free with the operating system and starts automatically protecting your system after you turn it on. Windows Defender can operate in the following two modes:

Real-Time Protection Real-Time Protection allows Windows Defender to run in the background and protect your system as you are working live on the Internet or network.

Scanning Options The Scanning Options mode allows you to run a system scan at any time to check for spyware. This mode does not require the Windows Defender to always be running.

Windows Firewall Windows Firewall, helps prevent unauthorized users or hackers from accessing your Windows 7 machine from the Internet or the local network.

Windows Update Windows Update allows you to configure how the Windows 7 operating system receives updates from Microsoft's website.

Now that you have an understanding of the items available through Control Panel, let's take a look at the procedures for performing several useful tasks.