We’re eager to announce that Windows 7 Inside Out, Deluxe Edition (ISBN 9780735656925, 1360 Pages), by Ed Bott, Carl Siechert, and Craig Stinson, has shipped to the printer. This book will be available for purchase in mid-July.

Written by the authors of the immensely popular Windows 7 Inside Out, this Deluxe Edition is updated with 300+ pages of information for working with Windows 7. This comprehensive reference to Windows 7 packs hundreds of solutions in a supremely organized, fast-answer format. PLUS—a companion CD with tools, eBooks, Windows PowerShell scripts, and more.

Here we list the Contents and provide a bit of text from the Introduction.

Part 1: Getting Started
Chapter 1 What’s New in Windows 7
Chapter 2 Installing and Configuring Windows 7
Chapter 3 Obtaining Help and Support
Chapter 4 Personalizing Windows 7
Chapter 5 Adding, Removing, and Managing Programs
Chapter 6 Using Internet Explorer
Chapter 7 Internet Explorer Compatibility, Security,
and Privacy
Chapter 8 Adding Windows Live Programs and Services

Part 2: File Management
Chapter 9 Organizing Files and Information
Chapter 10 Using Windows Search
Chapter 11 Advanced File Management
Chapter 12 Backup, Restore, and Recovery

Part 3: Digital Media
Chapter 13 Playing and Organizing Digital Media Files
Chapter 14 Sharing and Syncing Digital Media
Chapter 15 Using Windows Media Center
Chapter 16 Digital Media for Enthusiasts

Part 4: Security and Networking
Chapter 17 Security Essentials
Chapter 18 Managing User Accounts, Passwords, and Logons
Chapter 19 Setting Up a Small Office or Home Network
Chapter 20 Sharing and Managing Network Resources
Chapter 21 Advanced Windows Networking
Chapter 22 Fixing and Tweaking Your Network

Part 5: Tuning, Tweaking, and Troubleshooting
Chapter 23 Tuning Up and Monitoring Performance
Chapter 24 Performing Routine Maintenance
Chapter 25 Using Advanced System Management Tools
Chapter 26 Deployment and Migration
Chapter 27 Automating Windows 7
Chapter 28 Troubleshooting Windows Errors and Crashes

Part 6: Windows 7 and PC Hardware
Chapter 29 Setting Up and Configuring Hardware
Chapter 30 Managing Disks and Drives
Chapter 31 Using Pen, Touch, and Voice Input

Appendixes
Appendix A Windows 7 Editions at a Glance
Appendix B Working with the Command Prompt
Appendix C Fixes Included in Windows 7 Service Pack 1
Appendix D Windows 7 Certifications
Appendix E Some Useful Accessory Programs

Introduction

By some measures, Windows 7 sets a new standard for usability. It needs less out-of-the-box
tweaking and troubleshooting than any Windows version we’ve ever used. The arrangement
of folders and fi les in Windows Explorer, basic system security, User Account Control
settings, and numerous other default configuration options are well thought out. Adding a
new hardware device typically requires nothing more than just plugging it in, and setting
up a network no longer entails invoking supernatural help.

Despite all that—or perhaps because of it—we have plenty of good stuff to share with you
in this edition of Windows 7 Inside Out. The good news: we don’t need to spend a lot of ink
on Windows 7 features that work as expected. That allows us to concentrate on the many
capabilities and features that are buried just beneath the surface. We cover the handful of
essential tasks—backing up your computer, for example—that aren’t configured automatically.
We’ve also brought together countless shortcuts, tips, and tricks to help you perform
tasks more quickly and with less aggravation.

This Deluxe Edition adds several chapters not included in the original edition, giving us the
space to dive deeper into media applications, networking, scripting, and deployment of
Windows throughout a small organization. Perhaps more important, spread throughout
this edition are additional tips and explanations based on many, many hours of poking,
probing, and studying Windows 7 in the two years since its release. This book also covers
the latest changes to the operating system, notably Service Pack 1, as well as a new version
of Internet Explorer and an impressively updated collection of programs in Windows Live
Essentials 2011.

Who This Book Is For

This book offers a well-rounded look at the features most people use in Windows. It serves
as an excellent reference for anyone who wants a better understanding of how Windows 7
works. If you’re a Windows expert in training, or if your day job involves IT responsibilities,
or if you’re the designated computer specialist managing computers and networks
in a home or small business, you’ll discover many sections we wrote just for you. And if
you consider yourself a Windows enthusiast, well, we hope you’ll fi nd enough fun and
interesting tidbits to keep you interested—because, after all, we’re unabashed enthusiasts
ourselves.

Assumptions About You

This book, like others in the Inside Out series, is designed for readers who have some experience
with the subject. It touches only briefly on some of the basic topics that you’ll find
covered in more detail elsewhere (for those, we recommend other Microsoft Press titles,
such as Windows 7 Step by Step or Windows 7 Plain & Simple).

Whether your experience comes from Windows 7 or an earlier version, we expect that you
are comfortable finding your way around the desktop, browsing folders with Windows
Explorer, launching programs, using copy and paste operations, and finding information
in a web browser. We don’t assume that you’re a hardware tinkerer, a hacker, a hardcore
gamer, or a code jockey.

How This Book Is Organized

Part 1, “Getting Started,” describes your initial Windows experiences: installing and configuring
Windows, working with programs, adding Windows Live Essentials, personalizing
Windows to your needs, and using Internet Explorer.

Part 2, “File Management,” explains how to organize your folders and fi les, how to find
those fi les when you need them, and how to back them up to ensure that they’re always
available. It also covers the ins and outs of Windows search technologies.

Part 3, “Digital Media,” explores the rich media features of Windows 7, including playing,
sharing, and syncing media. This edition includes expanded coverage of Windows Media
Center and other Microsoft media products, such as the Xbox 360 and the elegant, powerful
Zune software.

Part 4, “Security and Networking,” explains how to set up a network so that you can share
fi les, printers, Internet connections, and other resources among all your computers—and
how to properly implement security measures so that you can do so safely.

Part 5, “Tuning, Tweaking, and Troubleshooting,” covers routine maintenance tasks and
explores tools and techniques for measuring and improving your computer’s performance.
Other topics include Windows PowerShell scripting, troubleshooting methods, and deployment
of Windows to multiple computers.

Part 6, “Windows 7 and PC Hardware,” looks at details of the devices on which Windows
runs, including setup and configuration, management of hard disk drives, and use of input
methods other than the keyboard and mouse (namely, pen, touch, and speech).

Part 7 comprises a handful of appendixes that provide reference information, including
concise looks at the differences among Windows 7 editions, changes wrought by Service
Pack 1, and accessory programs that are part of Windows.

What’s on the CD

Your Inside Out CD includes the following:

● Complete eBook    Enjoy the entire electronic version of this title.
● Resources    Reference white papers, user assistance, and product support to help
you use and troubleshoot the features of Windows 7.
● Product Information    Explore the features and capabilities of Windows 7 and learn
how other Microsoft products and technologies can help you at work and at home.
● Tools   Link to tools for PowerShell, application compatibility, IEAK, WAIK, and
Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor.
● Sample Scripts    Discover more than 80 Windows PowerShell scripts you can customize
and use to configure and manage computers running Windows 7.