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Windows Vista Sometime in The Second Half of 2006. Codenamed "Whistler" During Its Development, Windows XP Was Released On October
Windows Vista Sometime in The Second Half of 2006. Codenamed "Whistler" During Its Development, Windows XP Was Released On October
Introduction
Windows XP is a major revision of the Microsoft Windows operating system created for use on desktop and business computer systems. As
of February 2006, it is the latest general-purpose version of Microsoft's family of operating systems, and is expected to be succeeded by
Windows Vista sometime in the second half of 2006. Codenamed "Whistler" during its development, Windows XP was released on October
25, 2001. The letters "XP" are said to come from the word experience.
Windows XP presented a significantly redesigned graphical user interface (GUI), a change Microsoft promoted as more user-friendly than
previous versions of Windows. Windows XP is also the first version of Windows to use product activation to combat software piracy, a
restriction that did not sit well with some users and privacy advocates.
The most common editions of the operating system are Windows XP Home Edition, which is targeted at home users, and Windows XP
Professional, which has additional features and is targeted at power users and business clients. Windows XP Media Center Edition,
released one year later, consists of Windows XP Professional with new features allowing users to record and watch TV shows, watch
DVDs, listen to music and more.
Two separate 64-bit versions of Windows XP were also released, Windows XP 64-bit Edition for IA-64 (Itanium) processors and Windows
XP Professional x64 Edition for x86-64 (AMD64/Intel EM64T) processors.
Windows XP Tablet PC Edition is designed for the Tablet PC’s.
Preinstallation Tasks
Ensure that your hardware meets the requirements for installing Windows XP Professional.
Determine whether your hardware is on the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL).
Decide how you will partition the hard disk on which you will install Windows XP Professional.
Choose a file system for the installation partition.
Determine whether your computer will join a domain or a workgroup.
Complete a preinstallation checklist.
Hardware Requirements
Although the Windows XP Professional Setup Wizard automatically checks your hardware and software for potential conflicts, before you install
Windows XP Professional, you should verify that your hardware is on the Windows XP Professional HCL. Microsoft provides tested drivers for the
listed devices only. Using hardware not listed on the HCL could cause problems during and after installation. The most recent versions of the HCL
for released operating systems are on the Microsoft Web site at:
http://www.microsoft.com/hcl/
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Disk Partitions
• The Windows XP Professional Setup program examines the hard disk to determine its existing configuration. Setup then allows you to
install Windows XP Professional on an existing partition or to create a new partition on which to install it.
• Microsoft recommends installing Windows XP Professional on a 1.5-GB or larger partition. Although Windows XP Professional requires
less disk space for installation, using a larger installation partition provides the flexibility to install Windows XP Professional updates,
operating system tools, or other necessary files in the future.
Depending on the hard disk configuration, do one of the following during installation:
If the hard disk is unpartitioned, create and size the Windows XP Professional partition.
If the hard disk is partitioned and contains enough unpartitioned disk space, use the unpartitioned space to create the Windows XP
Professional partition.
If the existing partition is large enough, install Windows XP Professional on that partition. Installing on an existing partition overwrites any
existing data.
If the existing partition is not large enough, delete it to provide more unpartitioned disk space for creating the Windows XP Professional
partition.
File Systems
What is meant by
“File System
FAT16
• All versions of windows support the FAT16 file system. FAT16 uses 16 bits for each cluster entry. The smallest cluster size of
four sectors, which is 2,048 bytes (4 sectors * 512 bytes per sector).
FAT32
• Microsoft began offering a FAT that held 32 bits per entry with Windows 95 OSR2. FAT32 is most efficient with drives up to 16
GB.
NTFS
• The NTFS file system offers better performance and is more secure than FAT. NTFS uses a database called MFT (Master File
Table) to hold records about files and their locations. NTFS is only supported in the NT/2000/XP versions of Windows and is
designed for the larger capacity hard drives currently being used. Their are presently five versions of NTFS: v1.0, v1.1, v1.2, v3.0
and v3.1. They are also know as v4.0, v5.0 and v5.1, after the version of Windows they shipped with.
Windows XP Professional supports the NT file system (NTFS) and file allocation table (FAT).
NTFS:
• File- and folder-level security.
• Disk compression.
• Disk quotas.
• Encryption.
FAT:
• FAT and FAT32 do not offer many of the features that NTFS supports. Therefore, in most situations, you should format the hard
disk with NTFS. The only reason to use FAT or FAT32 is for dual booting with another operating system that does not support
NTFS.
FAT32 volumes, in theory, can range in size from less than 1. Also, the maximum individual file size is 4 GB.
The minimum recommended size for an NTFS volume is 10 MB. However, the maximum supported volume size is 2 TB, and there is no
limit on the file size.
• 2000/XP will not allow you to create a FAT32 volume greater than 32GB. If a disk is preformatted with FAT32, right up to the
theoretical limit for FAT32 disks, XP will support it.
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Operating System Hard Drive Size Restrictions
While hard drive capacity is always increasing, operating systems still have limitations to the size of volumes (logical drive) which they can
support.
DOS and Windows 9x
• Volumes no larger than 2.1 GB in FAT16. Windows 9x does not support hard drives larger than 137 GB in FAT 32.
Windows NT/2000/XP
• Limit of 4 GB per volume in FAT16 and 32 GB/volume in FAT32.
Windows 2000
• Supports hard drives larger than 137 GB as long as Service Pack 3 or higher has been installed.
Windows XP
• Supports hard drives larger than 137 GB as long as Service Pack 1 or higher has been installed.
Windows XP Professional provides the Convert command for converting a partition to NTFS without reformatting the partition. To use the
Convert command, open command prompt, which you use to request the Convert command.
Running the Setup program. Setup prepares the hard disk for the later installation stages and copies the files necessary to run the Setup
Wizard.
Running the Setup Wizard. The Setup Wizard requests setup information about the computer, such as names, and passwords.
Installing Windows XP Professional networking components. After gathering information about the computer, the Setup Wizard
prompts you for networking information and then installs the networking components that allow the computer to communicate with other
computers on the network.
Completing the installation. Setup copies files to the hard disk and configures the computer. The system restarts after installation is
complete.
If there is an operating system currently installed on your computer, start the computer, log on, and then insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the
CD-ROM drive.
When the Welcome To Microsoft Windows XP screen appears, click Install Windows XP.
If you get a Windows Setup message box indicating that the version of the operating system cannot be upgraded and that option to upgrade
will not be available, click OK. Setup displays the Welcome To Setup screen.
In the Installation Type box, select New Installation (Advanced) and then click Next. Setup displays the License Agreement screen.
Then continue with the installation process in normal way.
Windows XP Activation
The system was introduced by Microsoft to curb illegal distribution of Windows XP. Activation requires the computer or the user to
activate with Microsoft within a certain amount of time in order to continue using the operating system. If the user's computer system ever
changes — for example, if two or more relevant components (see list below) of the computer itself are upgraded — Windows may refuse to
run until the user reactivates with Microsoft.
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Privacy fears were raised about the nature of the data transmitted to Microsoft. Microsoft then released details about the nature of the
information transmitted. It includes a cryptographic hash of the following ten values:
This information is used to seed the generation of a number which, along with the CD Key and country of installation, is transmitted to
Microsoft. According to Microsoft, no specific details about the hardware are transmitted.
There exist volume-licensed copies of Windows XP Professional that do not require Windows Product Activation at all. These copies,
intended for use by customers with many PCs, are referred to by some as "Windows XP Corporate Edition". According to Microsoft, 90%
of pirated installations of Windows XP use a volume-licensed version to circumvent WPA. The most famous volume license key (VLK) is
one beginning with FCKGW, which was released with the first pirated copies of the final version of Windows XP.
Service Pack
• A collection of patches, fixes, and minor upgrades for a specific version of a product such as a Microsoft Windows operating system
or a Microsoft BackOffice server product. A service pack is not the same as a decimal release, such as an upgrade from version 4.0 to
version 4.01.
• Service packs are typically identified with a number, such as Service Pack 2. Occasionally, interim releases of service packs are also
issued, such as Service Pack 2a (SP2a) for Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS).
• Service packs for each product are generally cumulative. For example, if you apply Service Pack 3 to a product, you normally don’t
have to apply Service Packs 1 and 2 first, because Service Pack 3 includes the fixes and upgrades in Service Packs 1 and 2.
• Service packs are included in Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) TechNet subscriptions; they are also often available for
download from the Microsoft Web site.
Boot Process
A term used to refer to the process of starting a computer, as in the phrase, “Please boot the computer.” The term “boot” also refers
specifically to the series of steps by which a computer locates and loads the operating system once the power is turned on. This series of
steps is usually referred to as the boot sequence, and it is dependent on both the type of operating system installed on the machine and the
type of hardware platform.
In computing, booting is a bootstrapping process that starts operating systems when the user turns on a computer system. A boot sequence
is the set of operations the computer performs when it is switched on which load an operating system.
Boot Files
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Boot Process
POST
MBR
NTLDR
BOOT.INI
NTDETECT
NTOSKRNL
Then OS Starts…
Pre-Boot Sequence
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After the computer loads NTLDR into memory, the boot sequence gathers information about hardware and drivers in preparation for the Windows
XP load phases.
Initial Boot Loader Phase: NTLDR switches the microprocessor from real mode to 32-bit flat memory mode, which NTLDR requires to
carry out any additional functions. Next, NTLDR starts the appropriate minifile system drivers, which are built into NTLDR so that
NTLDR can find and load Windows XP Professional from partitions formatted with file allocation table (FAT), FAT32, or NT file system
(NTFS).
Operating System Selection:During the boot sequence, NTLDR reads the BOOT.INI file. f the BOOT.INI file is not present, NTLDR
attempts to load Windows XP from the first partition of the first disk, typically C:\
Hardware Detection: NTDETECT.COM and NTOSKRNL.EXE perform hardware detection. NTDETECT.COM executes after you select
Windows XP on the “Please Select The Operating System To Start” screen. If you select an OS other than WinXP, such as Win98, NTLDR
loads and executes BOOTSECT.DOS, which is a copy of the boot sector that was on the system partition at the time that WinXP was
installed. Passing execution to BOOTSECT.DOS starts the boot process for the selected operating system.
Configuration Selection: After NTLDR starts loading Windows XP & collects hardware information, the operating system loader presents
you with the Hardware Profile menu, which contains a list of the hardware profiles that are set up on the computer.
After configuration selection, the Windows XP kernel (NTOSKRNL.EXE) loads and initializes. During the kernel load phase, NTLDR does the
following:
Loads NTOSKRNL.EXE but does not initialize it.
Loads the hardware abstraction layer file (HAL.DLL).
Loads the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM registry key from %systemroot%\System32\Config\System.
Selects the control set it will use to initialize the computer. A control set contains configuration data used to control the system, such as a
list of the device drivers and services to load and start.
Loads device drivers with a value of 0x0 for the Start entry. These typically are low-level hardware device drivers, such as those for a hard
disk. The value for the List entry, which is specified in the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ServiceGroupOrder subkey of the registry, defines the order in which
NTLDR loads these device drivers.
4. Services are started: After the kernel loads and initializes devices drivers, the Session Manager (SMSS.EXE) starts the higher order
subsystems and services for Windows XP.
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Logon Sequence
The Win32 subsystem automatically starts WINLOGON.EXE, which starts the Local Security Authority (LSASS.EXE) and displays the
Logon dialog box. You can log on at this time, even though Windows XP Professional might still be initializing network device drivers.
Next, the Service Controller executes and makes a final scan of the HKEY_ LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
subkey
A Windows XP startup is not considered good until a user successfully logs on to the system. After a successful logon, the system copies
the Clone control set to the LastKnownGood control set.
Press F8 button while starting the computer to get the Advanced Startup Options Menu for Windows XP.
Safe Mode
• If you select safe mode, Windows XP starts with limited device drivers and system services. These basic device drivers and system services
include the mouse, standard VGA monitor, keyboard, mass storage, default system services, and no network connections.
• Safe mode also ignores programs that automatically start up, user profiles, programs listed in the registry to automatically run, and all local
group policies. Safe mode provides access to Windows XP Professional configuration files, so you can make configuration changes. You
can disable or delete a system service, a device driver, or an application that automatically starts that prevents the computer from starting
normally.
Safe Mode with Networking: You can select safe mode with networking, which is identical to safe mode except that it adds the drivers
and services necessary to enable networking to function when you restart your computer. Safe mode with networking allows Group Policy
to be implemented, including those implemented by the server during the logon process and those configured on the local computer.
Safe Mode with Command Prompt: A second variation of safe mode is safe mode with command prompt, which is similar to safe mode,
but it loads the command interpreter as the user shell, so when the computer restarts it displays a command prompt.
LastKnownGood Configuration
• Windows XP Professional provides two configurations for starting a computer, Default and LastKnownGood.
Selecting the LastKnownGood configuration advanced boot option starts Windows XP using the registry information
that Windows XP saved at the last shutdown.
If you change the Windows XP configuration to load a driver and have problems rebooting, you can use the last
known good process to recover your working configuration. The last known good process uses the LastKnownGood
configuration, stored in the registry, to boot Windows XP.
Using the LastKnownGood configuration does not help in the following situations:
When the problem is not related to Windows XP configuration changes. Such a problem might arise from incorrectly configured user
profiles or incorrect file permissions.
After you log on. The system updates the LastKnownGood control set with Windows XP configuration changes after a successful logon.
When startup failures relate to hardware failures or missing or corrupted files.
Enable Boot Logging: It logs the loading and initialization of drivers and services for troubleshooting boot problems. All drivers and
services that are loaded and initialized or that are not loaded in a file are logged. The log file, NTBTLOG.TXT, is located in the %windir%
folder. All three versions of safe mode automatically create this boot log file.
Enable VGA Mode: Starts Windows XP with a basic VGA driver.
Debugging Mode: It starts Windows XP Professional in kernel debug mode, which allows a debugger to break into the kernel for
troubleshooting and system analysis.
Recovery Console
The Windows XP Recovery Console is a text-mode command interpreter that you can use to access NTFS, FAT, and FAT32 volumes without starting
Windows XP. The Recovery Console allows you to perform a variety of troubleshooting and recovery tasks, including the following:
Repair Installation
SFC
Windows XP Professional also provides System File Checker (SFC), a command-line tool that you can use to check the digital signature of
files. The syntax of the SFC tool is as follows:
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User Accounts
When multiple users share a single computer, they may require or prefer some specified settings. With the help of user accounts, we can
manage multiple settings for different people, also the data of users can be stored separately & can be made secure, preventing other users
to access that data.
A local user account allows you to log on to a specific computer to access resources on that computer.
A domain user account allows you to log on to the domain to access network resources.
A built-in user account allows you to perform administrative tasks or access local or network resources.
Windows XP Professional automatically creates built-in accounts. Two commonly used built-in accounts are Administrator and Guest.
You cannot delete the Administrator account. As a best practice, you should always rename the built-in Administrator account to provide
greater security. Use a name that does not identify it as the Administrator account, making it more difficult for unauthorized users to use it
to break into your computer.
You can disable the guest account, so one cannot use the computer without having username & password.
Systemroot:\Documents&Settings\<username>
Desktop My Documents
Favorites Application Data
NOTE When you delete a user account, Windows XP Professional displays the Do You Want To Keep local_user_account's Files window. If you
click Keep Files, Windows XP Professional saves the contents of the local_user_account's desktop and My Documents folder to a new folder called
local_user_account on your desktop. However, it cannot save local_user_account's e-mail messages, Internet Favorites, or other settings.
Only administrators can change the way users log on or log off the computer. This option is only available on the Pick A Task screen if you are
logged on with a user account that is a member of the Administrators group.
Use The Welcome Screen. This check box, enabled by default, allows you to click your user account on the Welcome screen to log on to
the computer. If you clear this check box, you must type your user name and password at a logon prompt to log on.
Use Fast User Switching. This check box, enabled by default, allows you to quickly switch to another user account without first logging
off and closing all programs. When you are finished, you can switch to the first user account.
To view, create, delete, and change the type of user profiles, in Control Panel, click System, and then click the Advanced tab. In the User
Profiles box, click Settings to display the User Profiles dialog box.
Computer Management
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We can use computer management to view shared folders, services, event viewer, disk management, user accounts & many more
administrative tasks.
Right click on my computer, click “manage”.
Go to Control Panel, Administrative Tools, then Computer Management.
System Restore
Every time you download or install a new game, application, or software update, you make changes to your computer.
You can use System Restore to remove any system changes that were made since the last time you remember your computer working
correctly. System Restore does not affect your personal data files (such as Microsoft Word documents, browsing history, drawings,
favorites, or e-mail) so you won't lose changes made to these files.
We can create restore points, & restore the computer to back date.
Start > All programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore.
C:\Windows\system32\restore\rstrui.exe
We can disable System Restore by:
• Right click My Computer > System Restore tab > Tick “Turn off system restore”.
Windows XP periodically records a snapshot of your computer. These snapshots are called restore points. Windows XP also creates restore
points at the time of significant system events (such as when an application or driver is installed) or you can create and name your own
restore points at any time. If you’ve installed a program that has made your computer unstable, you can open system restore, choose a
restore point, and return your computer to its previous stable state.
If you don't use your computer every day, some days might not have any restore points. If you use your computer frequently, you might
have restore points almost every day, and some days might have several restore points.
Windows XP supports Plug and Play hardware. For most devices that are Plug and Play-compliant, as long as the appropriate driver is
available and the basic input/output system (BIOS) on the computer is a Plug and Play BIOS or an Advanced Configuration and Power
Interface (ACPI) BIOS, Windows XP automatically detects, installs, and configures the device (Quite Installation).
When there is a new piece of hardware detected that cannot be installed automatically, Windows XP Professional displays the Found New
Hardware Wizard
Note: “Plug and Play” Service of WinXP detects the new hardware in the Windows XP Computer.
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Installing Hardware
However, you might occasionally need to initiate automatic installation for some Plug and Play hardware. You do this with the Add
Hardware Wizard. For non-Plug and Play hardware that Windows XP does not identify, install, and configure, you initiate the automatic
installation of the hardware with the Add Hardware Wizard.
To automatically install hardware, complete the following steps:
• In Control Panel, click Add Hardware to start the Add Hardware Wizard. Windows XP queries the hardware about the hardware
resources that it requires and the settings for those resources. A hardware resource allows a hardware device to communicate
directly with the operating system. Windows XP can resolve conflicts between Plug and Play hardware for hardware resources.
Device Manager
Windows XP Professional uses icons in the Device Manager window to identify each installed hardware device. If Windows XP Professional does
not have an icon for the device type, it displays a question mark.
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Hardware Profiles
A hardware profile stores configuration settings for a set of devices and services. Windows XP Professional can store different hardware
profiles to meet the user's different needs. Hardware profiles are used primarily for portable computers. For example, a portable computer
can use different hardware configurations depending on whether it is docked or undocked. A portable-computer user can create a hardware
profile for each state (docked and undocked) and choose the appropriate profile when starting Windows XP.
Windows XP creates an initial profile during installation, listed as Profile 1 (Current). You can create a new profile with the same
configuration as another profile. To create a new profile, in the Available Hardware Profiles list, select the profile that you want to copy,
and then click Copy.
If there are two or more profiles in the Available Hardware Profiles list, Windows XP Professional prompts the user to make a selection
during startup. You can configure how long the computer waits before starting the default configuration.
To view the properties for a hardware profile, in the Available Hardware Profiles list, select a profile, and then click Properties. This
displays the Properties dialog box for the profile.
Driver Signing
Windows XP drivers and operating system files have been digitally signed by Microsoft to ensure their quality. In Device Manager, you can
look in the Driver tab of a device Properties dialog box to verify that the digital signer of the installed driver is correct. Some applications
overwrite existing operating files as part of their installation process, which might cause system errors that are difficult to troubleshoot.
Microsoft has greatly simplified the tracking and troubleshooting of altered files by signing the original operating system files and allowing
you to easily verify these signatures.
In the Hardware tab, in the Device Manager box, click Driver Signing.
Installing Printers
Printer port. The software interface through which a computer communicates with a printer by means of a locally attached interface.
Windows XP supports the following interfaces:
• line printer (LPT),
• COM,
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• universal serial bus (USB) 1.1,
• IEEE 1394 (FireWire),
• network-attached devices such as the HP JetDirect and Intel NetPort.
•
Windows XP does not support USB 2.0.Windows XP treats a FireWire card as a network and a peripheral connectivity device.
1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Printers And Other Hardware.
2. Under Pick A Task, click Add A Printer to launch the Add Printer Wizard. The Add Printer Wizard starts with the Welcome To The Add
Printer Wizard page displayed.
3. Click Next. The Add Printer Wizard displays the Local Or Network Printer page.
The number of local printers that you can connect to a print server through physical
ports depends on your hardware configuration.
If you have a Plug and Play printer that connects through a USB port, an IEEE 1394 interface, or any other port that allows you to attach or remove
devices without having to shut down and restart your computer, you do not need to use the Add Printer Wizard. Plug the printer's cable into your
computer or point the printer toward your computer's infrared port and turn on the printer. Windows automatically installs the printer for you.
To add a network interface printer, select Local Printer Attached To This Computer on the Local Or Network Printer page of the Add
Printer Wizard. The main difference between adding a local printer and adding a network interface printer is that for a typical network
interface printer, you provide additional port and network protocol information.
The default network protocol for Windows XP Professional is Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), which many
network interface printers use. For TCP/IP, you provide additional port information in the Add Standard TCP/IP Printer Port Wizard.
Creating Dialup
Go to Control Panel > Network Connections > click Create A New Connection
Network Connection
Static IP
Dynamic IP
APIPA (Automatic Private IP Addressing)
1. Windows XP TCP/IP attempts to find a DHCP server on the attached network to obtain a dynamically assigned IP address.
2. In the absence of a DHCP server, APIPA generates an IP address in the form of 169.254.x.y (where x.y is the client's unique identifier) and a
subnet mask of 255.255.0.0.
3. After the computer generates the address, it broadcasts to this address and then assigns the address to itself if no other computer responds.
Troubleshooting TCP/IP
File Sharing
This wizard helps to set the computer to run on the network. We can share the folders & printer on our system after running this wizard.
Generally need to run this wizard when the windows have been recently loaded & sharing is not happening.
The option to run this wizard will come by going to sharing tab of folder’s properties or from control panel>network connections.
Before you get going, make sure you know your email address along with the following information. (You may need to contact your ISP,
Internet Service Provider, to get it.)
First, information about the e-mail servers:
• The type of e-mail server you use: POP3 (most e-mail accounts), HTTP (such as Hotmail), or IMAP
• The name of the incoming e-mail server
• For POP3 and IMAP servers, the name of the outgoing e-mail server (generally SMTP)
3. On the Your Name page of the wizard, type your name as you want it to appear to everyone who gets e-mail from you, and then click Next
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4. On the Internet Explorer Address page, type your e-mail address, and then click Next.
5. On the E-mail Server Names page, fill in the first block of information that you gathered from your ISP in step 1, and then click Next.
7. On the Internet Mail Logon page, type your account name and password.
8. Click Next, and then click Finish. You're ready to send your first e-mail!
On the E-mail Accounts wizard window, select "Add a new e-mail account" and click Next.
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Microsoft Outlook
On the Internet E-mail Settings (POP3) window, enter your information as follows:
Your Name
• Enter your first and last name.
E-mail Address
• Enter your e-mail address.
User Name
• Enter your e-mail address, again.
Password
• Enter the password you set up for your e-mail account.
Incoming mail server (POP3)
• Your incoming server is mail.mydomain.com, where "mydomain.com" is the name of your domain.
Outgoing mail server (SMTP)
• Enter smtpout.secureserver.net for your outgoing mail server.
Click "More Settings."
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On the Internet E-mail Settings window, select the "Outgoing Server" tab.
Select "My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication."
If you did not change the SMTP relay section, select "Use same settings as my incoming mail server". If you changed the user name and
password in the SMTP relay section of your Manage Email Accounts page, select "Log on using" and enter the user name and password.
The following example assumes you did not change your SMTP relay section in your Manage Email Accounts page.
Select the "Advanced" tab and change the "Outgoing server (SMTP)" port to 80 or 3535.
Click OK.
Click Next.
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Click “Finish”.
Common Issues
Troubleshooting FAQ
1. When I boot the system, the fans turn on, but I see nothing on screen.
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2. The system hangs right at or before the memory test on bootup.
3. The system halts while trying to detect plug-n-play devices.
4. The PC hangs on bootup without accessing either the A drive or C drive.
5. The system just boots to the hard disk without ever even looking at the floppy drive.
6. I am trying to boot to a system disk, but the PC just hangs while accessing it.
7. The PC hangs when trying to access the hard drive on bootup.
8. NTLDR is missing Press any key to restart
Monitor Issues
1. Monitor Troubleshooting
2. Monitor out of adjustment
3. Cleaning your flat screen monitor
4. Cut down on screen glare
5. Low Volume, High Pitch Whining Sound
6. What do I need to run a dual monitor setup?
7. Fixing stuck pixels on your LCD monitor
Sound Issues
1. I have a 56K rated modem but never get connections that fast.
2. I keep getting bumped from the internet. What do I do?
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3. When I try to connect, it says there is no dialtone.
4. I try to use my modem but it keeps saying it is already busy or in use.
5. The speaker on my modem is either too loud or too soft.
6. Certain sites make my browser crash. What gives?
7. Can I get DSL?
8. I lose connections in the middle of downloads.
9. I think I might have a computer virus. What do I do?
10. I have a cable or DSL modem and notice the connection is sometimes active for no reason.
11. I am having problems getting my WinModem to work.
USB FAQ
About Windows XP
Performance
Startup / Shutdown
Desktop
Use your own picture for your User Account Alphabetize Your All Programs Menu
Repairing / Troubleshooting
Bootcfg Tasklist.exe
Repair Option on a LAN or High-Speed Connection Detect and Repairing Disk Errors
System Security
Secure your computer from external threats Manage Your Computer's Security Settings
General Information
Knowing Network Neighborhood Remove "Help and Support" link from XP Start Menu
Adding an item to the Send To menu Clear unwanted items from the "Open With" list
Performance
Clear all restore points except recent one Remove Unwanted Entries in Startup (MSCONFIG)
Startup / Shutdown
Repairing / Troubleshooting
Desktop / Programs
Rename Start Menu Folders Expand Control Panel in the Start Menu
Access your favorite programs fast Display the Quick Launch Bar
General Information
Protect your files by using a screen saver password Print only selected text from web sites
Performance
Troubleshooting
Installing the Windows XP Recovery Console Most Common Reasons for System Crashes
Desktop
Make any folder a desktop toolbar Turn any folder into a taskbar toolbar
Change Your Pointer Scheme Add Familiar Icons back to your desktop
Create invisible titles for desktop icons Use your digital photos as Windows XP screensavers
Windows Explorer
Add Details to the 'Arrange icons by' Menu Create a Folders Thumbnail Image
General
Switch Users without the Welcome screen Disable password when returning from Standby
Clear AutoComplete Entries from Web Forms Arrange two windows side-by-side
How to tell if SP2 is installed Find out what programs are installed
Keep Favorites At The Top Of Start Menu Printer Sharing Using Windows XP
Stop seeing Links folder in your Favorites menu Enable Printer Sharing
Remove the OEM link from the Start Menu Display Administrative Tools folder in Start menu
Delete invalid entries in MSCONFIG Startup Create a customized default user profile
Change the command prompt startup directory Easily re-activate your XP installation
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Performance
Move the Page File to a different partition TweakUI PowerToy for Windows XP
Troubleshooting
BIOS Power-On Selt Test (POST) Screen Disable "Automatic Restart" feature
Desktop
Place a custom popup menu on your taskbar Create a Shortcut to Lock Your System
Windows Explorer
Open Windows Explorer from a Command Prompt Change Windows Explorer's Default Start Folder
General
Protect your data during a power outage Store all of your passwords on one secure database