Windows 2000 Pro: The Missing Manual

Chapter 8. The Control Panel

Considering that Windows was originally designed for use in starships, it’s not surprising that most important settings can be found in the Control Panel. (OK, it’s true: Windows was originally designed for use on Intel 286 computers and not starships. But a Pentium III 1-GHz machine is a lot nearer to a starship than it is to the 286 8-MHz machines Windows first ran on).

The Control Panel is a collection of tools (sometimes called applets, because they’re like miniature applications, or simply control panels) you can use to change Windows 2000 settings. To see your PC’s collection of control panel applets, open the Control Panel window by choosing Start→Settings→Control Panel (see Figure 8-1).

Figure 8-1. Not everything in the Control Panel window is, in fact, a Control Panel applet; some (such as Fonts and Printers) are shortcuts to important folders, and others (such as Add/Remove Programs) are wizards that help you set up various Windows features.

Note

Some hardware devices, such as display adapters, network cards, cameras, scanners, and sound cards, install their own tools in the Control Panel, as do many programs, such as antivirus programs and media players like Apple QuickTime and RealNetworks RealPlayer. Don’t be surprised if your Control Panel doesn’t match the one pictured in this chapter.

As you explore the Control Panel, you may discover that ...