Help and Support Center Files and Settings Transfer Wizard
User Accounts and Fast User Switching
Home and Small Office Networking
The Help and Support Center provides help with the Windows XP operating system and other support and educational tools. To access the Help and Support Center, click the Start button and click Help and Support.
You may change the appearance of the Control Panel, the Start menu, and the Windows desktop to the classic view of earlier Windows operating systems.
The Control Panel presents information as task-oriented categories. If you are accustomed to performing a particular task with the icon-oriented classic Control Panel, you can switch to the classic icon view:
By default, the Desktop Cleanup Wizard moves programs that are not frequently used to a designated folder 7 days after you first start your computer and every 60 days after that. The appearance of the Start menu changes as programs are moved.
To turn off the Desktop Cleanup Wizard:
To run the Desktop Cleanup Wizard at any time:
The Files and Settings Transfer Wizard allows you to transfer files and settings from one computer to another (for instance, when upgrading to a new computer), even if the old computer is running an earlier operating system. The time required to collect and transfer data depends on the amount of data collected. Times can vary from just a few minutes to several hours.
You can transfer the data to the new computer over a network or direct serial connection, or you can store it on a removable medium such as a floppy disk or writable CD. If a CD drive is not available, the wizard allows you to create a wizard disk to run on your old computer.
For more information, see the Help and Support Center.
If you encounter problems running a program designed for an earlier Windows operating system, you can use the Program Compatibility Wizard to help resolve the problem. The Program Compatibility Wizard allows you to configure a program to run in an environment closer to that of Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition (Me), Windows NT® 4.0 with Service Pack 5, or Windows 2000.
If you experience problems with your operating system or other programs after performing an installation, you can use the system restore feature to return your computer to a previous stable condition.
For more information, see the Help and Support Center.
Fast User Switching allows multiple users to access the computer. After you log on to the computer with your specific settings, including the desktop and various programs, other users can log on to the computer without requiring you to first log off. New users log on and switch from your session to their own. New users can run their desktop and programs without interfering with yours. You can switch back to your desktop and programs with the original settings. For more information, see the Help and Support Center.
The Network Setup Wizard provides online documentation and support for setting up a home or small office network. The new wizard automatically enables the personal firewall (see "Internet Connection Firewall").
The Network Setup Wizard includes a checklist and steps to guide you through the process of sharing resources, such as files, printers, or an Internet connection, between computers in a home or small office. For more information, see the Help and Support Center.
The Internet Connection Firewall provides basic protection from unauthorized access to the computer while the computer is connected to the Internet. The firewall is automatically enabled when you run the Network Setup Wizard. When the firewall is enabled for a network connection, the firewall icon appears with a red background in the Network Connections portion of the Control Panel.
Note that enabling the Internet Connection Firewall does not reduce the need for virus-checking software.
For more information, see the Help and Support Center.