Just as with the Add Hardware Wizard, if a piece of software comes with
its own installation and removal utility, you’re always better off using
those facilities instead of asking Windows to figure out the process by
itself. Most customized installation programs from software manufactur-
ers record all steps taken when they first put on the machine; they can
operate in reverse to pick up all the widely spread pieces placed on the
drive.
Administrative Tools.If Microsoft or another manufacturer asks you to
make adjustments to some of the security policies or internal services
that run when your computer is started, or if you’re advised to check
the performance of your computer’s services, this is the place to go. For
more details, check the Microsoft Knowledge Base. You can get there
from the company’s home page, at http://www.microsoft.com. Among the ele-
ments of the tool panel are
- Data Sources (ODBC).This is a programming interface for applica-
tions that use Structured Query Language (SQL) to access data.
- Event Viewer.Here you can view or manage logs of system, program,
and security events as a troubleshooting and fine-tuning tool.
- Local Security policy.This facility allows you to adjust password
policy, user rights, and other security options on most computers;
settings here can be overridden by users with administrative
privileges.
- Performance.Here you can view or collect data about the activi-
ties of your computer’s memory, processor, disk drives, network,
and other important facilities.
- Services.This portal manages basic computer services and sets
and controls recovery actions.
Date and Time. Here you can adjust the laptop’s internal clock and date
and acknowledge the machine’s home base in a particular time zone;
knowing the time zone allows the computer to automatically make
adjustments for Daylight Savings Time. On current versions of Windows,
you can also assign the computer to regularly update its clock based on
an Internet time server so all of your machines can be synchronized to
an official clock.
Display. Depending on the make and capability of your display adapter
(or the built-in features of your motherboard), you can visit this panel to
choose screen resolution and color quality, and manage multiple moni-
tors if you have an external device attached to your laptop in addition
to the LCD. You can also choose a theme for colors and appearance of
Windows, make adjustments to your desktop’s look, and turn on or off
a screen saver that shuts down the LCD or puts a power-saving and
privacy-maintaining image on the display after a period of inactivity.
Chapter 5: Surviving Basic Training...............................................................................
