CompTIA A_ Certification All-In-One Exam Guide, Seventh Edition - Michael Meyers [44]
Figure 4-23 Flip 3D
Flip 3D is fun to use. Press the WINDOWS KEY-TAB key combination to start it. Keep pressing the key combination to cycle through the windows. When the window you want is in the forefront, release the keys, and that window will be the active window on your screen. Try WINDOWS KEY-TAB-SHIFT to scroll through your windows in the opposite direction.
To use the Aero desktop, you must have a video card that supports Aero. We’ll save the in-depth discussion for Chapter 19, “Video,” but for now here’s what Microsoft says your video needs:
DirectX 9 capability or better
At least 128 megabytes of video RAM
Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) driver
Pixel Shader version 2.0
Now that you know what you need (again, these will be covered in detail in Chapter 19, “Video”), here’s the easy way. When you install Vista, the installer checks your video to determine if it can support Aero. If your video card is capable, Aero is turned on automatically.
On an installed system, press the WINDOWS KEY-TAB combination. If the Flip 3D appears, you have Aero. If it doesn’t, Aero is not active.
To turn on Aero, right-click on your desktop and then select the Personalize menu option. Next, select Window Color and Appearance. If you see a screen that looks like Figure 4-24, you already have Aero running. If you see a screen that looks like Figure 4-25, select the Windows Aero color scheme to activate the Aero desktop.
Figure 4-24 You’ve got Aero!
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NOTE If you can’t run on Aero desktop, you need to upgrade your system to meet the minimum requirements. This usually means a new video card or updated video card drivers. See Chapter 19, “Video,” for details.
If you’re running Aero, note that the Window Color and Appearance screen shown in Figure 4-24 has a slider to adjust the transparency settings and a checkbox to turn transparency off completely.
There are a number of other features that, although not on the CompTIA A+ certification exams, you really should try. The WINDOWS KEY-T combination gives a preview of all minimized windows. ALT-TAB gives a preview of all running windows. Try Aero. It may not be the productivity tool Microsoft promises it to be, but it sure is fun.
Figure 4-25 The lack of transparency and the flat window with no drop shadow shows that Aero is not activated.
Taskbar and Start Menu
The taskbar runs along the bottom of all Windows desktops and includes up to four sections (depending on the version of Windows and your configuration). Starting at the left side, these are the Start button, the Quick Launch toolbar, the running programs area, and the notification area. Although the taskbar by default sits at the bottom of the desktop, you can move it to either side or to the top of the screen.
One of the main jobs of the taskbar is to show the Start button, probably the most clicked button on all Windows systems. You can find the Start button on the far left end of the taskbar. Figure 4-26 shows the Start buttons for Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista (in order). Click the Start button to bring up the Start menu, where you can see the applications installed on the system and start them. Now, move your mouse cursor onto the All Programs (Windows XP) or Programs (all other versions) menu item. When the All Programs/Programs menu appears, move the cursor to the Accessories menu. Locate the Notepad program and click it. By default, Windows hides lesser-used menu options, so if you don’t see Notepad, click the double down-arrows at the bottom of the Accessories menu to make Notepad appear.
Figure 4-26 Three different Windows Start buttons
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NOTE You have a lot of clicking to do in this chapter, so take a moment to reflect on what I call the General Rules of Clicking. With a few exceptions, these rules always apply, and they really help in manipulating the Windows interface to do whatever you need done:
• Click menu items once