Figure 1-2: Using the System Configuration utility to enable the hidden boot screen
Figure 1-3: Giving your account full control over the en-us MUI files to change the boot screen
Figure 1-4: The Logon screen with an image next to the user's name
Figure 1-5: Clicking your user picture to access your account settings
Figure 1-6: Using the Registry Editor to add another DWORD value for the name of a user who will be hidden on the Logon screen
Figure 1-7: Basic User name and Password boxes on the Logon screen
Figure 1-8: Security message on a Windows Vista Logon screen
Figure 1-9: Using LogonStudio to create your own logon background
Chapter 2: Customizing User Navigation
Figure 2-1: Customizing the Start Menu window
Figure 2-2: Slim Start panel
Figure 2-3: The difference between the two Start panel icon sizes
Figure 2-4: Using Registry Editor to hide applications from the Frequently Run Programs list
Figure 2-5: Start Menu search options
Figure 2-6: Turning on the classic Start menu
Figure 2-7: Start menu with the Show Small Icons setting enabled
Figure 2-8: Taskbar live preview images
Figure 2-9: Taskbar properties showing the taskbar locked
Figure 2-10: Expanding the taskbar with your mouse
Figure 2-11: What the taskbar can look like after you move it to the Quick Launch bar, adjust the taskbar size, and add more programs to your Quick Launch bar
Figure 2-12: Windows Vista with the taskbar on the left side of the screen
Figure 2-13: Hiding system tray icons
Figure 2-14: Removing system icons from the system tray
Figure 2-15: Using the Group Policy Editor
Figure 2-16: Configuring a policy in the Group Policy Editor
Chapter 3: Hacking the Desktop
Figure 3-1: Turning the drop shadow effect on and off for icons on the desktop
Figure 3-2: Adding Computer to the desktop
Figure 3-3: Various desktop icon sizes
Figure 3-4: Setting the shell icon path and index
Figure 3-5: Before and after shell icon overlays
Figure 3-6: Selecting a new icon
Figure 3-7: Selecting Windows DreamScene video content for your desktop
Figure 3-8: Using Windows Sidebar gadgets on the dock and the desktop
Figure 3-9: Replacing the background resource with Resource Hacker
Figure 3-10: Showing the Windows Sidebar button on the Quick Launch bar
Chapter 4: Customizing the Appearance of the Windows Interface
Figure 4-1: Changing the active theme
Figure 4-2: Customizing the sizes and fonts of the user interface
Figure 4-3: Modifying the sound for the logon event
Figure 4-4: Changing the pointer scheme
Figure 4-5: Adjusting the window style
Figure 4-6: Adjusting Aero Glass color settings
Figure 4-7: Working with the Registry to enable Aero Glass
Figure 4-8: Using the online ColorizationColor value generator
Figure 4-9: An example of a minimum border and fat border windows
Figure 4-10: Changing the window border on the Advanced Appearance screen
Figure 4-11: Customizing a WindowBlinds theme
Chapter 5: Hacking Windows Explorer
Figure 5-1: Windows Explorer's panes
Figure 5-2: Windows Explorer search options
Figure 5-3: Adding additional file extensions to be indexed
Figure 5-4: Changing file associations
Figure 5-5: WinZip's context menu entry in the Registry
Figure 5-6: Changing the template of a folder
Figure 5-7: Displaying folders with Tiles view
Figure 5-8: Extra Large Icons view for people that really can't see anything
Figure 5-9: Adding new columns to the Details view
Figure 5-10: Revealing hidden files
Chapter 6: Customizing IE7
Figure 6-1: Adding search engines to Internet Explorer 7
Figure 6-2: Setting the URL value for adding http://www.Digg.com to the Internet Explorer search provider list
Figure 6-3: Quick Tabs view in Internet Explorer 7
Figure 6-4: Setting multiple home pages for Internet Explorer in Internet Options
Figure 6-5: Subscribing to an RSS feed with Internet Explorer
Figure 6-6: Opening a Feeds Headlines gadget's options
Chapter 7: Customizing Windows Media
Figure 7-1: Windows audio enhancements
Figure 7-2: Using Base Boost
Figure 7-3: Using Room Calibration
Figure 7-4: Adjusting Media Player layout options
Figure 7-5: Adjusting Media Player view options
Figure 7-6: Opening Media Sharing in Windows Media Player
Figure 7-7: Configuring Windows Vista Media Center
Figure 7-8: Modifying the location where recorded shows are stored
Chapter 8: Analyzing Your System
Figure 8-1: Reliability and Performance Monitor's Resource Overview screen
Figure 8-2: The detailed CPU overview
Figure 8-3: The detailed Disk overview
Figure 8-4: The detailed Network overview
Figure 8-5: The detailed Memory overview
Figure 8-6: Adding a performance counter
Figure 8-7: The default screen of Performance Monitor
Figure 8-8: Performance Monitor's histogram bar view
Figure 8-9: Performance Monitor's report view
Figure 8-10: Reliability Monitor's System Stability Chart and System Stability Report
Figure 8-11: Windows Vista's Event Viewer
Figure 8-12: Windows Task Manager's performance information
Figure 8-13: Windows System Performance Rating
Figure 8-14: Loading the Windows System Performance Rating tool
Figure 8-15: PCMark05 running the system benchmark test
Chapter 9: Speeding Up the System Boot
Figure 9-1: The boot sequence setup screen
Figure 9-2: BIOS setup screen displaying the Quick Boot feature
Figure 9-3: Setting the Boot menu Timeout value with the System Configuration utility
Figure 9-4: Disabling the boot screen with the System Configuration tool
Figure 9-5: Disabling hardware with Device Manager
Figure 9-6: The Windows Fonts folder and a backup folder are arranged side by side on the screen
Figure 9-7: The Services utility
Figure 9-8: Using Diskeeper 2007 to run a boot-time defrag
Chapter 10: Making Your Computer Log On Faster
Figure 10-1: Setting AutoAdminLogon to 1 to activate automatic logon
Figure 10-2: The System Configuration utility's Startup tab