Chapter 2 Operating Systems 57
BitLocker To Go Reader as a free download. This
program can be installed on a Windows Vista or
Windows XP computer. It allows the user to read the
contents of the encrypted flash drive. BitLocker To
Go is automatically added to the USB flash drive or
storage media by default.
Windows 8 Specific Features
Windows 8 has many of the same features
found in Windows Vista and Windows 7. The
most significant differences are the Windows 8
user interface, which was discussed earlier, the
logon option called Microsoft logon, and the
incorporation of cloud access by default.
Microsoft User Account
There are two general user account types
associated with Windows 8. They are the local user
account and the Microsoft account. The Microsoft
account is a combination of your e-mail address,
such as Student1481@comcast.net, and a password.
The local user account name is simply a user name
such as Student1481 and a password. The e-mail
address used for the Microsoft account does not
need to be a Microsoft email account. Any e-mail
account you own can be used. For example, you
could use your Gmail account or the account
provided by your Internet service provider.
The Microsoft account is configured during
the operating system installation or when a
user account is created. When you log on to
the computer using your Microsoft account,
you automatically connect to the Internet. If
configured, you will also automatically connect to
your e-mail account, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn,
and to an assortment of other accounts. When you
log on using the local user account, you do not
automatically connect to the Internet.
Windows To Go
Windows To Go is a feature specific to
the Windows 8 Enterprise edition. It allows a
Windows 8 Enterprise operating system and
desired files and folders to run from a USB storage
device, such as a flash drive or external hard drive.
The idea is to allow technicians in the corporate or
enterprise environment to plug their USB storage
device into any computer and boot to their own
personal computer configuration.
Sync Your Settings
File synchronization is not new to Windows,
but the
Sync your settings
option in Windows 8
is redesigned with many additional features. The
screen capture in Figure 2-24 shows the
Sync your
settings
options. Notice the list of items that can
be synchronized between all your Windows 8
devices, such as other Windows 8 PCs and tablets.
This is a great improvement over earlier versions
of synchronization because it requires little effort
or technical skills on the user’s part. To sync your
settings requires a user to log on to the computer
with the Microsoft account so that the settings
will be saved on any of the Microsoft cloud
services. This means that when you use a device
that automatically connects to cloud services using
your Microsoft account, your personal settings
will match on each device.
Picture Password
Windows 8 introduces two authentication
methods for logging on to a Windows 8 device.
The new authentication methods were designed
to more easily accommodate touch screen
devices such as tablets and phones. A user can
authenticate using either a PIN number or a
picture. The PIN is a four-digit number created by
the user. When using the picture authentication
method, you first select a picture. Then you
draw directly on the touch screen creating a
combination of circles, straight lines, and taps
locations. The size, direction, and location of your
gestures become your picture password. You can
still log on to your PC using a standard password.
Recovery Refresh and Reset
The System Recovery feature has been
changed from previous versions of Windows by
introducing two new wizards: Refresh and
Reset. The recovery wizards are designed to
automatically repair your Windows 8 system
with limited user interaction. Look at the screen
capture in Figure 2-25.
When the Refresh wizard is run, the
operating system is reinstalled and personal files,