VISTA GUIDELINES

The My Network Places icon has been renamed to simply Network in Windows Vista. If you're particular about the naming of your icons or you find it hard to get used to the Network icon after years of seeing My Network Places, you can change it. You can't simply click on the icon and rename it like other icons. You'll have to do it through a more advanced method by editing the Windows Registry; here's how to do it:

1. Open the Start menu.
By default, the Network icon isn't displayed on the desktop. If you want to add this icon to the desktop

2. In the Search box, type "regedit", as shown in Figure 4.28, and then press Enter. If you are using the Windows Classic Start menu, you need to click Run, type "regedit", and then click OK.

Be very careful when editing the Windows Registry. Mistakes can cause major problems. By major, I mean everything from a program failing to start to your computer being made unusable. One false move in the Registry can spell disaster, so be careful!

It's also a good idea to make a backup copy prior to making any changes to the Registry. Here's how:
1. Open the Registry Editor by following steps 1 and 2.
2. In the Registry Editor, click File on the menu and select Export.
3. On the bottom of the dialog box, select the All option for the Export Range.
4. Browse, find, and select a location to save the registry. It's best to save it to a removable shortage device like a flash drive, floppy disc, or CD.
5. Enter your desired file name, such as Registry_Backup_DATE.
6. Click Save and wait until it's done which may take a few minutes.

3. Navigate to the following folder:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\MuiCache

4. Locate and double-click on the following Registry entry:

@C:\Windows\system32\NetworkExplorer.dll,-1

5. Enter your desired name in the Value Data field, as shown in Figure 4.31, and click OK.

6. Close the Registry Editor.

7. To activate the new icon name, right-click anywhere on the desktop and select Refresh. The new icon name should now appear

Along with the other main icons, the icon for Internet Explorer isn't automatically placed on the Vista desktop. In addition, the Internet Explorer icon can't even be enabled via the desktop icon settings, such as discussed in the previous section when adding the main icons. This can be rather bothersome when you're accustomed to clicking on the icon to surf the web. Nevertheless, there are ways to get the icon on your desktop.

Here's the simplest way to add the Internet Explorer icon to the desktop:
1. Open the Start menu.
2. Click and drag the Internet Explorer icon to the desktop
3. To get rid of the shortcut text, right-click on the icon, select Rename, and delete the word "Shortcut."

In creating a simple shortcut means you'll have the ugly arrow on the Internet Explorer icon, unlike the other main icons, such as Computer, Network, and Recycle Bin.

Be very careful when editing the Windows Registry. Mistakes can cause major problems. By major, I mean everything from a program failing to start to your computer being made unusable. One false move in the Registry can spell disaster, so be careful!

It's also a good idea to make a backup copy prior to making any changes to the Registry. Here's how:
1. Open the Registry Editor by following steps 1 and 2.
2. In the Registry Editor, click File on the menu and select Export.
3. On the bottom of the dialog box, select the All option for the Export Range.
4. Browse, find, and select a location to save the registry. It's best to save it to a removable shortage device like a flash drive, floppy disc, or CD.
5. Enter your desired file name, such as Registry_Backup_DATE.
6. Click Save and wait until it's done which may take a few minutes.