Archive Page 2
This might not be one of the most exciting tutorials that I’ve done but for people who like to personalize their desktop it might come in useful.
The Recycle Bin is usually located on the desktop, however there are ways to show or hide it.
How to show or hide the recycle bin
- Click Start (Windows Orb)
- Click Control Panel
- Click Appearance and Personalization
- Click Personalization
- On the left side of the Window under the Tasks category click Change desktop icons
- To hide the recycle bin clear the Recycle Bin check box and then click OK
- To show the recycle bin select the Recycle Bin check box and then click OK
*Note: When you delete a file it will still be moved to the recycle bin. If you can’t see the recycle bin icon follow the above steps.
Most people today have a printer attached to their computer and sometimes have more than one PC in the household.
If there are multiple computers in the home the odds are they’re probably networked.
So in this tutorial I will show you how to share a printer that is attached to your computer and make it available over the network.
How to share a printer
- Click Start (Windows Orb)
- Click Control Panel
- Click Network and Internet
- Click Network and Sharing Center
- Under the Sharing and Discovery category click the drop down arrow next to Password protected sharing
- Click the Turn off password protected sharing radio button and then click Apply
- If prompted by the UAC, click Continue
- This time under the Sharing and Discovery category click the drop down arrow next to Printer sharing
- Click the Turn on printer sharing radio button and then click Apply
- If prompted by the UAC click Continue
How to print using a shared computer
- Click Start (Windows Orb)
- In the search bar type \\ followed by the name of the computer with the shared printer. e.g. \\mycomputer and then press the Enter key
- If Windows Vista locates the computer a folder will open. Double left click the Printers icon
- The shared printer will usually have a name similar to the installed print device. Double left click the shared printer icon.
- Windows will now automatically install the printer drivers
- The printer will appear in your printers folder. You will need to select the printer when wanting to print to that device.
*Note: If you’re unable to find the printer on the network. Talk to the person that owns the printer to confirm that it’s turned on and functioning correctly.
This is the fourth and final part of altering Windows Vista to look and feel like earlier versions of Windows. I will now show you how to change the Windows Vista theme to look like the classic version.
How to change the Windows Vista theme to classic view
- Click Start (Windows Orb)
- Click Control Panel
- Click Appearance and Personalization
- Click Personalization
- Click Theme
- Under Theme, choose Windows Classic from the drop down menu and click OK
*Note: These tutorials are aimed towards people who prefer the Windows Classic View and not meant to discourage users from using the new Windows Aero interface.
I’ve previously written about how to change the start menu and control panel to classic view. I’m now going to explain how to change the Windows Vista folders to classic view.
How to change the Windows Vista folders to Classic View
- Click Start (Windows Orb)
- Click Control Panel
- Click Appearance and Personalization
- Click Folder Options
- Under the General tab, click the Use Windows classic folders radio button
- Click OK
*Note: To restore the folders to their original setting, click the Restore Defaults button and then click OK.
Following on from the tutorial How to change the Windows Vista Start Menu to Classic View In the second part of this series I will show you how to change the control panel to the familiar Classic View.
How to Change the Control Panel to Classic View on Windows Vista
- Click Start (Windows Orb)
- Click Control Panel
- On the left side off the pane click Classic View
*Note: To revert back to category view, click Control Panel Home.
The Microsoft Malware Protection Center includes the top 10 detections for Desktop, MSRT, Email, and Adware/Spyware.
Via the site you’ll be able to find an encyclopedia, tools and resources as well as a page that makes submitting new malware or potentially unwanted software samples to Microsoft much simpler.
There a number of links to Microsoft related security blogs which are a great resource for learning about security on the desktop.
Official Site: Microsoft Malware Protection Center
the classic start menu from earlier versions of Windows is very recognizable and some people still prefer it. So In this tutorial I will show you how to change the Windows Vista start menu to classic view.
How to change the Windows Vista Start Menu to Classic View
- Click Start (Windows Orb)
- Click Control Panel
- Click Appearance and Personalization
- Click Taskbar and Start Menu
- Click the Start Menu tab
- Select the Classic Start menu radio button
- Click OK
The Windows Vista start menu will now been changed to the familiar classic view.
It’s quite easy to select an image that can be associated with your user account and also be displayed on the start menu and welcome screen.
How to choose an image for your user account and welcome screen
- Click Start (Windows Orb)
- Click Control Panel
- Click User Accounts and Family Safety
- From the User Accounts category click Change your account picture
- Select the picture you want to display and then click Change Picture or click the Browse for more pictures… link and then browse to an image that you want to use.
- Click the image and then click Open.
Your chosen image will now show up on the welcome screen, start menu and other screens that display your account name.
Brief Description
Network Protocol Analyzer Tool to allow capturing and protocol analysis of network traffic.
Overview
Network Monitor 3.1 is a protocol analyzer. It allows you to capture network traffic, view and analyze it. Version 3.1 is an update and replaces Network Monitor 3.0. Network Monitor 3.x is a complete overhaul of the previous Network Monitor 2.x version.
Download: Microsoft Network Monitor 3.1
Following on from the tutorial How To Add Desktop Icons on Windows Vista I will now show you how to change the background.
How to change the desktop background
- Right click on the Desktop and select Personalize
- Click Desktop Background
- Choose a desktop background from the list or click Browse to select your own
- Click OK
