Introduction

Windows Vista gives you the ability to customize your work environment (your computer’s desktop and other settings) to suit your personal needs and preferences. You can adjust most Windows features through the Control Panel, a central location for changing Windows settings. From the Control Panel you access the individual programs for changing the properties, or characteristics, of a specific element of your computer, such as the desktop, the taskbar, or the Start menu. Each icon in the Control Panel represents an aspect of Windows that you can change to fit your own working habits and personal needs. For example, you can use the Display icon to change the background picture or color of the desktop, or the Taskbar and Start Menu icon to customize the taskbar and Start menu. Some Control Panel settings are vital to how you work (such as the Date and Time, or the Language settings) and others are purely aesthetic (such as the background picture, or which screen saver you use).

The Control Panel also includes icons to setup user accounts and maintain security (see Chapter 11), and setup and manage local-area, wide-area, and wireless networks (see Chapter 12). You can access printers and faxes (see Chapter 13), add and remove programs and automatically update Windows (see Chapter 14). You can also work with hardware, such as a scanner, digital camera, modem, audio and speakers, mouse, and keyboard (see Chapter 15).