The New Look of Windows XP

CIT has customized the look of Windows XP to take advantage of the best new features while maintaining much of the more “classic” look. This was done so that the appearance and functionality are not so drastically different from Windows 2000, and thus the effort required to learn a new interface is minimized for everyone. Some of the new interface options that we turned off could be considered “iCandy” in that they don’t add much useful functionality and they do slow down the machine. However, individuals are welcome to turn things back on and customize the look and feel of Windows XP to their liking. Each individual’s settings are stored in their Windows XP profile, which takes effect on any campus machine they log into.

Desktop Icons

The following icons will appear on the desktop of all Windows XP workstations automatically. You can add shortcuts to your desktop to provide easy access to other programs that you use.

• My Computer
• Windows Explorer
• Internet Explorer
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, FrontPage)
• QuickTime Player
• Windows Media Player
• Recycle Bin

We have included both the PhotoEditor and PhotoDraw imaging applications in the Windows XP configuration. In addition, the three major multimedia players will be installed -- Real Player, Media Player, and QuickTime -- on all faculty, staff, and student PCs under Windows XP. All of the programs installed on your PC can be found on your Start menu under Programs.

Start Menu

The Start menu in the lower left corner of your screen provides access to all the applications and resources on your PC.

• We have kept the Classic start menu rather than the newer menu that’s available in Windows XP. To change this, right-click the Start menu and choose Properties.
• The Documents selection on the Start Menu lists the last 10 documents that you have opened in any application. Simply select the document that you wish to use and it will open in its associated application.

Quick Launch Pad

The Quick Launch Pad is the area to the right of the Start menu. This handy feature allows you to launch applications by just clicking once on the associated application icon. The following icons will appear automatically on your Quick Launch Pad. You can remove icons just by dragging them off the Quick Launch Pad, and add icons by dragging them from the desktop to the Quick Launch Pad.

• Internet Explorer
• Outlook
• Word
• Excel
• My Computer - This opens the same interface as the My Computer icon on the desktop to list all devices and drives that are available on your PC.
• Show Desktop – This icon closes all open windows and brings you directly to your desktop.

Default File Location in Microsoft Applications

The default file location in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access will be reset to m:\Microsoft Office\App Name. For example, the first time you use the File, Open or File, Save command in Word, it will bring up the m:\Microsoft Office\Word directory. Likewise, the default file location in Excel will be m:\Microsoft Office\Excel.

To change the default file location setting for each application, select these menu items within the specific application:

Application	Menu	Change File Location
Word	Tools, Options, File Locations
Excel	Tools, Options, General
PowerPoint	Tools, Options, Save
Access	Tools, Options, General

Folder Options

These pertain to the look of the Windows Explorer (or My Computer) windows as you’re viewing the contents of your drives and folders. Folder Options are found on the Tools menu. We have chosen the Classic look as the default, in addition to the following settings.

• General
  • Use Windows Classic folders
  • Open each folder in same window (rather than a new window)
  • Double-click to open an item