Customizing

Customize the Start Menu

You customize the Start menu to make it show the items you use frequently. You can customize your Start menu to add a favorite program’s icon or to purge an unwanted icon. Follow these steps to customize [more…]

How to Create a New User Account in Windows XP

You can create a new user account in Windows XP for anyone: your spouse, your children, your babysitter, your in-laws . . . well, don't go too crazy. By creating new user accounts for the people who will [more…]

How to Adjust Your PC Monitor’s Display

If you have the time, you can spend the better part of a day adjusting various features of your computer monitor’s display. How you adjust your monitor’s display depends on the type of monitor you have [more…]

How to Change Your Screen Resolution in Windows Vista

Change your screen resolution to determine how much information fits on your screen. Changing the resolution either shrinks windows to pack more of them on-screen or it enlarges everything at the expense [more…]

How to Create a New User in Windows Vista

Even if you're the only one using your computer, you can safeguard your computer by adding another standard user in Windows Vista, which operates as the administrator account. Of course, you may also want [more…]

How to Set Up or Change a User Account

User accounts are set up or changed for various reasons. Your administrator is responsible for setting up or changing user accounts.

Follow these steps to add another user account to your PC or change an [more…]

How to Add Excel 2007 to the Windows Vista Quick Launch Toolbar

If you want to start Microsoft Office Excel 2007 by clicking a single button, you can add the Excel icon to the Quick Launch toolbar. The Quick Launch toolbar resides to the immediate right of the Start [more…]

Import Your Video, Pictures, and Music

You can import video, pictures, and music into your PC. To import video, pictures, and music, you must copy the footage onto your computer through a cable. Most digital camcorders connect to a computer’s [more…]

How to Control the Display of Your Laptop

You can control the way Windows looks as well as how your laptop's monitor is configured. To do this, you need to visit the Personalization icon in the Windows Vista Control Panel or the Display icon in [more…]

How to Change the Date and Time in Windows Vista

Set the date and time so that Windows Vista accurately time stamps your e-mails and files, schedules tasks, and records events. You can change the date and time in Windows Vista by following these few [more…]

User Accounts in Windows Vista

User accounts allow several people to work on the same computer in Windows Vista. To access your user account, you log on and enter your username and password. The user account logon screen is shown in [more…]

Modify Windows Vista for the Physically Challenged

You can modify Windows Vista to accommodate someone with a disability. To modify Vista, use the Ease of Access area in the Control Panel. Follow these steps to modify Vista’s settings: [more…]

How to Change the Desktop Background in Windows Vista

Let your computer express your personality by changing the desktop background (also called the wallpaper) in Windows Vista. Windows Vista comes preloaded with a number of pictures and patterns that you [more…]

How to Choose a Desktop Theme in Windows Vista

In the world of Windows, a desktop theme is a way to control many different aspects of your Windows environment. When you choose a desktop theme in Windows Vista, you can affect the desktop background, [more…]

How to Change and Arrange Desktop Icons in Windows Vista

You can personalize your Windows Vista workspace by changing the way the icons appear on the desktop. You can arrange icons on your desktop in Windows Vista using the desktop shortcut menu. To be able [more…]

Speeding Up Windows Vista by Eliminating the Aero Interface

You can improve the speed of your computer by removing the Aero Shell in Windows Vista. Microsoft spent a fortune tying Vista and Aero Glass together in the minds and pocketbooks of computer consumers. [more…]

Understanding Windows Vista's Aero Glass Display

Microsoft spent a fortune tying Vista and Aero Glass together in the minds and pocketbooks of computer consumers. In fact, a large percentage of all Vista Home Basic users upgraded to Home Premium because [more…]

Speeding Up Windows Vista by Disabling the Glass Effect

In Vista, Glass refers to a transparent (more accurately a translucent) effect that allows you to see through the border around windows on your desktop and look at a blurry version of whatever lies beneath [more…]

How to Adjust Windows Vista's Display Options for Better Performance

If you aren’t terribly concerned about Windows Vista’s appearance, you can speed up the screen substantially, no matter what kind of video card you have. To maximize your display, you can turn off virtually [more…]

How to Create a Hibernate Shortcut in Windows Vista

Using the Hibernate setting in Windows Vista is a great way to save power and to close your system quickly. And if you create a Hibernate shortcut on your desktop, you can send your computer to this semi-sleep [more…]