Introduction
Windows 7 is one of the most popular operating systems in
use. Many users, especially beginners, will be eager to master the advanced
concepts of Windows 7 once they become familiar with the basic concepts.
However, it would be nice to have a book such as Windows
7 Administrator's Pocket Consultant which examines the advanced topics
associated with Windows 7.
Inside the Book
Authored by William R. Stanek, the book is comprised of 17
chapters. While Chapter 1 provides a short introduction to Windows 7
Administration, Chapter 2 examines the various concepts associated with the
deployment of Windows 7. Chapter 3 provides an in-depth overview of all the
steps associated with the configuration of user and computer policies. You will
learn the usage of File and Data Management Policies, Access and Connectivity
Policies, Computer and Script User Policies including Logon and Startup
policies.
With Windows 7, you can automate the configuration. Chapter
4 analyzes this aspect in detail. While Chapter 5 examines the management of
User Accounts, Chapter 6 provides a detailed overview of configuration of computers
loaded with Windows 7. In addition to various concepts, you will also learn the
steps required to manage Workstations using remote access.
Chapter 7 examines the customization of Desktop elements
such as Menus, Startup Applications, Taskbar, Toolbars, Themes, Screen Saver,
Display including configuration of Video Settings. Chapters 8 provide a brief
coverage of the management of hardware devices and drivers. Chapters 9 and 10
examine the installation and maintenance of Programs, Firmware and Boot Configuration
files.
Chapter 11 examines the usage of TPM and BitLocker Drive
Encyrption, which I hope will be useful for advanced users. Chapters 12 &
13 provide a detailed analysis of managing Disk Drives, File Systems, File
Security and Resource Sharing. You will learn the steps required to configure
Windows Explorer Options including the management of Offline files, Disk Quota
Configuration and the usage of Branch Caching in Chapter 14.
The final chapters examine the configuration and
troubleshooting of TCP/IP networking as well as mobile networking including
remote access. Moreover, the author provides a concise coverage of the usage of
remote assistance to troubleshoot Windows 7 independently by users including
the steps required to backup and restore a computer. You will also learn how to
detect and resolve Windows 7 errors, schedule maintenance tasks and
troubleshooting Startup and Shutdown.
Conclusion
Even though the book is mainly theory oriented the author
has examined all the concepts with screenshots. The author has provided few
concepts in tabular format which I hope will be useful for learners. I would
prefer to see a chapter which examines Windows 7 programming as well. It would
also be helpful if the author devotes an appendix related to various free tools
available for tweaking the functionality of Windows 7.
Windows 7 Administrator's Pocket Consultant will be useful
for users who are well-versed with the fundamentals of Windows 7. I would not
recommend the book for beginners as it would be difficult for them to grasp the
concepts. If you are a beginner then I would suggest you to buy introductory
books on Windows 7 before reading this book.
About the Reviewer
Anand Narayanaswamy is the author of Community Server Quickly.
He works as a freelance writer based in Trivandrum, India and runs http://www.technoenclave.com, which
provides reviews of Windows based freeware tools and articles related to
Windows 7.
About the Book
