Microsoft Windows XP Power Toolkit

Anyone who uses their computer on a regular basis comes to rely on favorite features and utilities—software tools—to get their job done. Every new version of Microsoft Windows has introduced new and more powerful special features and utilities. When viewed together, these aspects of Windows XP, whether part of its user interface or stand-alone software utilities, are part of your daily tool kit for getting your work done.

In Windows XP, Microsoft has enhanced Windows in countless ways. Some of these enhancements are behind the scenes or under the covers. To take full advantage of these enhancements, you must be aware of their existence and know how to use them. The first goal of this book is to make you aware of and show you how to use Windows XP tools—including built-in features, powerful techniques, and important utilities—that the most seasoned users of Windows XP—power users—have added to their daily toolkit. Hence, we call this book the Microsoft Windows XP Power Toolkit. Because there are other books on Windows XP available, we don't cover every Windows XP feature; rather, we focus on the features and utilities that help you improve your experience with Windows XP to the greatest possible extent.

Each time Microsoft releases a new version of Windows, its developers must draw the line somewhere on new features and capabilities. Fortunately, Microsoft often makes additional enhancements available through add-in software. This book's second goal is to make you aware of Microsoft utilities that are not shipped "in the box" with Windows XP, but that are designed specifically to add powerful supplementary features to the Windows XP operating system, including enhancements in the areas of networking, digital media, and the user interface.

Third-party software publishers have also continually raised the bar by publishing software that enhances capabilities built into Windows or adds features that are not yet part of the main operating system. The third and final goal of this book is to make you aware of some of the best third-party utilities that you should seriously consider adding to your own daily Windows XP tool kit.

If you use your PC frequently and would like to be more efficient, more productive, more secure, or just have more fun using Windows XP, this book is for you. If you already consider yourself a Windows XP power user but would like to fill out your power tool kit with in-the-box, out-of-the-box, and third-party utilities, this book is for you, too. Even if you are new to Windows XP, you will find many useful tips and tricks, such as how to personalize the way Windows XP looks and operates, how to safely share your computer files over a home network, how to record and play digital music and digital videos, and how to share digital photographs over the Internet.

This book is organized into three parts based on where you will find the tool being described.

The accompanying CD includes many of the tools described in this book, as well as an electronic version of the book itself. Some of these tools don't require a licensing fee, whereas others are trial versions that do require you to pay a licensing fee if you want to continue using them beyond the trial period.

In addition to the CD, we have created a companion Web site for this book—http://www.winptk.com. It contains a user interface that is nearly identical to the CD except that the Web site does not host any of the software tools. Instead, an up-to-date link is provided to each Web site where a tool can be downloaded. We will also periodically post updates to the information published in the book on this site as we become aware of changes that might make the material more useful.

The companion Web site (http://www.winptk.com) is one way to contact the authors with any questions or comments you might have. In addition, you can send e-mail to them at authors@winptk.com.

If you have questions or comments about the book, CD, or Web site, please feel free to address them to the authors at the Web site and e-mail address previously listed, or to Microsoft Press at the Web site and e-mail addresses listed below. For questions about or support for any of the software described in this book, however, please consult directly the software publisher or the publisher's Web site.

Extensive efforts were made to ensure the accuracy of this book and the contents found on the CD. Microsoft Press provides comments and corrections for its books on the Web at http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/support.

If you have comments, questions, or ideas regarding this book or the CD, please send them by e-mail to mspinput@microsoft.com or by postal mail to:
Microsoft Press
Attn: Power Toolkit Editor
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-6399

Please note that support for Microsoft products is not offered through the preceding addresses. For help with Microsoft products, contact Microsoft Support Online at http://support.microsoft.com. For support for third-party tools, please contact the individual tool's manufacturer, using the Web site listed on the tool's download page.