Change AutoPlay settings
AutoPlay lets you choose which program to use for different kinds of digital media, such as music CDs or pictures from your digital camera.

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Troubleshoot AutoPlay problems
Here are solutions to some common problems with AutoPlay. The AutoPlay options only appeared once: the first time I plugged in a device or inserted a disc. How can I find them again, so I can choose a different action? I set a default action, but the AutoPlay dialog box continues to appear. How can I turn off AutoPlay so it will stop asking me what program I want to use? How can I stop AutoPlay from automatically opening a program when I plug in a device or insert a disc? AutoPlay doesn't start when I insert a disc or plug in a device. In the past, I held down SHIFT to prevent the AutoPlay dialog box from appearing. Why doesn't that work now? The "Always do this" check box does not appear for mixed-content media. Why does it take so long for AutoPlay to discover the types of content on my storage device?

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AutoPlay: frequently asked questions
Here are answers to some common questions about AutoPlay. I set a default action for a device or type of media but now I don't like that action. How do I change it? How can I stop AutoPlay from asking me what program I want to use? How can I make sure I'm asked each time for the action I want to choose? How can I run or install a program from a device or disc? Why does AutoPlay behave differently when my media program is open? What is an enhanced audio CD or an enhanced DVD movie? What does "software and games" include? What would keep a device from appearing under "Devices" in AutoPlay? Why can't I override AutoPlay by pressing the SHIFT key as I could in Windows XP?

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Change volume settings in Windows Media Player
You have several options for controlling volume in Windows Media Player, including adjusting the volume level, muting, and reducing volume differences either within a song or between songs. Remember that other software and hardware controls can affect the volume and audio effects settings in the Player. If you encounter problems, try adjusting your Windows audio settings, the physical controls on your speakers, subwoofer, or amplifier, or the settings in any other software used to configure the sound card in your computer.

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Change TCP/IP settings
TCP/IP defines the language that your computer uses to communicate with other computers. We recommend using automated Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) to automatically assign Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to the computers on your network, if your network supports it. If you use DHCP, then you don't have to change your settings if you move your computer to another location, and DHCP doesn't require you to manually configure settings such as Domain Name System (DNS) and Windows Internet Name Service (WINS).

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Getting the best display on your monitor
Windows chooses the best display settings, including screen resolution, refresh rate, and color, based on your monitor. These settings differ depending on whether you have an LCD or a CRT monitor. If you want to adjust your display settings or, if these settings were changed and you want to restore default settings, use the following recommendations.

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Adding Custom Autoplay
In the AutoPlay menu, of Windows Vista there is no option to add custom entries of software of your choice, Windows Vista will select them for you, giving you no option of adding your favorite software, but that will not stop us from using our favorite software.

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Reset Internet Explorer 8 settings
The information in this Help topic applies to Windows Internet Explorer 8. By resetting Internet Explorer settings, you return it to the state it was in when it was first installed on your computer. This is useful for troubleshooting problems that might be caused by settings that were changed after installation. When you delete personal settings, some webpages that rely on previously stored cookies, form data, passwords, or previously installed browser add-ons might not work correctly. Resetting Internet Explorer to its default settings does not delete your favorites, feeds, Web Slices, and a few other personalized settings. See the table below for a complete list of all settings and information about whether they are reset or maintained.

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Unable to configure Power Options
When you configure power options for the active power plan in Windows Vista or in Windows 7, the changes are not reflected in the Power Options item in Control Panel

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Reset Internet Explorer 7 settings
The information in this Help topic applies to Windows Internet Explorer 7. By resetting Internet Explorer settings, you return it to the state it was in when it was first installed on your computer. This is useful for troubleshooting problems that might be caused by settings that were changed after installation. When you restore Internet Explorer's default settings, some webpages that rely on previously stored cookies, form data, passwords, or previously installed browser add-ons might not work correctly. Resetting Internet Explorer to its default settings does not delete your favorites, feeds, and a few other personalized settings. See the table below for a complete list of all settings and information about whether they are reset or maintained.

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Restore default Windows Movie Maker settings
You can set three categories of Windows Movie Maker settings: General, Advanced, and Compatibility. General settings include settings such as opening the last project automatically when you start Windows Movie Maker, the temporary storage location, and others. Advanced settings include video properties, the duration of pictures and transitions, and more. Compatibility settings provide for ways that you can disable video filters that may conflict with Windows Movie Maker.

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What is Windows Connect Now?
Microsoft Windows Connect Now (WCN) is a technology designed to address the need for a simple and more secure way to configure network devices and computers. In addition to easier device configuration, you can use WCN to save wireless network settings to a USB flash drive and then plug that drive into devices (such as routers) and computers so you can quickly and easily add them to a network.

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Movie settings: frequently asked questions
Here are answers to some common questions about movie settings. What are movie settings and what do they do? What video file formats can I choose to publish my movie in Windows Movie Maker? What do the different movie settings mean? Can I create and use my own movie settings to publish a movie in Windows Movie Maker?

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Change Internet Explorer General settings
How do I set my home page? How do I delete my web surfing history and temporary Internet files? What are search settings and how do I change them? What can I do with tab settings? What are Appearance settings? The information in this Help topic applies to Windows Internet Explorer 7 and Windows Internet Explorer 8.

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Change sync settings
Some sync partnerships have settings specific to them that you can adjust using Sync Center. When you sync with a mobile device, for example, the settings might be designed to fit the characteristics of that particular device.

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Firewall with Advanced Security
Windows Firewall with Advanced Security is an advanced interface for IT professionals to use to configure Windows Firewall and Internet Protocol security (IPsec) settings for their networks. Windows Firewall with Advanced Security is not for home users or for users that are not familiar with firewall or IPsec technologies.

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Change, create, or delete a power plan (scheme)
A power plan is a collection of hardware and system settings that manages how your computer uses and conserves power. Power plans can save energy, maximize system performance, or balance energy conservation with performance. The default power plans-Balanced, Power saver, and High performance-meet most people's needs. But you can modify settings for existing plans or create your own plan. Learn: To change settings for a single plan. To change settings that affect all of your power plans (system settings). To create your own plan. To delete a plan.

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Internet Explorer browser settings
The information in this Help topic applies to Windows Internet Explorer 7 and Windows Internet Explorer 8. To help protect your privacy, your computer's security, or to make Internet Explorer work the way you want it to, you can change settings and preferences. Below are some helpful tips for changing settings in Internet Explorer.

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Firewall: frequently asked questions
Here are answers to some common questions about firewalls. What is a firewall? Why do I need a firewall? What does "allowing a program through the firewall" mean? What are the recommended settings for Windows Firewall? How can I be sure that Windows Firewall is on? What are some of the things that a firewall can't prevent? Why can't I change some Windows Firewall settings? How do I view and edit all firewall properties? What happened to the ICMP and logging settings in Windows Firewall? Can I use more than one firewall on my computer? If I have a router with a built-in firewall, should I also turn on Windows Firewall? When I try to restore my Windows Firewall settings to what they were originally, I see a warning message. What does this mean? What else besides a firewall do I need to help protect my computer? Why do multiple instances of the same program appear on the Exceptions tab? Where can I find more information about firewalls?

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Make your computer easier to use
The Ease of Access Center is a central location where you can turn on and set up accessibility settings and programs available in Windows. You can adjust settings that make it easier to see your computer, use the mouse and keyboard, or use other input devices. You can also answer a few questions about your daily computer use that will help Windows recommend accessibility settings and programs for you.

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Change proxy settings in Internet Explorer
The information in this Help topic applies to Windows Internet Explorer 7 and Windows Internet Explorer 8. Proxy settings are used to tell Internet Explorer the network address of an intermediary server (known as a proxy server) that is used between the browser and the Internet on some networks. Changing proxy settings is something you usually only have to do if you are connecting to the Internet through a corporate network. By default, Internet Explorer automatically detects proxy settings. However, you might need to manually set a proxy with information supplied by your network administrator. Here's how:

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Create custom movie settings for Windows Movie Maker
Windows Movie Maker has many settings that you can choose to use when publishing your movie. However, you can also create your own custom settings to use when publishing your movie. The settings you choose when publishing a movie determine the quality and size of the final published movie file.

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Using Windows Security Center
Windows Security Center can help enhance your computer's security by checking the status of several security essentials on your computer, including firewall settings, Windows automatic updating, anti-malware software settings, Internet security settings, and User Account Control settings. If Windows detects a problem with any of these security essentials (for example, if your antivirus program is out of date), Security Center displays a notification and places a Security Center icon in the notification area. Click the notification or double-click the Security Center icon to open Security Center and get information about how to fix the problem.

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Internet Explorer Connections settings
The information in this Help topic applies to Windows Internet Explorer 7 and Windows Internet Explorer 8. From the Connections tab, you can make changes to your Internet and network settings. The following topics help explain how you can make changes to these settings.

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Apply regional and language settings to reserved accounts
When you choose regional and language settings for your computer, such as your default input language or keyboard layout, you can apply those settings to special accounts in Windows called reserved accounts. Reserved accounts include the default user account and the system accounts. These accounts are described below.

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Color management settings: frequently asked questions
Here are answers to some common questions about color management. What is color management? Why is color management needed? What are color profiles? What is a color space? When should I change the color management settings? Where do I go to change my computer's color management settings? How do I add a color profile for one of my devices? Why would a device have more than one color profile? How do I choose a color profile to associate with a device? What can I do after I associate one or more color profiles with a device? How do I change the default color settings for a specific device for all users on the computer? What is WCS? Why do the color management settings include entries for both WCS and ICC profiles? I see a setting for "default rendering intent" on the Advanced Tab in Color Management. What is rendering intent and should I ever change its default setting?

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Changing Remote Desktop settings
Here are answers to some common questions about Remote Desktop settings. Can I use devices and resources that are on or part of my computer, such as my printer, hard disk, or Clipboard, while I'm connected to a remote computer? What's new with redirection in this version of Windows? How can I hear music or other sounds from the remote computer? How can I improve the performance of Remote Desktop over a slow connection? Can I save my Remote Desktop settings and use them again in the future? How can I disconnect from a Remote Desktop session? How can I reconnect after temporarily disconnecting from a Remote Desktop session? Can I use keyboard shortcuts with Remote Desktop Connection?

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What's new in managing power settings
In this version of Windows, you have more control over how your computer uses and manages power than ever before. Using the battery meter to monitor power consumption. Power plans. Manage your power settings. Turn off your computer by using the Power button.

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Change settings for ripping music
You can use Windows Media Player to rip (or copy) the tracks from your audio CDs onto your computer, after which the tracks that you rip become files on your computer. There are a number of settings you can customize to make ripping work better for you.

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Power plans: frequently asked questions
A power plan is a collection of hardware and system settings that manages how your computer uses power. Power plans can help you save energy, maximize system performance, or achieve a balance between the two.You can change settings for any of your power plans, including the three default plans Balanced, Power saver, and High performance. The default plans meet most people's computing needs. If these plans don't suit your needs, you can easily create your own plan by using one of the default plans as a starting point.What is the difference between a power plan and a power scheme? Which power plans are available? How can I use a different power plan? What kind of settings can I change in a power plan? Can my computer support any power plan or power management setting? How can I create a power plan? Why can't I delete a power plan? Why can't I change power settings? I'm running Windows Vista on a mobile PC and can't consistently get the full Windows Aero user experience (the transparent glass design with window animations). Is there anything I can do?

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Turn ReadyBoost on or off for a storage device
Windows ReadyBoost can use storage space on some removable media devices, such as USB flash drives, to speed up your computer. When you insert a compatible device, the AutoPlay dialog box will offer you the option to speed up your system using Windows ReadyBoost.

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Change settings for burning a CD or DVD in Windows Media Player
There are a number of settings you can customize to make burning in Windows Media Player work better for you.

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Change modem settings
You can change modem settings, such as the speaker volume.

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Use text or visual alternatives to sounds
Windows provides settings for using visual cues to replace sounds in many programs. You can adjust these settings on the Use text or visual alternatives to sounds page in the Ease of Access Center.

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Understanding Windows Firewall settings
A firewall can help prevent hackers or malicious software (such as worms) from gaining access to your computer through a network or the Internet. A firewall can also help stop your computer from sending malicious software to other computers. There are three settings on the General tab in Windows Firewall. Here's what they do and when you should use them:

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Change Windows Movie Maker advanced settings
To change advanced settings in Windows Movie Maker, click Tools, click Options, and then click the Advanced tab. On this tab, you can change the following settings:

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Change Windows Movie Maker general settings
To change general settings in Windows Movie Maker, click Tools, click Options, and then click the General tab. On this tab, you can change the following settings:

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Change the file types that play in Windows Media Player
You can make Windows Media Player the default program for a specific file type (format) or for all media files. You can also use AutoPlay to make the Player the default program to use when you insert CDs or DVDs into your computer.

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Troubleshoot camera connection problems
Here are solutions to some common problems with connecting a camera to a computer. How do I get pictures from my camera to my computer? When I connect my camera to the computer, nothing happens. My camera connects just fine, but Windows cannot find any pictures on my camera. I can't find the pictures I copied to my computer. When I plug in a camera, AutoPlay automatically opens a program I dont want to use.

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Print a picture
If you have a printer connected to your computer, you can make prints of digital pictures. The quality of your prints depends upon a number of factors, including the type of printer paper, your choice of ink, and printer settings. You can control many of these settings when you print the picture, but also keep in mind that the overall quality and resolution of the digital picture you are printing will affect your final result.

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