Tweak It and Freak It: A Killer Guide to Making Windows Run Your Way

Tweak It and Freak It: A Killer Guide to Making Windows Run Your Way

Released March 2009
Publisher(s): Que
ISBN: 9780768686739

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Book description

Tweak It and Freak It

A Killer Guide to Making Windows Run Your Way

Hundreds of millions of people use Windows every day, and it’s a safe bet that some of them would not describe themselves as happy campers.  Regardless of skill level, most people have something they dislike about Windows, and they often have a whole laundry list of Windows gripes. “Why can’t Windows do this rather than that?” “Why does Windows do X instead of Y?” “Wouldn’t it be great if Windows could do Z?”

Most people think Windows is set in stone, but it isn’t! Strip off that veneer and a whole world comes into view, one that’s hackable, moddable, tweakable, customizable, and personalizable. This book shows you the tools and technologies that anyone can use to hack almost every aspect of Windows, from startup to shutdown, from the interface to the Internet, from security to scripting.

•    Speed up your tired PC with a fistful of easy-to-do, but oh so powerful tweaks!

•    Tired of looking at the same old Windows day in and day out? So are we! That’s why we show you how to give Windows a makeover!

•    Want to be more productive at work or home? This book is full of productivity tweaks that not only make Windows more fun to use, but also save you tons of time.

•    Create custom backup routines that safeguard your precious data.

•    Tighten the security of your PC and your network to stop would-be thieves in their tracks.

•    Dual-boot Windows XP and Vista on the same machine, or dare we say it, run MacOS on your PC!  We won’t tell.

Paul McFedries is a passionate computer tinkerer and Windows expert. He is the author of more than 60 computer books that have sold more than 3 million copies worldwide. His recent titles include the Sams Publishing books Windows Vista Unleashed, Second Edition, and Windows Home Server Unleashed, and the Que Publishing books Build It. Fix It. Own It. :  Networking with Windows Vista, Formulas and Functions with Microsoft Excel 2007, Tricks of the Microsoft Office 2007 Gurus, and Microsoft Access 2007 Forms, Reports, and Queries. Paul is also the proprietor of Word Spy (www.wordspy.com), a website devoted to tracking new words and phrases as they enter the English language.

CATEGORY:  Windows Operating System

COVERS:  Windows Vista and XP

USER LEVEL:  Beginning-Intermediate

Table of contents

  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Contents at a Glance
  4. Table of Contents
  5. About the Author
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. We Want to Hear from You!
  8. Reader Services
  9. Introduction
  10. CHAPTER 1 Vital Performance Tweaks
  11. CHAPTER 2 Crucial Security Tweaks
  12. CHAPTER 3 Indispensable Interface Tweaks
  13. CHAPTER 4 Terrific Web Tweaks
  14. CHAPTER 5 Easy Email Tweaks
  15. CHAPTER 6 Fundamental File Tweaks
  16. CHAPTER 7 Keeping the Bad Guys at Bay
  17. CHAPTER 8 Configuring Internet Security
  18. CHAPTER 9 Maintaining Your Privacy on the Web
  19. CHAPTER 10 Tweaking Windows for Safe and Fun Family Use
  20. CHAPTER 11 More User Account Tweaks
  21. CHAPTER 12 Taking Advantage of the Administrator Account
  22. CHAPTER 13 Crucial Password Hacks
  23. CHAPTER 14 General Performance Tweaks
  24. CHAPTER 15 Streamlining the Start Menu
  25. CHAPTER 16 Speeding Up Your Web Surfing
  26. CHAPTER 17 Giving Windows a Makeover
  27. CHAPTER 18 Useful Interface Tweaks
  28. CHAPTER 19 Useful and Fun Interface Mods
  29. CHAPTER 20 Modding Music
  30. CHAPTER 21 Tweaking Photos
  31. CHAPTER 22 Customizing Video
  32. CHAPTER 23 Handy File and Folder Tweaks
  33. CHAPTER 24 Dealing with Disk Drives
  34. CHAPTER 25 Super Searching
  35. CHAPTER 26 Building Better Backups
  36. CHAPTER 27 Customizing the File System
  37. CHAPTER 28 Working with Network Computers
  38. CHAPTER 29 Tightening Network Security
  39. CHAPTER 30 Making Remote Connections
  40. CHAPTER 31 Tweaking Wireless Connections
  41. CHAPTER 32 Running Programs
  42. CHAPTER 33 More Program Tweaks
  43. CHAPTER 34 Tweaking Windows with the Registry Editor
  44. CHAPTER 35 Controlling Windows with the Group Policy Editor
  45. CHAPTER 36 Running the Command Prompt
  46. CHAPTER 37 Running Scripts
  47. CHAPTER W1 Device Driver Tweaks
  48. CHAPTER W2 Dealing with Devices
  49. CHAPTER W3 Creating Your Own Custom Startup
  50. CHAPTER W4 Customizing Windows Restarts and Shutdowns
  51. CHAPTER W5 Enhancing Security and Privacy at Shutdown
  52. CHAPTER W6 Dual-Booting Windows with Other Operating Systems
  53. Index

Product information

  • Title: Tweak It and Freak It: A Killer Guide to Making Windows Run Your Way
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: March 2009
  • Publisher(s): Que
  • ISBN: 9780768686739