MCITP Microsoft Windows Vista : desktop support consumer study guide (70-623)

554 Pages·2008·30.019 MB·English

by  Eric Johnson, Eric Beehler

65348ffirs.fm Page iii Wednesday, October 24, 2007 2:36 PM
MCITP
Microsoft® Windows Vista™
Desktop Support Consumer
Study Guide
Eric Johnson
Eric Beehler
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
65348ffirs.fm Page iv Wednesday, October 24, 2007 2:36 PM
Acquisitions Editor: Jeff Kellum
Development Editor: Kim Wimpsett
Technical Editor: Randy Muller
Production Editor: Daniel Scribner
Copy Editor: Liz Welch
Production Manager: Tim Tate
Vice President and Executive Group Publisher: Richard Swadley
Vice President and Executive Publisher: Joseph B. Wikert
Vice President and Publisher: Neil Edde
Media Associate Project Manager: Laura Atkinson
Media Assistant Producer: Josh Frank
Media Quality Assurance: Kate Jenkins
Book Designers: Judy Fung and Bill Gibson
Compositor: Laurie Stewart, Happenstance Type-O-Rama
Proofreader: Nancy Riddiough
Indexer: Ron Strauss
Anniversary Logo Design: Richard Pacifico
Cover Designer: Ryan Sneed
Copyright © 2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
ISBN: 978-0-4701-6534-8
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or
108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or autho-
rization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive,
Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone]. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be
addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317)
572-3447, fax [phone], or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with
respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including
without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales
or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This
work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other profes-
sional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.
Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or
Website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that
the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Website may provide or recommendations
it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Websites listed in this work may have changed or disap-
peared between when this work was written and when it is read.
For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Cus-
tomer Care Department within the U.S. at [phone], outside the U.S. at [phone] or fax [phone].
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be
available in electronic books.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Johnson, Eric, 1978–
MCITP : Microsoft Windows Vista desktop support consumer study guide (70-623) / Eric Johnson, Eric Beehler.
— 1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-470-16534-8 (paper/cd-rom)
1. Electronic data processing personnel—Certification. 2. Microsoft software—Examinations—Study guides.
3. Microsoft Windows (Computer file) I. Beehler, Eric, 1974– II. Title.
QA76.3.J6435 2008
005.4'46—dc22
2007038336
TRADEMARKS: Wiley, the Wiley logo, and the Sybex logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley
& Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates, in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written per-
mission. Microsoft and Windows Vista are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the
United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Pub-
lishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
65348ffirs.fm Page v Wednesday, October 24, 2007 2:36 PM
Dear Reader:
Thank you for choosing MCITP: Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Desktop Support Consumer
Study Guide. This book is part of a family of premium quality Sybex books, all written by
outstanding authors who combine practical experience with a gift for teaching.
Sybex was founded in 1976. More than thirty years later, we’re still committed to producing
consistently exceptional books. With each of our titles we’re working hard to set a new stan-
dard for the industry. From the authors we work with to the paper we print on, our goal is
to bring you the best books available.
I hope you see all that reflected in these pages. I’d be very interested to hear your comments
and get your feedback on how we’re doing. Feel free to let me know what you think about
this or any other Sybex book by sending me an email at [email protected], or if you think
you’ve found a technical error in this book, please visit http://sybex.custhelp.com.
Customer feedback is critical to our efforts at Sybex.
Best regards,
Neil Edde
Vice President and Publisher
Sybex, an Imprint of Wiley
65348ffirs.fm Page vi Wednesday, October 24, 2007 2:36 PM
For Evan. You have taught me a great many things, most important that being a
father is both the most challenging and most rewarding job I will ever do. I love
you, son.
—Eric Johnson
To my wife Elena; my children Amanda, Andrew, and Alissa; and my parents.
—Eric Beehler
65348ffirs.fm Page vii Wednesday, October 24, 2007 2:36 PM
Acknowledgments
I have always enjoyed training and writing, and this book gave me the opportunity to do both
at the same time. Many long nights and weekends went into this writing, and I hope all the
hard work has created a great resource for you to use in preparation for your exam.
I cannot express enough thanks to my wife Michelle and my son Evan. They have been
very supportive throughout this process and put up with me not being around. I love you
both very much.
I would also like to thank my friend and coauthor, Eric Beehler. Without his support and
help on this project, it would not have come together as well as it did. He and I have worked
on many projects over the years, but this has to have been one of the most challenging to date.
I would also like to thank the team at Sybex, especially Jeff Kellum and Kim Wimpsett. This
was our second book, and we are still learning the ropes. We appreciate Jeff giving us the
opportunity and thank both Kim and Jeff for guiding us through the process. Thanks for your
understanding and support.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank you, the reader. Without you there would be no
book. Good luck on your exam.
—Eric Johnson
This book was possible because of the love and understanding provided by my family. I would
never have undertaken such a challenge had they not encouraged me and helped me.
Elena, my wife, you have always supported me in all my endeavors and this book was no
different. You have done so much to help me, even while pursuing your own career and being
a wonderful mother to our children. We’ve come a long way together. I love you. Thank you.
To my children Amanda, Andrew, and Alissa, you were very understanding when I had to
work late and even when I had to sit with a computer before and after school events. You have
been great.
To my parents Dale and Yoni, you have always pushed me to be better and do more with
my life. From grade school up to now and beyond, you have been the reason I pushed harder
to make myself achieve. Thank you for everything.
To my brother Daniel, your creativity inspired me to write. Thanks for all the support.
Special thanks to my coauthor, Eric Johnson, for charging through the jungle with me to
get this book done. Your expertise and hard work got us here. I appreciate all you have done.
Now, let’s go get a beer.
Thanks to the editors I have worked with: Jeff Kellum and Kim Wimpsett. You have helped
us understand the process and made our writing look good.
—Eric Beehler
65348ffirs.fm Page viii Wednesday, October 24, 2007 2:36 PM
About the Authors
Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson (MCITP, MCSE, MCSE+I, MCDBA, MCSD, MCTS, Network+, A+) is a
cofounder of Consortio Services, and the primary Database Technologies Consultant. His
background in information technology is diverse, ranging from operating systems and hard-
ware to specialized applications and development. He has even done his fair share of work on
networks. Since IT is really just a way to support business processes, he has also acquired his
MBA. All in all, he has 10 years of experience with IT, a great amount of which has been work-
ing with Microsoft SQL Server. Eric has managed and designed databases of all shapes and
sizes. He has delivered numerous SQL Server training classes and webcasts as well as presen-
tations at national technology conferences. Most recently, he presented at TechMentor on
SQL Server 2005 Replication, Reporting Services, and Integration Services. He also does a
good deal of writing, including the recent four-part series, Tour de SQL, published in Red-
mond magazine. In addition, he is active in the local SQL Server Community, serving as the
president of the Colorado Springs SQL Server Users Group.
You can contact Eric at [email protected].
Eric Beehler
Eric Beehler has been working in the IT industry since the mid-1990s, and has been playing
with computer technology well before that. From help desk technician to solutions provider,
he has been involved at many layers of enterprise solutions from the desktop to the network
to the server and the SAN. He currently has certifications from CompTIA (A+, N+, Server+),
and Microsoft (MCITP: Enterprise Support Technician and Consumer Support Technician,
MCTS: Windows Vista Configuration, MCDBA SQL Server 2000, MCSE+I Windows NT
4.0, MCSE Windows 2000, and MCSE Windows 2003). He also holds a master’s degree in
business administration from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. His experience
includes over nine years with Hewlett-Packard’s Managed Services division, working with
Fortune 500 companies to deliver network and server solutions and, most recently, IT expe-
rience in the insurance industry working on highly available solutions. He provides consulting
and training through Consortio Services, LLC.
You can contact Eric at [email protected].
65348ffirs.fm Page ix Wednesday, October 24, 2007 2:36 PM
Contents at a Glance
Introduction xvii
Assessment Test xxviii
Chapter 1 Installing Windows Vista 1
Chapter 2 Customizing and Configuring Windows Vista 43
Chapter 3 Installing, Configuring, and Troubleshooting Devices 115
Chapter 4 Configuring Windows Media Center and Media Player 181
Chapter 5 Configuring Windows Vista Security 247
Chapter 6 Configuring Networking 323
Chapter 7 Troubleshooting and Repairing Networking 367
Chapter 8 Troubleshooting and Repairing Windows Vista 403
Glossary 453
Appendix About the Companion CD 487
Index 491
65348ffirs.fm Page x Wednesday, October 24, 2007 2:36 PM
65348ftoc.fm Page xi Wednesday, October 24, 2007 2:54 PM
Contents
Introduction xvii
Assessment Test xxviii
Chapter 1 Installing Windows Vista 1
Analyzing the Upgrade Path 2
Meeting the Hardware Requirements 2
Determining Application Support and Compatibility 4
Picking the Correct Edition 5
Using the Windows Upgrade Advisor 5
Introducing Windows Imaging 7
Selecting an Appropriate Installation Method 8
Performing an In-Place Upgrade 8
Performing a Clean Installation 10
Migrating Data and Settings 20
Working with Windows Easy Transfer 21
Performing Postinstallation Tasks 29
Troubleshooting Driver Installation 29
Configuring Display Devices 30
Troubleshooting Application Compatibility 32
Summary 34
Exam Essentials 35
Review Questions 36
Answers to Review Questions 41
Chapter 2 Customizing and Configuring Windows Vista 43
Using the Sidebar and Gadgets 44
Configuring the Sidebar 44
Configuring Gadgets 47
Configuring Windows SideShow Devices 53
Configuring RSS Feeds 54
Understanding Windows Aero 55
Using the Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 58
Understanding the Benefits of Aero 58
Configuring Windows Aero 60
Customizing and Configuring User Accounts 62
Understanding Administrator Accounts 63
Understanding Standard User Accounts 67
Choosing Settings to Optimize Performance 68
Using the System Configuration Tool to Add
and Remove Startup Items 68