Getting Started
"Windows needs your
permission to continue"
Windows Vista has a new security feature,
named User Account Control (UAC), that
interrupts program installations and
attempts to make significant changes to
your computer's setup. UAC alerts you to
system changes and gets your approval
via the User Account Control prompt:
If you're logged on as an administrator,
UAC asks you to click Continue or Allow.
If you're a standard user, the UAC prompt
provides a space for you to type an
administrator password. When the UAC
prompt appears, the rest of the screen
darkens until you consent to (or deny)
the action. Windows marks administrator
actions with a shield icon:
UAC, administrators, and standard users
are covered in Chapter 17.
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Windows Vista is complex software, but its
user interface-the aspects of it that you see
and hear and use to control Vista-is designed
to let you wield a lot of power with a modest
amount of learning. The secret is understanding
the underlying consistency of the ways
that Windows works. As you use Windows,
techniques like switching programs, searching
for files, resizing windows, drag-and-drop,
and copy-and-paste will become familiar.
This chapter and the next one get you up
and running and introduce you to Windows
fundamentals. Chapter 3 tells you how to get
help with learning and configuring Windows,
on or off the internet. After that you're on
your way to becoming a power user.
Logging On and
Logging Off
Logging on is the process of starting a session
in Windows Vista-the first thing you do
after turning on your computer. After your
computer powers up-or boots-you'll see
the Welcome screen, in which you enter
your user name and (optional) password.
Windows user accounts identify who has
permission to use a particular computer (or
network). User accounts are covered in
Chapter 17, but for now you need to know
only your user name and password, which
depend on your installation:
- If your PC came with Windows Vista
installed, either the Welcome screen will
appear with a factory-installed account
name or the computer will start in
Windows Setup (see the appendix) the
first time you turn it on. Follow the manufacturer's
instructions.
- If you upgraded to Windows Vista from
Windows XP by doing an in-place installation,
your existing accounts migrated
to the new installation and appear on the
Welcome screen.
- If you did a clean install of Windows Vista,
you set up an account during installation.
Use that user name and password.
- If you're on a large network at work or
school, ask your network administrator
how to log on.
- If your computer has only one user account
with no password, Windows bypasses
the Welcome screen and boots to that
account's desktop directly. (Vista comes
with hidden Guest and Administrator
accounts, but they don't apply here.)
Logging on Automatically
You can set up your computer to log on automatically at startup even if it has more than one
account or if your account is password-protected. You may like automatic logon if you're the
main user but sometimes others log on, or if you keep your own separate accounts for different
tasks.
To log on automatically at startup:
1. Choose Start, type control userpasswords2 in the Search box, and then press Enter.
or
If you're connected to a network domain, choose Start > Control Panel > User Accounts >
Advanced Options.
If a security prompt appears, type an administrator password or confirm the action.
2. In the User Accounts dialog box, on the Users tab, uncheck Users Must Enter a User
Name and Password to Use This Computer.
This check box won't appear if your computer doesn't support automatic logon or if your
network administrator has disabled it.
3. Click OK.
4. In the Automatically Log On dialog box, type the user name and password (twice) of the
account that you want to log on to automatically; then click OK.
Now the system invisibly enters your user name and password at power-up. Anyone who
turns on your computer can access the same files and resources that you do.
You can use the other accounts on the computer by using Fast User Switching or by logging
off and then logging on to another account.
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