MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-270): Installing ...

5-4 Chapter 5 Configuring Windows XP Professional
Table 5-1 Display Properties Dialog Box Tabs
Tab Description
Screen Saver Allows you to choose a screen saver to appear on your screen when the computer
is idle. The default time after which a screen saver initiates is 10 minutes. On older
CRT monitors, screen savers prevented damage to monitors by preventing an image
from becoming burned into the monitor. Although this is no longer a problem on
newer cathode-ray tube (CRT) and liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors, screen
savers are still useful. When a computer is left unattended, a screen saver protects
the information on the screen from casual eavesdropping. If you configure the
screen saver to prompt for a password to return to the desktop, you can also prevent
more deliberate intrusion. You can also click Power to adjust monitor power
settings and save energy. See Lesson 2, “Configuring Power Options.”
Appearance Allows you to configure the windows and buttons styles, the color scheme, and
the font size. Click Effects to configure the following options:
■ Use The Following Transition Effect For Menus And Tooltips. Options
include a fade effect or scroll effect. Although these features look nice to
some people, many people find that it slows the perceived responsiveness
of Windows.
■ Use The Following Method To Smooth Edges Of Screen Fonts. Options
include Standard (best for CRT monitors) and Clear Type (best for LCD
monitors).
■ Use Large Icons. This option can help users who have trouble seeing
smaller icons. However, using this option can reduce performance on
slow computers.
■ Show Shadows Under Menus. This option gives menus a threedimensional
appearance.
■ Show Windows Contents While Dragging. This option causes Windows to
redraw folders as you drag them. Although useful, this option can reduce
performance on slow computers.
■ Hide Underlined Letters For Keyboard Navigation Until I Press The Alt
Key. Windows provides keyboard access to many menu commands when
you press the ALT key. Clear this check box if users find the underlined
letters in commands bothersome.
■ If you select Windows Classic as your theme, you can click Advanced to
customize the look of windows, menus, fonts, and icons.
Settings Allows you to configure display options including the number of colors, video
resolution, font size, and refresh frequency, as shown in Figure 5-3 and
explained in Table 5-2.
Important You can enable security settings that restrict access to Display options. For
example, you can remove the Appearance tab or the Settings tab from the Display Properties
dialog box. For more information about security settings, see Chapter 16, “Configuring Security
Settings and Internet Options.”