Boyce

The book you need to succeed!

Get the most out of Windows 7 with this complete guideWhether you’re new to Windows or moving from XP or Vista, this comprehensive book from a Microsoft expert will get you thoroughly up to speed on the much-anticipated new Windows 7. Covering all three parts of the new platform—the core OS, Windows Live Essentials, and Windows Live Services—this step-by-step guide is packed with practical techniques and tips. Get set up, manage files, blog, add Bluetooth, build a home network, and more.

• Set up user accounts, security, parental controls, and printing

• Get quick access to your programs with new Jump lists

• Explore Windows Live Services such as Desktop Gadgets Gallery and Hotmail

• Make movies, play music, share photos, and more with Windows Live Essentials

• Manage files, understand metadata, and conduct power searches

• Sync your hardware devices and performance tune everything

• Keep track of your favorite Internet content with Web Slices

• Create a home network or share files with HomeGroup

Jim Boycehas been a Microsoft MVP, and has authored or coauthored over 50 books and hundreds of articles and white papers on computer topics including Windows, Windows Server, Office applications, and programming. He regularly contributes to several online sites and publications.

Jim Boyce

Shelving Category:COMPUTERS / Operating Systems / Microsoft Windows

Reader Level:Beginning to Advanced

$39.99 USA$47.99 Canada

www.wiley.com/compbooks

Personalize your new Windows 7 desktop

Manage all hardware devices with one tool

Easily share media across different computers

Win

do

ws

® 7

Windows® 7

Windows® 7Bible

Jim Boyce

Wiley Publishing, Inc.

Windows® 7 Bible

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.10475 Crosspoint BoulevardIndianapolis, IN 46256www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2009 by Jim Boyce

Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

ISBN: 978-0-470-50909-8

Manufactured in the United States of America

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No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by anymeans, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher,or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 RosewoodDrive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission shouldbe addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201)748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher and the author make no representations or warrantieswith respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties,including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extendedby sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation.This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or otherprofessional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should besought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organi-zation or Web site is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does notmean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Web site may provide or rec-ommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Web sites listed in this work may havechanged or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.

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About the AuthorJim Boyce has authored and co-authored over 50 books on computers and technology coveringoperating systems, applications, and programming topics. He has been a frequent contributor toMicrosoft.com, techrepublic.com, and other online publications. Jim has written for anumber of print publications including Windows IT Pro, WINDOWS Magazine, InfoWorld, andothers, and was a Contributing Editor and columnist for WINDOWS Magazine.

Today, Jim is a Sr. Practice Manager for ACS, a premier provider of business process outsourcing andinformation technology services, where he leads a collaboration team providing collaboration servicesand development for multiple customers and over 30,000 users.

Credits

Executive EditorCarol Long

Project EditorKenyon Brown

Technical EditorTodd Meister

Production EditorKathleen Wisor

Copy EditorsSusan ChristophersenKim Cofer

Editorial DirectorRobyn B. Siesky

Editorial ManagerMary Beth Wakefield

Production ManagerTim Tate

Vice President and Executive GroupPublisherRichard Swadley

Vice President and Executive PublisherBarry Pruett

Associate PublisherJim Minatel

Project Coordinator, CoverLynsey Stanford

ProofreadersKristy Eldredge, Word OneScott Klemp, Word OneJen Larsen, Word One

IndexerRobert Swanson

Cover ImageJoyce Haughey

Cover DesignerMichael E. Trent

A revision of an existing book is much different from a project started from scratch, in large partbecause the final result builds on the work of the previous author. So, first and foremost, I’dlike to express my appreciation to Alan Simpson for all of his efforts in creating the body of

work that the Windows 7 Bible is built upon. With such a short project timeline, having a solid foun-dation was critical.

I’d also like to thank Rob Tidrow, Nathan Kuhn, and Tyler Regas for their help, particularly at the lastminute, in pulling together content for the book so we could complete the project on time.

I also want to recognize Carol Long and Carole McClendon for bringing me this opportunity. Finally,I offer my appreciation and thanks to the editorial team for their help in pulling together this project:Kenyon Brown, Todd Meister, Kathleen Wisor, Susan Christophersen, and Kim Cofer. It was a greatexperience.

v

Introduction ...................................................................................................................................xliii

Part I: Getting Started, Getting Secure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Chapter 1: What’s New in Windows 7 .............................................................................................3Chapter 2: Getting Around .............................................................................................................17Chapter 3: Sharing and Securing with User Accounts ...................................................................57Chapter 4: Parental Controls and Family Safety ............................................................................89Chapter 5: Help, Support, and Troubleshooting ............................................................................99Chapter 6: Troubleshooting Startup Problems .............................................................................111

Part II: Batten Down the Security Hatches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115Chapter 7: Blocking Hackers with Windows Firewall .................................................................117Chapter 8: Conquering Malicious Software ..................................................................................131Chapter 9: Automatic Updates as Security ...................................................................................145

Part III: Personalizing Windows 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153Chapter 10: Personalizing Your Work Environment ...................................................................155Chapter 11: Ease of Access, Speech, and Language .....................................................................209Chapter 12: Transferring Files from Another Computer .............................................................249Chapter 13: Customizing Startup Options ...................................................................................261Chapter 14: Using Windows 7 Programs and Accessories ..........................................................275Chapter 15: Troubleshooting Customization Problems ...............................................................307

Part IV: Using the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .315Chapter 16: Using Internet Explorer ............................................................................................317Chapter 17: Blogging with Writer ................................................................................................373Chapter 18: Using Windows Live Mail ........................................................................................399Chapter 19: Chatting and Texting with Windows Live Messenger .............................................489Chapter 20: Beyond E-Mail and the Web ....................................................................................501Chapter 21: Managing Names and Addresses ..............................................................................531Chapter 22: Troubleshooting Internet Problems ..........................................................................543

Part V: Pictures, Music, and Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551Chapter 23: Working with Pictures ..............................................................................................553Chapter 24: Making Music with Media Player .............................................................................597Chapter 25: DVD, Video, and More .............................................................................................647Chapter 26: Fun with Media Center .............................................................................................661Chapter 27: Troubleshooting Multimedia ....................................................................................679

vii

Contents at a Glance

Part VI: Managing Files and Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 683Chapter 28: Understanding Drives, Folders, and Files ................................................................685Chapter 29: Managing Files and Folders ......................................................................................739Chapter 30: Searching for Files and Messages on Your Computer .............................................767Chapter 31: Metadata and Power Searches ..................................................................................783Chapter 32: Using CDs and DVDs ...............................................................................................805Chapter 33: Protecting Your Files .................................................................................................831Chapter 34: Troubleshooting Files and Folders ...........................................................................851

Part VII: Printing, Faxing, and Scanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .857Chapter 35: Installing and Managing Printers ..............................................................................859Chapter 36: Printing Documents and Screenshots .......................................................................873Chapter 37: Managing Print Jobs ..................................................................................................881Chapter 38: Faxing and Scanning .................................................................................................891Chapter 39: Troubleshooting Printing and Faxing .......................................................................909

Part VIII: Installing and Removing Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 915Chapter 40: Installing and Upgrading Programs ..........................................................................917Chapter 41: Getting Older Programs to Run ................................................................................927Chapter 42: Repairing and Removing Programs ..........................................................................937Chapter 43: Setting Default Programs ..........................................................................................945Chapter 44: Managing Programs and Processes ...........................................................................957Chapter 45: Troubleshooting Software Problems .........................................................................971

Part IX: Hardware and Performance Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 983Chapter 46: Installing and Removing Hardware ..........................................................................985Chapter 47: Using Wireless Bluetooth Devices ..........................................................................1009Chapter 48: Syncing Devices ......................................................................................................1023Chapter 49: Performance Tuning Your System ..........................................................................1037Chapter 50: Troubleshooting Hardware and Performance ........................................................1069

Part X: Networking and Sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1077Chapter 51: Creating a Home Network ......................................................................................1079Chapter 52: Sharing Resources on a Network ...........................................................................1099Chapter 53: Using Shared Resources ..........................................................................................1117Chapter 54: Troubleshooting Networks .....................................................................................1131

Part XI: Appendixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1141Appendix A: Upgrading to Windows 7 ......................................................................................1143Appendix B: Installing Windows 7 on a New System ...............................................................1147Appendix C: Universal Shortcut Keys ........................................................................................1151

Index ............................................................................................................................................1161

viii

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xliii

Part I: Getting Started, Getting Secure 1

Chapter 1: What’s New in Windows 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Taskbar and Full-Screen Improvements .................................................................................3Jump Lists ................................................................................................................................5New Ways to Work in Windows ............................................................................................5Internet Explorer 8 ..................................................................................................................6

Instant search .................................................................................................................6Web slices ......................................................................................................................6Accelerators ....................................................................................................................6Better navigation ............................................................................................................7InPrivate browsing .........................................................................................................8Other new IE features ...................................................................................................9

Windows Live ..........................................................................................................................9Better Device Management ....................................................................................................10Homegroup ............................................................................................................................11Performance and Battery Life ................................................................................................12Look and Feel ........................................................................................................................12Troubleshooting and Alerts ...................................................................................................13Music and Video Sharing ......................................................................................................14. . . and More ..........................................................................................................................15Wrap-Up ................................................................................................................................15

Chapter 2: Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Terminology for Things You Do ...........................................................................................17

Mouse terminology ......................................................................................................18Point ..................................................................................................................18Click ..................................................................................................................18Double-click ......................................................................................................18Right-click ..........................................................................................................18Drag ...................................................................................................................19

Keyboard terminology .................................................................................................19Tab, Enter, and Spacebar ..................................................................................19If in doubt, Escape key out ...............................................................................20

ix

Contents

The Help key (F1) .............................................................................................20The Key ......................................................................................................20Shift, Ctrl, and Alt .............................................................................................20Shortcut keys .....................................................................................................20

Logging In ..............................................................................................................................21What’s on the Desktop ..........................................................................................................22Using the Start Menu ............................................................................................................23

The right side of the Start menu .................................................................................24The Start menu Search box .........................................................................................26The Power button ........................................................................................................27

Using Jump Lists ...................................................................................................................29Using the Windows Desktop ................................................................................................30

About desktop icons ....................................................................................................30Arranging desktop icons .............................................................................................32

Running Programs .................................................................................................................33The active window ......................................................................................................35Switching among open programs ...............................................................................35

Switching with taskbar buttons ........................................................................35Switching with the keyboard ............................................................................35Switching with Flip 3D .....................................................................................36

Arranging program windows ......................................................................................37Sizing program windows .............................................................................................39

Maximize a program window ...........................................................................39Minimize a program window ............................................................................41Size at will .........................................................................................................41

Moving a program window .........................................................................................44Moving and sizing from the keyboard ........................................................................44

Closing a Program .................................................................................................................45Using the Notification Area ...................................................................................................46

Showing/hiding notification icons ..............................................................................47Responding to notification messages ..........................................................................48Using scroll bars ..........................................................................................................49Using Back and Forward buttons ...............................................................................50

The Getting Started Item .......................................................................................................52Quick Help for Getting Started .............................................................................................53Logging Off, Shutting Down .................................................................................................54Stuff You Can Do with a Computer .....................................................................................54Wrap-Up ................................................................................................................................55

Chapter 3: Sharing and Securing with User Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57Logging In and Out of User Accounts ..................................................................................57

Where am I now? ........................................................................................................58Logging out of an account ..........................................................................................58

Creating Strong Passwords ....................................................................................................60Remembering passwords .............................................................................................61

x

Contents

Devising a password hint ............................................................................................62Types of User Accounts .........................................................................................................62

The built-in Administrator account ............................................................................62Administrative user accounts ......................................................................................63Standard accounts .......................................................................................................63Guest account ..............................................................................................................63

Creating and Managing User Accounts .................................................................................64Creating a user account ...............................................................................................65Changing user accounts ..............................................................................................66Changing a user account type .....................................................................................67Password-protecting an account .................................................................................67Changing the account picture .....................................................................................69Changing the account name .......................................................................................69Enabling or disabling the Guest account ....................................................................70Navigating through user account pages ......................................................................70

Creating a Password Reset Disk ............................................................................................71Using the password reset disk ....................................................................................72Cracking into standard user accounts ........................................................................72

Deleting User Accounts .........................................................................................................73Using User Accounts .............................................................................................................74

Understanding User Account Control (UAC) .............................................................75Privilege escalation in administrative accounts ...........................................................77Turning UAC on and off .............................................................................................78

Running Programs as Administrator .....................................................................................80Add the Built-in Administrator Account to the Login Screen ..............................................81Stop Entering Password on Lockout .....................................................................................81Advanced Security Tools .......................................................................................................82About Windows CardSpace ..................................................................................................82Using Credential Manager .....................................................................................................83Managing Profile Properties and Environment Variables .....................................................86Linking Online IDs with Windows Accounts .......................................................................86Wrap-Up ................................................................................................................................88

Chapter 4: Parental Controls and Family Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Before You Get Started ..........................................................................................................89Using the Built-In Parental Controls .....................................................................................90

Getting to the Parental Controls Page .........................................................................90Setting time limits .......................................................................................................90Controlling game play .................................................................................................91Blocking and allowing programs ................................................................................93

Using Parental Controls from Windows Live .......................................................................94Defining Web restrictions ...........................................................................................95Get Web sites working ................................................................................................96

Viewing User Activity Reports ..............................................................................................97Wrap-Up ................................................................................................................................98

xi

Contents

Chapter 5: Help, Support, and Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99Introducing Help and Support ..............................................................................................99

Navigating Help .........................................................................................................101Using the Search box ................................................................................................103Online Help and Offline Help ..................................................................................103

Help from People ................................................................................................................104Remote assistance ......................................................................................................105Windows communities .............................................................................................105Microsoft customer support ......................................................................................107

Troubleshooting ...................................................................................................................108Wrap-Up ..............................................................................................................................109

Chapter 6: Troubleshooting Startup Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111The Computer Won’t Start ..................................................................................................111

Non-System Disk or Disk Error message .................................................................111Computer starts but mouse and keyboard don’t work ............................................112Computer keeps trying to start but never gets there ...............................................112Screen turns blue during startup and then stops .....................................................112

Computer Takes Too Long to Start ....................................................................................112Restore system files to an earlier time ......................................................................113Repair Install Windows 7 ..........................................................................................113The instruction manual that came with your computer ..........................................113Resources in this book ..............................................................................................113Resources in Windows Help .....................................................................................114Online resources ........................................................................................................114

Programs Won’t Start ..........................................................................................................114

Part II: Batten Down the Security Hatches 115

Chapter 7: Blocking Hackers with Windows Firewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117How Firewalls Work ...........................................................................................................117

What a firewall doesn’t protect against ....................................................................118Introducing Action Center ..................................................................................................119

Turning Windows Firewall on or off ........................................................................119Making Exceptions to Firewall Protection ..........................................................................121

Manually configuring firewall exceptions (allowed programs) ................................121Adding a program exception ....................................................................................123Disabling, changing, and deleting exceptions ..........................................................124

Advanced Firewall Configuration .......................................................................................125Open the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security icon .....................................125Changing Firewall Profile Properties ........................................................................126

Firewall alerts, unicast responses, local administrator control ......................126Security Logging ..............................................................................................126Customizing IPsec settings ..............................................................................127

xii

Contents

Inbound and Outbound Rules ..................................................................................128Wrap-Up ..............................................................................................................................129

Chapter 8: Conquering Malicious Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131Types of Malware ................................................................................................................131

Viruses and worms ....................................................................................................131Spyware and adware .................................................................................................132Trojan horses and rootkits ........................................................................................132

Conquering Spyware with Windows Defender ..................................................................132Opening Windows Defender ....................................................................................133Removing spyware from your computer ..................................................................133

Doing a quick scan ..........................................................................................135Doing a custom scan .......................................................................................135Automatic scanning .........................................................................................135Preventing spyware .........................................................................................137Excluding files and folders ..............................................................................138Advanced and Administrator configuration options ......................................138

Disallowing allowed programs ..................................................................................138Joining the SpyNet community .................................................................................139Windows Defender Web site ....................................................................................139

Using Antivirus Software .....................................................................................................140Virus protection .........................................................................................................141Antivirus and Action Center .....................................................................................142

User Account Control and Malware ...................................................................................143The Malicious Software Removal Tool ............................................................................... 143Wrap-Up ..............................................................................................................................144

Chapter 9: Automatic Updates as Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145Understanding Automatic Updates .....................................................................................145

Updates versus upgrades ...........................................................................................146Why updates are important ......................................................................................146

Enabling Automatic Updates ...............................................................................................146Managing Updates ...............................................................................................................147

Managing optional updates .......................................................................................147Change how updates work .......................................................................................149Reviewing and removing updates .............................................................................150

Thwarting Exploits with DEP .............................................................................................150Wrap-Up ..............................................................................................................................152

Part III: Personalizing Windows 7 153

Chapter 10: Personalizing Your Work Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155Using the Personalization Page ...........................................................................................155

Choosing a theme ......................................................................................................156Personalizing your desktop background ..................................................................159

xiii

Contents

Personalizing your color scheme ..............................................................................161Making text sharper with ClearType ..............................................................163Changing individual screen elements .............................................................164

Personalizing sound effects .......................................................................................164Personalizing your screen saver ................................................................................166Personalizing desktop icons ......................................................................................169

Creating your own desktop icons ...................................................................169Sizing, arranging, showing, and hiding desktop icons ..................................170Customizing icons ...........................................................................................171

Choosing a screen resolution ....................................................................................172Understanding aspect ratio .............................................................................172

Using multiple monitors ...........................................................................................174Reducing monitor flicker ................................................................................176

Adjusting the font size (DPI) ....................................................................................176Personalizing your mouse .........................................................................................178

Mice for lefties .................................................................................................179Adjusting the double-click speed ...................................................................179Using ClickLock ..............................................................................................180Speed up or slow down the mouse pointer ...................................................181Making the mouse pointer more visible .........................................................182Changing mouse wheel behavior ....................................................................182

Personalizing the Keyboard .................................................................................................182Personalizing the Start Menu ..............................................................................................183

Opening taskbar and Start menu properties ............................................................184Personalize the right side of the Start menu ............................................................185

Start menu folders ...........................................................................................185Start menu places ............................................................................................187Start menu searching .......................................................................................188Start menu behavior ........................................................................................188

Customizing the left side of the Start menu .............................................................189Reorganizing the All Programs menu .......................................................................190

Creating Custom Shortcut Keys ..........................................................................................191Customizing the Taskbar ....................................................................................................193

Locking and unlocking the taskbar ..........................................................................194Moving and sizing the taskbar ..................................................................................195Showing toolbars on the taskbar ..............................................................................196Sizing and positioning taskbar toolbars ....................................................................198

Using the Links toolbar (Favorites Bar) ..........................................................198Customizing the Notification Area ......................................................................................200

Getting rid of Notification Area icons ......................................................................201Tweaking the clock .........................................................................................203

Using Gadgets ......................................................................................................................205Adding and removing gadgets ..................................................................................206

xiv

Contents

Using and manipulating gadgets ...............................................................................206Using Windows SideShow ..................................................................................................206Wrap-Up ..............................................................................................................................207

Chapter 11: Ease of Access, Speech, and Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209Introducing Ease of Access Center ..................................................................................... 209

Help for visual impairments .....................................................................................212Using Magnifier ...............................................................................................212Using Microsoft Narrator ................................................................................214Using High Contrast .......................................................................................215Using the computer without a display ...........................................................215Optimize visual display ...................................................................................216

Help for motor impairments .....................................................................................218Using the On-Screen Keyboard ......................................................................218Using Mouse Keys ...........................................................................................219Using Sticky Keys ............................................................................................223Using Toggle Keys ...........................................................................................224Using Filter Keys .............................................................................................224

Help for hearing impairments ...................................................................................226Make it easier to focus on tasks ................................................................................226Ease of Access administrative settings ......................................................................227Accessibility keyboard shortcuts ...............................................................................227

Using Speech Recognition ...................................................................................................228Getting started with speech recognition ...................................................................229Control speech recognition by voice ........................................................................231Commanding Windows by voice ..............................................................................231Work anywhere by voice ..........................................................................................231Dictating text .............................................................................................................233Making dictation better .............................................................................................235

Correct that .....................................................................................................235Improve voice recognition ..............................................................................237Add words to the speech dictionary ...............................................................237Advanced speech recognition configuration ...................................................238More speech recognition help .........................................................................239

Regional and Language Settings ..........................................................................................239Change how numbers, dates, and times look ..........................................................239Let them know your correct location .......................................................................240Working with multiple languages .............................................................................241

Using input languages .....................................................................................241Switching languages and keyboards ...............................................................244Removing input languages ..............................................................................246

Installing user interface languages ............................................................................246Wrap-Up ..............................................................................................................................247

xv

Contents

Chapter 12: Transferring Files from Another Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . 249What You Can Transfer ......................................................................................................249

What you can’t transfer .............................................................................................250Getting programs onto the new computer ...............................................................250What not to install ....................................................................................................251

Choosing a Transfer Method ...............................................................................................251Using a USB Easy Transfer cable ..............................................................................252Using a home network ..............................................................................................252Using external drives or discs ...................................................................................252

Using a flash drive or external hard drive ......................................................252Using CDs or DVDs ........................................................................................252

Doing the Transfer ..............................................................................................................253When the Transfer Is Finished ...........................................................................................255Transferring without Windows Easy Transfer ....................................................................256

Manually transfer Internet Explorer Favorites ..........................................................257Manually transfer contacts ........................................................................................257Manually transfer Outlook Express e-mail messages ...............................................258Transferring fonts ......................................................................................................258

Wrap-Up ..............................................................................................................................259

Chapter 13: Customizing Startup Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261First Things First .................................................................................................................261Starting Application Programs Automatically .....................................................................263

Bypassing all Startup folder programs ......................................................................264Stopping auto-start applications ...............................................................................265

Using the System Configuration Tool to Control Startup ..................................................266Controlling Services with the Services Snap-In ..................................................................268Bypassing the Login Page ....................................................................................................271Troubleshooting Startup ......................................................................................................272

Get rid of disabled devices ........................................................................................272When Windows won’t start at all .............................................................................273

Wrap-Up ..............................................................................................................................274

Chapter 14: Using Windows 7 Programs and Accessories . . . . . . . . . . 275Important Stuff About Programs .........................................................................................275Using Windows Calculator .................................................................................................277Typing with WordPad .........................................................................................................278

Typing and navigating text .......................................................................................279Basic text editing .......................................................................................................280

Selecting text ...................................................................................................281Formatting text ................................................................................................283Deleting and replacing chunks of text ............................................................284Using copy and paste and cut and paste ........................................................284Moving text within a document .....................................................................286Copy and paste a picture ................................................................................287

xvi

Contents

Saving a WordPad document ................................................................................... 287Opening a WordPad document ................................................................................289

Typing Special Characters with Character Map .................................................................291Working with Fonts ............................................................................................................292Using Notepad .....................................................................................................................293Zipping and Unzipping Files ..............................................................................................293

Zipping files ...............................................................................................................294Unzipping files ..........................................................................................................295

Annotating Screenshots with Snipping Tool ......................................................................297Saving a snip .............................................................................................................300Copy and paste a snip ...............................................................................................300E-mail a snip .............................................................................................................300Change Snipping Tool options .................................................................................300Screenshots the old-fashioned way ...........................................................................301

Using Paint ..........................................................................................................................301Using Sound Recorder .........................................................................................................303Wrap-Up ..............................................................................................................................305

Chapter 15: Troubleshooting Customization Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . 307Desktop Problems ................................................................................................................307

My screen is too large/small; my screen colors look awful ......................................307When I right-click the desktop, I don’t get a Personalize option ............................308Parts of my screen are cut off or blank ....................................................................308My desktop picture doesn’t fit right .........................................................................308Everything is huge; I can’t see all of dialog boxes ...................................................310Icon names are too big or too small .........................................................................310I don’t have any desktop icons (or don’t like their size) .........................................311I can’t put my desktop icons where I want them ....................................................311My screen saver never kicks in .................................................................................311Missing Aero Flip 3D, or Switch between Windows button ...................................311

Start Menu Problems ...........................................................................................................312Some Start items can’t be displayed .........................................................................312The right side of my Start menu is missing some options ......................................312

Taskbar Problems ................................................................................................................312My taskbar is missing ................................................................................................313My taskbar is too tall (or messed up) .......................................................................313I don’t have a Quick Launch toolbar ........................................................................313

Updating Your Display Driver ............................................................................................313

Part IV: Using the Internet 315

Chapter 16: Using Internet Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317Understanding How the Web Works .................................................................................317Using Internet Explorer .......................................................................................................320

xvii

Contents

Browsing to a Web site .............................................................................................321Using AutoComplete .................................................................................................322Using hyperlinks .......................................................................................................323Using Back, Forward, and History buttons ..............................................................323Magnifying a page .....................................................................................................324Panes and toolbars ....................................................................................................325Full-screen viewing ...................................................................................................326Change your default home page ...............................................................................326

Using Tabs ...........................................................................................................................326Using Quick Tabs ......................................................................................................328Creating multiple home page tabs ............................................................................329Rearranging and removing home page tabs .............................................................330Personalizing tabbed browsing .................................................................................330Shortcut keys for tabs ...............................................................................................333

Using Web Slices .................................................................................................................333Using Accelerators ...............................................................................................................334Using Visual Search .............................................................................................................334Using RSS Feeds ..................................................................................................................334

Optional settings for RSS feeds .................................................................................337Using the RSS Feed Headlines gadget ......................................................................338

Managing Favorite Sites ......................................................................................................339Adding tab groups to Favorites ................................................................................339Organizing Favorites .................................................................................................341Importing and exporting Favorites ...........................................................................342

Blocking Pop-Ups ................................................................................................................343Using the Information bar .........................................................................................344When pop-ups still get through ...............................................................................345

Using the SmartScreen Filter ..............................................................................................345How the SmartScreen Filter works ...........................................................................347Getting the most from the SmartScreen Filter .........................................................347

How do I protect myself in the future? ..........................................................348Deleting the Browser History ..............................................................................................348

Clearing AutoComplete entries .................................................................................348Configuring AutoComplete .......................................................................................349Understanding cookies ..............................................................................................349

Deleting cookies ..............................................................................................350Adjusting cookie privacy settings ...................................................................350Looking at cookies and privacy policies .........................................................351

Understanding temporary Internet files ....................................................................352Clearing temporary Internet files ..............................................................................353Temporary Internet files settings ..............................................................................353A note on certificates .................................................................................................355

Using Internet Security Zones .............................................................................................357

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Printing Web Pages .............................................................................................................359Using Print Preview ...................................................................................................360Important printing tip ...............................................................................................362

Saving Web Pages ................................................................................................................362Copying content from Web pages ............................................................................364Downloading pictures and videos .............................................................................365

Making Internet Explorer Your Default Browser ................................................................366Searching the Web ..............................................................................................................366

Choosing search providers ........................................................................................366Choosing a default provider ..................................................................................... 367Searching from the Search box .................................................................................368Searching from the address bar ................................................................................368Searching the Current Page .......................................................................................368

Getting More with Add-ons ................................................................................................369Shopping for add-ons ................................................................................................369Managing add-ons .....................................................................................................370

Internet Explorer Help and Troubleshooting .....................................................................371Wrap-Up ..............................................................................................................................371

Chapter 17: Blogging with Writer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373What Is Blogging? ................................................................................................................373Adding Windows Live Writer to Windows ........................................................................374Setting Up Your Blog Account ............................................................................................376

Adding a blog account ..............................................................................................376Setting your URL .......................................................................................................377Editing your profile ...................................................................................................379

Creating and Publishing Blog Posts ....................................................................................380Creating a blog post ..................................................................................................381

Saving a draft ...................................................................................................381Opening an existing blog post ........................................................................382

Preview your blog post .............................................................................................382Viewing and editing source code ..............................................................................382Publishing your blog post .........................................................................................384

Working with Photos ..........................................................................................................385Adding a photo .........................................................................................................385Adding a photo album ..............................................................................................387Uploading Pictures with FTP ....................................................................................389

Working with Videos ..........................................................................................................390Using Tables ........................................................................................................................391Using Tags ...........................................................................................................................393Inserting Maps .....................................................................................................................395Using Plug-Ins .....................................................................................................................396Setting Writer Options ........................................................................................................397Wrap-Up ..............................................................................................................................398

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Chapter 18: Using Windows Live Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399How E-Mail Works .............................................................................................................399Introducing Windows Live Mail .........................................................................................400

What you need to know to get started .....................................................................403Setting up your e-mail account .................................................................................404

Writing E-Mail with Windows Live Mail ...........................................................................407Typing and editing tips .............................................................................................408Check your spelling ..................................................................................................409Add a background color ...........................................................................................410Setting message priority ............................................................................................410Requesting a read receipt ..........................................................................................410

Getting Your E-Mail ............................................................................................................411Replying to a message ...............................................................................................411Forwarding a message ...............................................................................................411Other things you can do with a message .................................................................412

Magnifying e-mail text ....................................................................................413Sorting messages by message headers ............................................................413Sizing and positioning columns ......................................................................414Sizing the reading pane ...................................................................................415

Using E-Mail Attachments ...................................................................................................415Attaching a file to a message .....................................................................................415

E-mailing documents from folders .................................................................416E-mailing pictures from Windows Live Photo Gallery ..................................418

Opening received attachments ..................................................................................419Saving attachments as files ........................................................................................421Saving embedded pictures as files ............................................................................423Converting e-mail messages to files ..........................................................................423

Composing Rich-Text Messages with HTML ......................................................................424HTML, default font, and stationery ..........................................................................424Using fonts, sizes, boldface, underline, italics, colors ..............................................425Typing a list ...............................................................................................................426Indenting and aligning text .......................................................................................427Inserting inline pictures ............................................................................................427Inserting a line ...........................................................................................................429Adding hyperlinks to e-mail messages .....................................................................429

Type a link ......................................................................................................429Copy and paste a link .....................................................................................430Custom links ...................................................................................................430

Adding a signature automatically ..............................................................................431Creating Photo E-Mails .......................................................................................................432Dealing with Spam (Junk E-Mail) .......................................................................................434

Identifying safe senders .............................................................................................435Blocking specific senders ..........................................................................................436

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Blocking by country and language ...........................................................................437Blocking phishing scams ...........................................................................................437Managing junk mail and good mail ..........................................................................438Phishing scam e-mails ...............................................................................................439

Managing Mail Folders and Messages .................................................................................441Choosing columns for the Message list ....................................................................442Flagging messages that need more attention ............................................................444Grouping conversation messages ..............................................................................444Filtering messages ......................................................................................................444Create your own mail folders ...................................................................................446

Moving, renaming, and deleting mail folders ................................................ 447Showing/hiding mail folders ...........................................................................448

Managing messages ...................................................................................................449Selecting multiple e-mail messages .................................................................449Moving messages to a folder ...........................................................................450Deleting messages ............................................................................................451Permanently deleting messages .......................................................................451

Auto-organizing messages through rules ..................................................................451Auto-responding to messages ................................................................................... 453

Searching for Messages ........................................................................................................455Advanced Search .......................................................................................................456Searching from the Start menu .................................................................................457

Personalizing Windows Live Mail .......................................................................................458General options .........................................................................................................458Read options ..............................................................................................................459

Mark message read after displaying for x seconds .........................................460Automatically expand grouped messages .......................................................460Automatically download message when viewing in the Preview Pane ..........460Read all messages in plain text .......................................................................461Show ToolTips in the message list for clipped items .................................... 461Highlight watched messages ...........................................................................461News settings ...................................................................................................461Fonts settings ...................................................................................................461

Receipt options ..........................................................................................................461Send options ..............................................................................................................462Compose options .......................................................................................................463

Compose font ..................................................................................................463Stationery .........................................................................................................464Business cards ..................................................................................................464

Signature options .......................................................................................................466Spelling options .........................................................................................................466Connection options ...................................................................................................467Advanced options ......................................................................................................467

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IMAP ................................................................................................................468Message threads ...............................................................................................468Reply/forward ..................................................................................................468Restore defaults ...............................................................................................468Maintenance and troubleshooting ..................................................................468

E-mail security options .............................................................................................470Virus protection ...............................................................................................470Download images ............................................................................................471Secure mail ......................................................................................................472

Working with Contacts .......................................................................................................472Sending e-mail to contacts ........................................................................................473Printing contacts ........................................................................................................474

Using the Calendar ..............................................................................................................475Adding an event ........................................................................................................476Creating a new calendar ............................................................................................476Working with your Windows Live Calendar ...........................................................477

Managing E-Mail Accounts .................................................................................................478General .......................................................................................................................478Servers .......................................................................................................................479Connection ................................................................................................................479Security ......................................................................................................................479

Advanced .........................................................................................................479Customizing the Toolbar .....................................................................................................480Securing E-Mail with Digital IDs ........................................................................................481

Getting a digital ID ....................................................................................................481Using your digital ID .................................................................................................483

Importing Messages from Other Programs .........................................................................484Exporting Messages to Other Programs ..............................................................................485Where and How Messages Are Stored ................................................................................485More on Windows Live Mail ..............................................................................................486Wrap-Up ..............................................................................................................................486

Chapter 19: Chatting and Texting with Windows Live Messenger . . . 489Overview ..............................................................................................................................489Adding Messenger to Windows ..........................................................................................490Setting Up Your Account ....................................................................................................491

Adding contacts .........................................................................................................493Adding and using groups ..........................................................................................494

Chatting Online ...................................................................................................................495Changing the font .....................................................................................................496Using ink ...................................................................................................................496

Sending Text Messages ........................................................................................................497Sharing Photos .....................................................................................................................497Audio, Video, and More ......................................................................................................498Wrap-Up ..............................................................................................................................499

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Chapter 20: Beyond E-Mail and the Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501About Newsgroups ..............................................................................................................501

Creating a newsgroup account ..................................................................................502Downloading newsgroup names ...............................................................................504Subscribing to newsgroups .......................................................................................505Viewing newsgroup messages ...................................................................................506Posting a newsgroup message ...................................................................................508Replying to newsgroup messages ..............................................................................510Getting the latest messages .......................................................................................510Searching newsgroup messages .................................................................................512

Quick Searches from the Search box ..............................................................512Searching from the Start menu .......................................................................512

Hiding irrelevant messages ........................................................................................513Creating newsgroup message rules ...........................................................................513Unscrambling messages .............................................................................................514Unsubscribing from a group .....................................................................................515Personalizing newsgroups .........................................................................................515

Using FTP ............................................................................................................................515Anonymous FTP versus FTP accounts .....................................................................515Using Internet Explorer as an FTP client .................................................................516

Using Remote Assistance .....................................................................................................517Setting up Remote Assistance ...................................................................................518Requesting Remote Assistance ..................................................................................519

Using Remote Desktop ........................................................................................................520Display .......................................................................................................................521Local resources ..........................................................................................................522Programs ....................................................................................................................522Experience .................................................................................................................523Advanced ...................................................................................................................523Allowing remote connections on a home network ..................................................524Connecting from a remote home network PC .........................................................525

Access multiple computers behind a home firewall ...................................... 526Wrap-Up ..............................................................................................................................529

Chapter 21: Managing Names and Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531Opening Contacts ................................................................................................................531

Changing how you view contacts .............................................................................532Making shortcuts to contacts ....................................................................................532Creating a contact .....................................................................................................533Opening and editing contacts ...................................................................................534Create a ‘‘me’’ contact ................................................................................................535

Creating Contact Groups ....................................................................................................535Printing Contacts .................................................................................................................537Importing and Exporting Contacts .....................................................................................538

Importing people to your Contacts folder ................................................................538

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Exporting contacts to vCards ....................................................................................539Exporting to a CSV file .............................................................................................540

Searching for Contacts ........................................................................................................540Sharing Contacts on a Network ..........................................................................................540Wrap-Up ..............................................................................................................................540

Chapter 22: Troubleshooting Internet Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543Troubleshooting Internet Explorer .....................................................................................543

Clicking a hyperlink has no effect ............................................................................543Can’t download program or ActiveX control ...........................................................543Security alert about leaving a secure Internet connection .......................................544Error message: ‘‘This page cannot be displayed’’ ......................................................545Can’t change the default home page ........................................................................ 545Saved pictures stored as bitmaps (.bmp files) ..........................................................546All other Internet Explorer problems/features ..........................................................546

Troubleshooting Windows Live Mail ..................................................................................546Error message: ‘‘The host name could not be found . . .’’ .........................................547Some of my mail is not showing up in my Inbox ...................................................548Pictures are missing from e-mail messages ...............................................................548Can’t open or save e-mail attachment ......................................................................548Error Message: ‘‘Your current security settings prohibit running ActiveX

controls . . .’’ ..........................................................................................................549All other Windows Live Mail problems/features ......................................................549

More Internet Troubleshooting ...........................................................................................550

Part V: Pictures, Music, and Movies 551

Chapter 23: Working with Pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553Getting Pictures into Your Computer .................................................................................553

Getting pictures from a digital camera .....................................................................553Getting pictures from a memory card ......................................................................555Getting pictures from a CD or DVD .........................................................................556Getting pictures from a scanner ................................................................................557Using pictures you get by e-mail ..............................................................................558Copying pictures from Web sites .............................................................................559Copy-and-paste pictures ...........................................................................................560Taking screenshots ....................................................................................................560

Using the Print Screen key .............................................................................560Using Your Pictures Folder .................................................................................................561

Pictures folder quick tips ..........................................................................................564Why some pictures show icons ................................................................................567Videos in your Pictures folder ..................................................................................568Renaming pictures and videos ..................................................................................569

Using Windows Live Photo Gallery ....................................................................................570

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Choosing what to view and how ..............................................................................570Photo Gallery quick tips ...........................................................................................571Selecting thumbnails in the gallery ...........................................................................572Dating, rating, tagging, and captioning ....................................................................572Filtering pictures .......................................................................................................574Changing tags ............................................................................................................575Use a picture as your desktop background ..............................................................575Adding pictures to Photo Gallery .............................................................................575Use your Photo Gallery as a screen saver .................................................................576Fixing photos .............................................................................................................576

Auto Adjust .....................................................................................................577Adjust Exposure ..............................................................................................578Adjust Color ....................................................................................................578Straighten Photo ..............................................................................................578Crop Photo ......................................................................................................578Fix Red Eye .....................................................................................................579Black and White Effects ..................................................................................580Saving Fix pane changes .................................................................................580

Using people tags ......................................................................................................581Other new features ....................................................................................................581Choosing Photo Gallery options ...............................................................................582Making movies from Photo Gallery ..........................................................................584

Printing Pictures ..................................................................................................................584Printing from Windows Live Photo Gallery .............................................................585Printing pictures from a folder .................................................................................586

Using the Slide Show Gadget ..............................................................................................586Pixels and Megapixels .........................................................................................................588

File extension, size, and dimensions ........................................................................590TIFF pictures ...................................................................................................591JPEG pictures ..................................................................................................591GIF pictures .....................................................................................................591PNG pictures ...................................................................................................591BMP pictures ...................................................................................................591

Changing a picture type or size ................................................................................591Pictures, Tags, and Virtual Folders .....................................................................................594Wrap-Up ..............................................................................................................................595

Chapter 24: Making Music with Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 597Controlling Sound Volume .................................................................................................597Starting Windows Media Player ..........................................................................................599

Media Player program window .................................................................................599The toolbar ................................................................................................................600Media Player menus ..................................................................................................601Play controls ..............................................................................................................601Closing/minimizing Windows Media Player .............................................................603

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Listening to a CD ................................................................................................................604Now Playing, Visualizations, and Enhancements ...............................................................605

Using the playlist in Now Playing view ....................................................................606Using Enhancements .................................................................................................607Stopping a CD ...........................................................................................................607Play CDs automatically with Media Player ...............................................................607

Ripping (Copying) Music CDs ............................................................................................608Options for ripping CDs ...........................................................................................608

Choosing where to put songs .........................................................................609Choosing how to name files ...........................................................................610Choosing a file format and quality .................................................................610Copy protect music .........................................................................................612Rip CD automatically ......................................................................................612Eject CD after ripping .....................................................................................612Still more rip options ......................................................................................612

Copying songs ...........................................................................................................613Getting Music Online ..........................................................................................................614Using the Media Player Library ...........................................................................................614

Navigating the library ................................................................................................615Choosing columns for Media Library .......................................................................619

Sizing columns ................................................................................................619Moving columns ..............................................................................................620Sorting songs ...................................................................................................620

Getting missing media information automatically ....................................................620Choosing what files to include in your library ........................................................621Sharing (streaming) your media library ....................................................................622

Allowing Internet streaming ............................................................................623Using a remote stream ....................................................................................624Allow remote control ......................................................................................625Pushing media to another computer ..............................................................625

Automatically renaming songs ..................................................................................626Selecting in Media Library ........................................................................................626Changing a song title ................................................................................................628Changing genre, artist, and such ..............................................................................628Changing incorrect media information .....................................................................628Rating songs ...............................................................................................................628

Making Custom Playlists .....................................................................................................629Managing songs in a playlist .....................................................................................631Saving a playlist .........................................................................................................632Viewing, playing, and changing playlists .................................................................632Using and creating Auto Playlists .............................................................................633

Creating Your Own Music CDs ..........................................................................................634Types of music CDs ..................................................................................................634Choosing music disk options ....................................................................................635

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Choosing songs to put on the CD ............................................................................637Creating the disk .......................................................................................................638Saving a Burn list ......................................................................................................638

Copying Music to Portable Devices ....................................................................................638Manual syncing .........................................................................................................639Managing songs on a device .....................................................................................640Auto-syncing devices .................................................................................................640Choose between manual and auto sync ...................................................................642Setting player options ................................................................................................642

Fun with Skins ....................................................................................................................642Extending Media Player with Plug-ins ................................................................................643Converting File Types .........................................................................................................643Music, Metadata, and Searches ...........................................................................................644Wrap-Up ..............................................................................................................................645

Chapter 25: DVD, Video, and More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 647Watching DVD, VCD, and Such .........................................................................................647

Setting defaults for DVDs ..........................................................................................648Playing a DVD or VCD .............................................................................................648Choosing the screen size ...........................................................................................650Preventing screen savers during playback ................................................................651Setting parental controls and language defaults .......................................................651

Playing Video Files ..............................................................................................................651Using your Videos Library ........................................................................................651Recorded TV ..............................................................................................................652Making Media Player the default video player .........................................................653Adding videos to your media library ........................................................................653Playing videos from your library ..............................................................................653

Managing Photos with Media Player ...................................................................................654More on Playlists .................................................................................................................654

Limiting playlist size .................................................................................................656Limiting playlists to favorite items ............................................................................657Skipping playlist items ..............................................................................................657

Prompt Me To Remove Upon Save ................................................................658Wrap-Up ..............................................................................................................................659

Chapter 26: Fun with Media Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 661Starting Media Center ..........................................................................................................661

Working Media Center with a mouse ......................................................................662Working Media Center with a keyboard ..................................................................663Using a Media Center remote control ......................................................................663

Moving and Sizing Media Center ........................................................................................663Media Center Playback Controls .........................................................................................663Things You Can Do without TV .........................................................................................663

Playing music in Media Center .................................................................................665

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Viewing pictures and videos in Media Center ..........................................................665Movies and TV in Media Center ...............................................................................665Extras .........................................................................................................................665Sports .........................................................................................................................666

Watching and Recording TV ...............................................................................................666Recording TV .............................................................................................................668Watching recorded TV ..............................................................................................669Recorded TV files ......................................................................................................669

Personalizing Media Center .................................................................................................670General Settings .........................................................................................................670

Startup and window behavior ........................................................................671Visual and sound effects .................................................................................672Windows Media Center setup ........................................................................672Parental controls ..............................................................................................672Automatic download options ..........................................................................673Optimization ....................................................................................................673Privacy .............................................................................................................673

TV settings .................................................................................................................673Pictures settings .........................................................................................................674Music settings ............................................................................................................675DVD settings ..............................................................................................................675Start Menu and Extras ...............................................................................................676Extender settings .......................................................................................................676Media libraries ...........................................................................................................676Burning CDs and DVDs from Media Center ............................................................676Syncing, shutting down, and extenders ...................................................................677

Wrap-Up ..............................................................................................................................677

Chapter 27: Troubleshooting Multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 679

Troubleshooting Pictures and Photos .................................................................................679No Copy option when right-clicking a picture in a Web page ...............................679Cannot copy thumbnail from my Pictures folder to open document .....................679

Troubleshooting Windows Media Player ............................................................................680Error Message: ‘‘Invalid Function when trying to burn a CD’’ ................................680Some other program opens when you open an icon or insert a CD ......................680I’m unable to locate the menus within Media Player ...............................................681Cannot see captions when playing a CD or DVD ....................................................681Media Player can’t find my MP3 player ....................................................................682Song titles don’t appear after inserting a CD ...........................................................682Error message appears with 0xC00 or other number ..............................................682All other Windows Media Player issues ...................................................................682Error Message: ‘‘Your system is currently set to 800 x 600 . . .’’ .............................682

More Troubleshooting Resources ........................................................................................682

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