Control Panel Options Unique to Windows 7
The following Control Panel options are unique to Windows 7:
HomeGroup—Easy and secure home networking for networks with only Windows 7 sys-tems.
Action Center—One-stop shop for security and maintenance issues.
Remote Applications (RemoteApp) and Desktop Applications—Access desktop pro-grams via a URL.
Devices and Printers—Access to properties sheets and common tasks for devices andprinters (see Figure 6-10).
Unified Troubleshooting Folder—Troubleshooters for programs, hardware and sound, net-work and Internet, appearance and personalization, and system and security all in a single folder.
Chapter 6: Operating Systems 121
Figure 6-10 The Devices and Printers dialog in Windows 7.
Windows Client Networking
Nearly all PCs technicians will encounter are part of a network, whether connected to the Internet via broadband or as a workstation on a corporate network. The following sections provide a review of key issues involved in Windows networking.
Windows Network Types
Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 support workgroup and domain-based networking. Windows 7 also supports homegroup networking. The differences between these network types are summarized in Table 6-11.
Table 6-11 Workgroup, Domain, and Homegroup Networking Comparison
| Workgroup | Domain | Homegroup | |
| Workstations share fold- | Yes | No | Yes |
| ers and printers | |||
| Centralized management | No | Yes | No |
| of users, groups, and | |||
| resource access | |||
122 CompTIA A+ Quick Reference
Table 6-11 Continued
| Workgroup | Domain | Homegroup | |
| Supports mixture of | Yes | Yes | No |
| Windows versions on | |||
| network | |||
| Available only on | No | No | Yes |
| Windows 7 systems | |||
| Network location setting | Any | Any | Home |
| Password-protected | Optional (requires dis- | Yes (per user) | Yes (single pass- |
| abling of Simple File | word) | ||
| Sharing in Windows XP | |||
| Professional to enable) | |||
| Resource sharing method | By folder, by device | By folder, by | By content type, |
| device | by device category | ||
| How network members | Common workgroup | By domain | Using homegroup |
| are identified | name on each PC | controller | password on each |
| user listing | PC | ||
Although Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 can all use workgroup and domain net-working, they vary in how network settings are managed. Table 6-12 reviews these differences.