Windows 7 Operating System Lesson # 8:Configure and Secure Windows

After you install the operating system, you need to configure it so that your computer is more easily used and maintained and secure. Some changes to the default settings of the computer are essential if you are to understand what it is doing. Your computer should be secured so that it will not be infiltrated by malware and disclose personal information. Hardware can be stolen. We will consider these issues in this lesson.

Folder Display Options

You need to change two Windows defaults in order to understand how programs work and files are used. After it is installed, Windows is set to hide file extensions and not to display “hidden” folders. You want to modify these settings to display this information.

You need to do this on your home computer

Click on Start. Click on Control Panel (in Small icon

view). Click on Folder Options, View Tab. Remove the check mark in the box next

to Hide extensions for known file types by clicking there.

Click in the circle next to Show hidden files and folders to place a dot there.

Click in the box next to Always show menus to place a checkmark there.

The other Folder Options settings are not critical and a matter of individual taste.

Under the General tab the Open each folder in its own window option makes it possible to drag files from one window to another.

Click on the General tab and place a dot in Open each folder in its own window.

When finished, close all windows.

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In the Control Panel you can change how applications are associated with the listed file extensions. That is, the listing shows which application will open files that have the listed extension. This association is generally established when the applications are installed. For example, after you install Microsoft Word, the extension .DOCX is assigned to MS Word. When you double click on a document with the .DOCX extension, MS word will automatically open it, unless you changed the association here. Only change associations if you have an informed preference or need to correct problems.

Click on Start, Control Panel (set to Small icons view), Default Programs, Associate a file type or protocol with a program.

Scroll down the list of file extensions to .doc.

Note that .doc and most other file extensions beginning with the letters .do are set to open with Microsoft Office Word by default (but not .docmhtml in the screenshot above).

Scroll down to .jpg and click on it.

Note that the Internet Explorer is to open files with the extension of .jpg

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Click on Change Program above. Click on Windows Photo Viewer (see screenshot below). Click on OK.

Minimize all open windows by clicking on the - at upper right. Open the Resource folder and open the file Fam_Tree2.jpg. Note that Windows Photo Viewer is the application that opens it. Close the Resource folder.

Restore the Set Associations window by clicking on its button (

) on the Task Bar. Select (click on) the .jpg extension and click on Change program

above. Select Internet Explorer, the application that originally opened .jpg. Click on OK. Close all windows.

The Desktop

Customization of the Desktop is optional, depending on your preferences and tastes. You can select several pre-set themes or change the appearance of

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the Desktop to suit your own preferences. You can save the Desktop settings to a file so that you can restore them later.

In the Lab we developed a Desktop configuration that accommodates persons with moderate visual disabilities. The drawback of these settings is that increasing sizes of fonts and labels places less information on the screen and you have to scroll more. We will save the current preferences before making changes, so that we can restore them later.

RIGHT click on an empty space on the Desktop. Click on Personalize.

Click on the Save Theme link. In the Save Theme As box enter the word Theme,

followed by the current date (se screenshot below). Use hyphens in the date, slashes are not allowed in file

names. Click on Save.

The saved theme appears under My Themes in the Personalization window.

Click on Window Color below. If the Advanced appearance settings screen

appears, click on it.

The Window Color and Appearance box is displayed.

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Click on the down triangle ( ) below and to the right of Item.

In the drop down menu you can customize how many graphic features are displayed, such as icon spacing and size, font style, size and color, windows borders and bars, etc.

Experiment with the settings. Close the Windows Color and Appearance box. Click on Cancel as needed to return to the Personalization

screen. Click on the Screen Saver link at lower right.

The Screen Saver overlays the Desktop with a graphic theme after your computer has been inactive for a specified time interval.

Click on the down triangle ( ) below and to the right of Screen saver.

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Click on the different screensavers to preview them.

This tab also features a Power Management link.

By activating the Power Management link you can select various power option plans, create your own plan and select other options. This configuration is beyond the scope of the course but you can get further information by clicking on the Tell me more about power plans link at the top.

We will now reset the Desktop to its original settings.

Close all windows. RIFHT click on Start and click on Windows Explorer. Browse to:

C:\Users\Computer Group\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Themes RIGHT click on the Theme (date) that you saved earlier in this

exercise. Click on Delete. Click on Yes to confirm the deletion.

RIGHT click on an empty space on the Desktop. Click on Personalize. Click on My Theme to reset Windows appearance to the original

settings. If Unsaved Theme appears in the window, click on it to select it and

press the Delete key.

Close all windows.

RIGHT click on an empty space on the Desktop. Click on Personalize.

Verify that only the original Theme(s) appear.

Task Bar and Start Button

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RIGHT click on the Start button and click on Properties. Click on the Taskbar tab.

This enables you to change the behavior of the Task Bar.

The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties box includes a Customize button which changes the way Notification icons are displayed in the notification area at right on the Task Bar.

Click on Customize. Examine, but do not change these

settings. Click on Cancel to close the window.

Click on the Start Menu tab.

The Start Menu tab includes a Customize button by which you can select the items that appear on the Start Menu and other features of the display.

Click on Customize. Examine, but do not

change these settings. Click on Cancel to close

the window.

In the Power button action drop down menu you can change the functions of the Power Button.

On the Star Menu, Start Menu Tab, you can also enable or disable the display of recently opened items.

Do not change this setting. Remember - this display of recently opened items contains their shortcuts and the items listed may no longer exist or be accessible.

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Under the Toolbars tab you can customize which toll bars show on the Task Bar.

Examine the options, but do not save any changes. Close all windows when finished

The Control Panel

In a previous lesson we dealt with the Programs and Features item in the Control panel.

Click on Start, Control Panel.

User Accounts, the Desktop Gadgets and the Task Bar and Start Menu can also be configured from here.

You can select a varying amount of detail to be displayed when you open the Control Panel. The Category option is the most general. The detailed selections available in the categories can be viewed directly in the icon settings. In these lessons we use the Small icons setting.

Many other functions of the computer that are beyond what we can cover in this course can be accessed through the Control Panel, but we will consider the System and Security entries in detail. From this Category you can set a Windows Firewall, arrange for automatic updates and monitor the virus protection status of your computer. Below we treat each of these separately.

Click on Start, Control Panel.

Note the entries for Action Center, Windows Firewall, System, Windows Update.

Click on each entry and examine the options.

Action Center -Virus Protection

Many problems with your computer can be identified and corrected through the Action Center. You can explore and get a description of the problems, but you should create a Restore Point before trying to correct them.

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Browse to the Action Center (see screenshot below).

Click on each of the down arrows that display the menus under Security and Maintenance.

Explore the options available but do not make any changes.

Scroll

down to the bottom of the Action Center screen. Click on Troubleshooting and examine the options. Do not make any

changes. Note that this is another way of starting System Restore. Close all windows.

Protecting your computer against viruses is essential. Many effective programs are available, they are reviewed in major computer-focused magazines and some of them are free. The market is very active and products change often. Search the web to get reviews of what is currently available. The Norton software is offered at no additional cost by Comcast and provides very good protection. It is important to keep your virus definitions current by running frequent updates, at least once every week, but the program can be set to update automatically. Anti-virus programs install just like any other software.

Click on the Show hidden icons button ( )at right on the Task Bar.

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DOUBLE click on the yellow Norton shield icon in the Systray. Click on Security, Run Live Update and follow the directions on the

screen.

Look for the message “All available Updates were selected” or “All Symantec products…are…up to date.”

The anti-virus program on your home computer will have options available similar to those shown in the left panel.

Close all windows

Fire Wall

A firewall monitors the movement of information from the Internet to your computer and from your computer to the Internet and prevents others to identify your computer unless you initiate the contact. Windows 7 includes a firewall that is not as effective as the one provided by many antivirus programs. You should install a security package that includes a fully functioning firewall. On your home computer, if you connect to the Internet through Comcast, Norton software that includes a firewall is provided without additional cost as part of that service.

Windows Updates

Microsoft issues periodic updates to correct problems with their software and potential vulnerabilities of your computer. On your home computer the simplest measure is to set the system up to update automatically. When you choose this option, it is important that you do not turn off the computer before automatic updates complete. Doing so can cause severe damage to your software. You will be notified when you go through Start and Shut Down that an update is in progress and that the computer will shut down automatically.

Double click on Internet Explorer.

On the Tool Bar click on Tools and then on Windows Update and read the entries, but do not run an update (see screenshot below).

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On your home computer, when you open the Windows Update screen, you can turn on automatic updates there in the left navigation by clicking on Change settings. If you update manually, use the Express option to install only essential updates. Do not change that option on the Lab computers.

Physical Security

At Oak Crest the physical security of your home computer, generally, is not of much concern. It deserves mention that there are antitheft devices and techniques available, but we will not deal with them here. Safety procedures common to all electrical devices apply to computers. It is advisable occasionally to clean out the dust from the inside of the computer. When doing that, be careful not to damage the components. Do not use a vacuum cleaner as the airstream can dislodge components.

Close all open windows and shut down the computer.

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