Wrap Up

After this chapter, you should be able to configure the Windows XP interface to best suit your working style and individual tastes. Don't like the default screen saver? Change it to a photo album of the grandkids! You like to launch your applications using big desktop icons rather than sifting through the contents of the Start Menu? Populate the desktop with icons to your heart's content! In short, make Windows behave the way you want it to.

The topics touched on in this chapter ranged from the relatively basicchanging monitor resolutionto the relatively complexremoving access to the Control Panel with a Group Policy Object. But then again, that's why you've picked up this title: to learn some new methods for working with XP. And besides, ask any brain surgeoneverything's a basic skill when you know what you're doing.

Along the way, we identified many common pitfalls that can occur even when making basic configuration changes. If your screen goes blank when making a change from now on, you'll know what to do.

In the following chapter, we'll look at how some more advanced techniques will help you get the most out of Windows XP. It will be a grab bag of sorts, which will push your XP knowledge far beyond the everyday. More importantly, it will likely show you new and better ways of working.

Among the techniques covered in the next chapter will be using the Command Prompt more effectively on those occasions where you just have to type. We will also include a discussion of Offline Files, ways to add album art, and other more advanced XP tasks that will put you on the path to become a true power user.