Microsoft Windows XP Power Toolkit

As a publishing professional for a dozen years, I know very well the incredible hours of work that go into the publication of every book. There are many people whose work is essential to each book's publication but who seem to go unnoticed and unthanked. So let me say thank you to Don Fowley and Casey Doyle for having the confidence in us to write this book, to Alex Blanton for his guidance, and to Jenny Moss Benson for her project management in completing it. Thanks also to Susan McClung, for her management, to Teresa Horton for her crisp copy editing, to Bob Hogan for his invaluable technical review, to proofreaders Jan Cocker, Rebecca Merz, and Robert Saley, and to all the unnamed people at Microsoft Press who buy the paper, hire the printer, design and produce the cover, design and implement marketing plans and promotions, sell the book to the retailer, pay the bills (especially the royalties), and perform all the other unmentioned but still necessary tasks to keep a major publisher in business.

I especially want to thank my colleague Kathy Ivens for her invaluable contribution to this book, including writing Chapter 4, "Tools for Protecting Data Files," Chapter 12, "Microsoft Windows XP PowerToys," Chapter 16, "Tools for Customizing Microsoft Windows XP," and Chapter 23, "Third-Party Firewalls." Without Kathy's help, expertise, and fine writing skills, this book might never have been finished.

Finally, I want to thank my family, Terry, Rich, Rob, Heather, Heidi, Monty, and Tahj (yes, I have a big family), for putting up with me for all these years. You're the greatest.

Walter Bruce